Comparison Essay: Victor Frankenstein as a Creator

by Kristi Yu, 10th Grade

In the novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein creates a human-like monster.  This begs the question of how Victor’s creation differs from God's creation of man.  First, Victor created his monster out of pre-existing materials whereas God created all things, including man, “ex nihilo” - out of nothing.  Immediately after the monster awakens, Victor is horrified by what he has made, describing the creature as “detested” (chap. 10, pg. 125) and “abhorred” (chap. 10, pg. 123).  God, on the other hand, looks upon man and calls that particular creation “very good” (Gen. 1:31), setting humanity apart from the rest of creation which God deems “good.” Third, Victor’s disgust at his creation causes him to abandon the monster, leaving it to fend for itself without any protection or provision.  Chapter 11 details the monster’s struggle to obtain the basic necessities of life such as shelter, food, and companionship. In contrast, God provides and cares for Adam, giving him a place to live (Gen. 2:8), food to eat (Gen. 1:29, 2:9a, 16), a companion (Gen. 2:18), a purpose (Gen. 1:28), and even laws for his own safety (Gen. 2:17).  God’s love for His people is most poignantly displayed in Jesus’ sacrifice despite mankind’s blatant rejection of his Creator. (Romans 5:8) In Victor’s case, it was Victor who rejected his own creation.

Another point of comparison is that while Victor created a monster that was more powerful than himself, God created beings inferior to himself.  The eight-foot-tall monster acknowledges this in chapter 10: “Remember, thou hast made me more powerful than thyself; my height is superior to thine, my joints more supple.” (chap. 10, pg. 124)  God, however, being the creator of the universe, is fully transcendent over all of creation, including humans. Clearly, the measly might of man pales in comparison to the power of the omnipotent God.

Finally, an important distinction between Victor and God is the difference in their motives.  Victor acts out of selfish ambition, desiring the praise and worship of his creation. “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.  No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.” (chap. 5, pg. 65) While the Bible does not explicitly reveal God’s motives for creating humanity, John 17:26 says, “I [Jesus] have made you [God the Father] known to them [believers], and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”  From this passage, it can be reasonably inferred that God chose to create humanity out of a desire to increase the reach of His love. While Victor acted out of pride, God created for the increase of His perfect love.

In conclusion, Victor used things already in existence to create a monster who was stronger than himself, so that he might indulge his selfish pride.  In stark contrast, God, the omnipotent Maker of all things, created man out of nothing. Though man is far inferior to His creator, God desires to know man and for man to know Him and experience His perfect love.  Whereas Victor so abhorred his creature that he even tried to destroy it, God so loved and cared for His people that he was even willing to die on their behalf.

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Should Youth Be Exposed to the Writings of Edgar Allan Poe?

by Maddie Berkson, 10th Grade
 

"So I’m mad you say? You should have seen how careful I was to put the body where no one could find it."

This quote from "The Tell-Tale Heart" may be seen as a cautious sign indicating to anyone with common sense that they should not allow their teenager to read the works of the famous and troubled writer, Edgar Allan Poe. However, it would be unfair to judge a person's whole career by a mere two sentences. With that in mind, there is a whole background behind Poe to read about, which once heard may cause you to feel sympathy towards him. He was orphaned at the young age of three because of the abandonment by his father and the death of his mother from tuberculosis. Poe suffered a hard and miserable life, but from all his struggles emerged the creation of American Gothic literature, one of the darkest writing styles there is.

The first story, or rather a poem, "The Raven," depicts a man haunted by the memory of his late beloved, Lenore. Opening up on a dark and dreary winter night, the main character continually hears a tapping at his door. Eventually, a raven greets him, and the man thinks out loud while conversing with the bird. He is unsettled by the Raven’s repetition of the word “nevermore” and attempts to remove the Raven from his premise. The poem concludes with the man feeling as if his soul has been ripped from his body and is floating on the floor. This sounds jarring, especially for the youth, and you may be confused as to why they should read it. Although Edgar Allan Poe’s belief was that morals should be separate from stories, there is something to be learned from everything. A reader can relate to the pain the main character is going through. A type of pain most parents attempt to shield their innocent children from, but one that needs to be addressed more. There is a right and a wrong way to cope with grief and the man being presented in an obvious unkind light points out to the reader how not to react to pain.

While "The Raven" is centered around a man on the verge of insanity due to rational emotional distress, the same cannot be stated about the protagonist in “The Tell-Tale Heart.” This new character is a full-on lunatic as proved by the beginning paragraph of the story, in which he, being severely paranoid, repeatedly tries to defend his mental state. He retells a story of being taunted by an old man’s supposed vulture’s eye. It drives him mad every time he makes eye contact with it. One time, as he was watching the old man sleep as he did every night, the senior awakened. Once the protagonist saw the vulture’s eye and heard the man’s beating heart growing louder, he asphyxiated the man with bed sheets he was lying under. Many lessons can be taken away from this peculiar story. One, in particular, is how guilt will haunt you as the man was by the growing sound of a clock.

Both stories share the central theme of death. Despite coming from opposite points of view surrounding the end of a person’s life, they share several details such as the symbolic birds of death, the stories being retold in the first person, a recurring sound, a death that torments the protagonist, the period of time during the day both stories take place, etc. Most of all, the two stories show the reader how not to face something that is bothering them. In "The Raven" the man tries to busy himself by reading, attempts to sleep away the pain, drinks, and talks to a bird about his problems. The Tell-Tale Heart's main character murders a man in order to deal with his problem.

All of this is to explain why you, yourself, or your children should read Edgar Allan Poe. In doing so, a new genre of writing will be unveiled by the author that is most famous for the style. He was remarkable with words and the ability to transport readers into his world. If he were not great at it, no one would find his works as enticing as they do. Instead of having to learn the hard way themselves, readers can learn from the downfalls and the mental patterns of the characters of Poe. They can relate or sympathize with the author’s life and can be taught a piece of history too since some of Poe’s writings are historical fiction such as, but not limited to, “The Pit and the Pendulum.” While the author or genre may not be for everyone, it is certain that the typical person or child should not be restricted from reading it.

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Chapter 1: In which Strange Talk is Heard

by Caleb R. Thoburn, Grade 6

The man slowly walked through fog so dense and black that it seemed an evil, cold blanket. The night was quiet; not even the crickets sang their sweet lullaby. He walked so slowly, he seemed to threaten everything. The mean eyes he wore pierced all as they traveled through the gloomy night. Even the moon seemed to shun him. Coolly, he walked down the pitch black street and up to the porch of 381 Venus Street. His menacing steps echoed off the walls. Opening the door at the end of the hall, he strode in.

"Who are you? a quaking voice asked.
 "You know who I am, Geoffrey," the man replied. "And you know what I can do," he said as he pointed his cane at Geoffrey. The cane was smooth with a jet black stone at the end. Geoffrey said nothing but instead watched the end of the man's cane. "Where is it?" the man asked.
"I don't know," Geoffrey said.
"Where is it?" the man asked again. Geoffrey said nothing. The man's anger began to build. "Where is it?" the man repeated, a little fiercer this time.
"I never had it."
 Kicking the table, the man shouted furiously, "You lie!"
Geoffrey flinched as the table flew across the room. Geoffrey knew what happened next; the man raised the cane, and CRACK!

James woke with a start, shaking with fear. Many nights he woke sweating, trying to rid his memory of the many horrible murders all committed by the same sinister man with the dark cane, always raising it just before James awoke. He always seemed to feel as if he had some connection with the people who were killed.

Pushing his warm comforter aside, he walked from his bed to the bathroom, dragging his hand along the peeling, green and white striped wallpaper. Flicking the handle to open the door, he sang quietly to himself. He filled his cup and gulped it down in an instant. James tripped over some oddment that his younger sister had left out as he walked from the bathroom. He winced as his skinny torso made contact with a small red Lego car on the floor which he had "forgotten" to pick up. He began to get up, then stopped.

"He's too young," his mother said.
"It's now or never," his father replied.
Tip-toeing over to his parents' room, James made sure not to step on any of the many creaky floorboards.
"That's not what the prophet foretold," his mother said.
James crept closer, being careful not to lean upon the door which hung on one hinge.
"The old prophet said when James is expectantly listening . . . "

James's mother didn't finish her sentence, for James, who had been caught by surprise by his mother's words, fell onto the old red door. It gave way with a crash and a cloud of dust.

When the dust cleared, his father raised his eyes and said, "This settles it." James's mother began to cry.

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