Compost two rough draft one:
Chelsea Simpson
English
February 2009
Paradise Lost Book Ten vs. Frankenstein
Intertextuality can be described as various relationships that a given text may have within other works of literature. There are several styles of intersexuality that can be placed within writings which include “anagram, allusion, adaptation, translation, parody, pastiche, [and] imitation.” Authors include these separate writings into their own usually to convey a significant message or emphasize a point. Intertexuality aids the reader in understanding the meaning of the work.
Mary Shelly, the author of the 1818 gothic novel Frankenstein, uses intertexuality in her writing when she references a quote from Paradise Lost. Paradise Lost was and still is an especially famous series of writings that were published in the mid 1600’s. The author of the twelve books was a man named John Milton. Milton’s series was based around the biblical reference to Adam and Eve, as well as God the father and Satan. In Frankenstein, she incorporates the general ideas and principles from Paradise Lost as well as creates her own vision of Paradise Lost in the novel. Thus, Shelley’s usage of Paradise Lost may classify as intertextual adaptation. In Frankenstein, she incorporates the general ideas and principles from Paradise Lost as well as creates her own vision of Paradise Lost in the novel. Shelly uses the biblical reference to Adam and eve to convey and reinstate the themes of creation, gate keeping of knowledge, and darkness.
The first reference to Paradise Lost in Frankenstein is revealed in the beginning of the novel, thus introducing the reader to the dual-concepts of creation. On the title page, Shelley quotes an excerpt from Paradise Lost: “Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay to mold me man? Did I solicit thee from darkness to Promote Me?”(-Paradise Lost [X.74-75]). This quote generates sympathy for not only Adam; Gods creation, but also for the Monster that was the creation of Viktor Frankenstein. Though one may not pay a great deal of attention to this quote at first, creation is a chief theme in novel. The theme of creation is demonstrated throughout Frankenstein. In chapter five when Victor’s creation came to life, Paradise Lost is once more referenced. In this version of creation, Victor plays the role of God because he too creates life. But unlike in the story of the creation of Man, Victor abandons the life he created as soon as the Monster is able to draw his first breath.
In the biblical reference to Adam and Eve in Paradise Lost, God creates The Human and later Woman as his companion and only one thing of them: they were not to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. However, the serpent entices Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. At once they are instantly endowed with all knowledge which is what God did not want them to process. Here is where the theme of gate keeping knowledge comes in to play. Seconds after Victor creates the monster he runs from the building, leaving the monster with no learn from. In the biblical version of creation, God was the gatekeeper of knowledge. He did not bestow knowledge upon his creation. In Frankenstein, Victor simply deprived his creature of knowledge by fleeing upon his creation. Both the biblical human and Frankenstein’s monster where born into the wholly ignorant; oblivious and therefore innocent. But where Adam and Eve where placed in a paradise, the world the monster was born in to was a dystopia.
The theme of darkness is prominent throughout both Frankenstein and Paradise Lost. After reading line 720-866 from Paradise Lost, book ten, one could clearly see that the passage is overwhelmed with darkness. Milton uses words such as misery, death, horrid, dreadful, and gloom to express emotion. Several lines after the quote “Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay to mold me man? Did I solicit thee from darkness to Promote Me.” The word darkness in this quotation is particularly relevant in both Frankenstein and Paradise Lost book ten. There is another quote that Shelly did not include in her novel but sounds very much like something either Frankenstein or the Monster would say. The quote is “Why am I mocked with death, and lengthened out to deathless pain? How gladly would I meet Mortality my sentence, and be Insensible!” Death is tragically common theme in Frankenstein, whether it was natural or caused by the hands of the Monster. Victor Frankenstein is especially tormented by death, as it was by his hands the creature was created and it was the creature that was killing members of Victor’s family.