Frankenstein as the Modern Prometheus

            Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the narrative which it develops maintains a striking parallel with the Grecian character of Prometheus, both in the quest and vain of hubris and the mechanism of creation. Prometheus is credited in Greek mythology for providing mankind with the gift of fire far before man was fit to wield such a powerful tool and far before man was righteous enough even to propagate. As a chastisement for such insolence, Prometheus was cursed to have his liver gorged by an eagle every day, to heal and be again traumatized for eternity. Prometheus symbolizes the fall of hubris and the consequences which subsequently arise when outside forces attempt to assume the role of God, as does antagonist Victor Frankenstein when he creates his monster.

            Prometheus represents the faulted hero; in the character’s resemblance to Dr. Frankenstein it is obvious the correlations made between the creation and the provision of man. Just as Prometheus promotes the civility and progression of mankind with the gift of fire, Frankenstein admits this fire (the fire ignited by scientific revolution and enlightenment) to the creation of his monster, which is the child of this hailed scientific sophistication or civility. Thus it is ironic the birth of this monstrosity from an applied quest for scientific knowledge and advancement; Shelley is illuminating science as a misguided endeavor, or a faulted hero. In Frankenstein’s attempt to humanize the idea of science, he is indeed the modern Prometheus.

            Physiognomy works to elevate the emphasis on the pseudosciences, as does alchemy with respect to the Romanticism ideal of Frankenstein. In this way, the novel presents only these illegitimate sciences in order to embody a diatribe of the enlightenment era, suggesting that the farthest scientific progress can achieve is still the theory of unsupported thought. Science was recognized as an attempt to equivocate human endeavors with the supernatural abilities of the gods; this ability is furthered by Frankenstein’s literal creation of another human being. Still Frankenstein’s creation is faulted, representing the faulted society under the dictation of science.

            Hubris is also visited within the mythology of Prometheus, who attempted to bring humanity closer to the deities, much like Frankenstein is indirectly doing to himself in his creation. He has ushered life into the world solely under the powers of science. The magnitude of scientific creation is treated as a looming method of repercussion in the novel. No matter the might of science, it will always be a faulted and false God.

               

Nature in Asian Art

              Chinese values with respect to nature and its representation in dynastic artwork is directly relative to the conventional religious beliefs of the period and of the region, principally Daoism. Daoist philosophy was popularized by the Warring States period in China contemporary with the late Zhou Dynasty, in which political turmoil led many citizens to find solace in a universal and spiritual abstraction through nature. Thus nature is incredibly deistic in Chinese culture, while in the contemporary Western world, the human form was more exalted (consistent with the religious ideals of both the Greek and Roman cultures); this contrast is illuminated through the thematic subjects of each culture and the role which nature plays in the Eastern and Western world respectively. Early Chinese artwork portrays the dominance and the power of nature over man; Western artwork generally portrays the dominance of man over nature.

            Ink paintings on silk scrolls represent the vastness of the natural world and the overpowering presence with which it resides over humanity; Chinese artwork really introduces the idea of a common “mother nature” that is both nurturing and overwhelming. Travelers among Mountains and Streams, by artist Fan Kuan, dramatically emphasizes the striking disparity in size between the towering mountain-scape and the miniscule travelers hidden amid the terrain; however, there still remains a subtle unity which represents the embodiment of nature with respect to the human endeavor of spirituality and the role of nature in providing for the longevity of the human struggle. This is consistent with the principles of Daoism which promote intrinsic and personal cultivation through a contact with and resignation to the natural world.

            The idealistic role of nature is furthered through funerary motifs which signify the realm of heaven as that which mirrors the physical environment. Funeral banners discovered in tombs from the Han Dynasty indicate a semblance between the natural Daoist ideals and what could be considered as eternal peace. This presents a contrast with the funerary imagery of the Western works of the Greek and Roman cultures, as such scenes are central to human longevity and the portrayal of acts which were considered enjoyable and decadent; essentially human-centric. The dynamics of the human figure are greatly evolved through the progression of Western work and figural work without an adherence to religious purposes is far more abundant in these cultures than in Chinese portraiture. Geometric krater (from the Dipylon cemetery in Athens Greece) represents the importance of the human figure, and the greater human symbolism, in the afterlife.

            Through the central theme of the natural world in Chinese artwork it is evident the role of nature as both a nurturer and as a setting ideal for the realm of the afterlife with respect to the teachings of the Dao. Thus nature remains an integral factor of Chinese spirituality, in its ability to overcome and overwhelm yet embody the human endeavor towards enlightenment. The art of the contemporary Western world, in contrast, is completely central to the idealism of the human figure and is well represented by the godlike representations of the Greeks and the militaristic exaltation of the Roman patricians and conquerors.

How prepared do you feel for life after high-school?

It would not even be a matter of preparation, I really just crave college. Not the partying or the independence that comes without one's parents, but really just the learning. An environment in which people aren't as preoccupied with "finding themselves" as they are with knowing everything that they can. I am ready to leave high-school. I can't take the stupidity or the redundancy. I know that the world makes you do things that you have no passion for, but the students in the colleges to which I want to apply have a visceral passion for learning, and that is all I care about. I could be happy in a hole in the ground so long as I am getting a good education. I don't care about the nightlife or the penguins or the hamburgers, just tell me what your school offers in terms of education.
High school is about the penguins and the hamburgers, which is fine for some people. But the sociality and the tribulations of high-school have become so petty and insufferable; maybe it's not so much that I want to go to college rather that I would like to leave high-school but have too much personal pride to just loaf around and do nothing. I have a high affinity for Ramen noodles, to the point where they aren't an inferior good but rather a dining preference. They're good, like really good. I'm inventive, I can live without my parents. But I really don't know if my mom can live without me.