The Monster in the Media. Assessing the Monstrous in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Stuart Beattie's "I, Frankenstein"

Hausarbeit (Hauptseminar) , 2014 , 24 Seiten , Note: 1.3

Amerikanistik - Literatur

Using the example of Mary Shelley’s "Frankenstein" (1818) and the contemporary film "I, Frankenstein" (2014), this term paper will examine the question if the way monstrosity is perceived and defined actually is influenced by and dependent on the society’s value systems and anxieties. Therefore, it will be investigated what differences can be found in the portrayal of monstrosity in the 19th century novel and the contemporary film, and from what circumstances these differences might derive. In order to do so, it has to be disclosed, who or what poses as the monster in the novel and the film, and which anxieties affect the respective society. Hence, this term paper first of all provides some selected approaches to monsters and monstrosity. Next Mary Shelley’s novel "Frankenstein" as well as Stuart Beattie’s "I, Frankenstein" will be shortly summarized, analyzed, and compared with respect to their cultural background and the introduced criteria that form monstrosity. Finally, the findings will be summarized and evaluated with regard to the investigated questions.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• Introduction
• Defining "Monster"
  • The Criterion of Appearance
  • The Criterion of Behavior or Character
  • The Criterion of Effect
• Assessing the Monstrous in Frankenstein and I, Frankenstein
  • Summaries of Frankenstein and I, Frankenstein
    • Frankenstein
    • I, Frankenstein
  • Application of the Criterion of Appearance
  • Application of the Criterion of Behavior or Character
  • Application of the Criterion of Effect
• Conclusion
• Bibliography

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

This term paper aims to investigate the influence of societal value systems and anxieties on the perception and definition of monstrosity. It will analyze the portrayal of monstrosity in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1818) and the contemporary film I, Frankenstein (2014), comparing their respective cultural backgrounds and the criteria that define monstrosity. The paper will explore the differences in the portrayal of monstrosity between the 19th century novel and the contemporary film, and examine the potential sources of these differences.

• The definition of monstrosity and its evolution over time
• The role of societal anxieties in shaping the perception of monsters
• The influence of cultural context on the portrayal of monstrosity
• The differences in the portrayal of monstrosity in Frankenstein and I, Frankenstein
• The relationship between the monster and its creator in both texts

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

The introduction provides an overview of the topic and outlines the research questions. It introduces the concept of the monster as a reflection of societal anxieties and explores the idea that the definition of monstrosity is fluid and subject to change.

The chapter "Defining 'Monster'" examines various approaches to characterizing a monster, focusing on three key criteria: appearance, behavior or character, and effect. It explores the historical development of these criteria and their relevance in understanding the perception of monstrosity.

The chapter "Assessing the Monstrous in Frankenstein and I, Frankenstein" provides summaries of both texts, analyzing their cultural backgrounds and applying the previously established criteria to assess the portrayal of monstrosity in each work. It explores the differences in the portrayal of monstrosity between the 19th century novel and the contemporary film, and examines the potential sources of these differences.

Schlüsselwörter

The keywords and focus themes of the text include monstrosity, Frankenstein, I, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley, Stuart Beattie, cultural anxieties, societal value systems, appearance, behavior, effect, 19th century, contemporary, film, novel, literary analysis, cultural studies.

• Hochschule: Universität Hamburg (Anglistik/Amerikanistik)
• Veranstaltung: Die Medialität der Monster
• Note: 1.3
• Autor: Lisa Maria Engel (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2014
• Seiten: 24
• Katalognummer: V287136
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656876939
• ISBN (Buch): 9783656876946
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: Frankenstein, Mary Shelly, Stuart Beattie, Monster, Monstrousness, Monstrous, Media, I. Frankenstein, Termpaper