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handmaids and frankenstein comparison - Coggle Diagram
handmaids and frankenstein comparison
science and discovery
both are warnings of science being too manipulated by man and posing a threat
both seek to play god using scientific knowledge
both neglect natural science and instead take control over it: taking control of reproduction in order to control god
both offred and the monster are victims of society and are put in the position they are un by a higher power
knowledge can be damaging and can equate to death in frankenstein as the monster becomes evil due to knowledge of frankenstein and his discovery
gilead rebukes knowledge and science and the high positions of society hold knowledge to maintain society as they intended
regressive with society as it makes it easier to control people
scientists and doctors hung on the wall as the search for knowledge threatens fundamentals of gilead
narrators and reliabilty
both untrustworthy narrators and characterisations of characters make us unsure on whether to trust them
undermines any sense of narrative stability and replaces it with uncertainty
"this is a reconstruction" - offred knows she is recounting her story and so her story is self aware
frankenstein is a narrative within a narrative within a letter
handmaids come from a tapes at the end
no clear protagonist in frankenstein
thmt use of analysis (where a past event is narrated at a point later than it chronological place in the story) and dream sequences shows a lot of the story exists in offred head
language and resistence
Gilead obtains control over language to maintain level of power of citizens
names in gilead exist for social purposes and to show the mans possession over them that results in a loss of identity
language is perhaps what makes us human
in gilead having writing and reading forbidden makes the internal relationship with words far more important for characters
when the monster learns to speak he becomes well spoken and this new ability of his to express his pain and experiences makes us feel more sympathetic towards him
both master and handmaid's are voiceless and society denies them aspect of humanity which both sought to defy
subversion of the body
bodys are clinical not emotional
reproduction
production is a main motive of all actions
role of women is essential in that for their reproduction and they embrace them and make them the backbone of gilead - frankenstein attempts to eliminate use of women through science discovery
longing for companionship and isolation
both enforce isolation and considers effects of this on the individual
Offred
"to keep us from seeing but also from being seen" - highlights the conformity of the handmaids and suggests the role of the handmaids as being a living womb and have no other purpose
"not my room, I refuse to say my" - offred has no possessions and emphasises nothing is hers not even her body so she is completely isolated from everything
Waltons letters
"I have no friend Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate in my joy" - loneliness of walton even in success there is loneliness
"I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me" - longs for companionship emphasised by his 'desire' and feels physically and emotionally isolated
context
Atwood - warning for discriminating specific societal groups especially women and isolating them would be dangerous eg religious right
Shelley - personal isolation being rejected by her father and then running away to elope with Percy
comparison - both represent loneliness through characters although are separated by the reasoning for their isolation. Offred is forceably isolated and holds no control over this whereas Waltons egotistical nature and search for glory has resulted in his own isolation
identity
creature and offred denied the oppotunity to have an identity
offred has her identity legally removed
the monster has no chance to form an identity other than a monster to society
both denied names and therefore are products of their owners
victims of society which attempt to oppress their identity
passive women
women presented to just allow what happens to them
"Elizabeth is mine" "I have no power to defend myself"
context
the body
Atwood - widespread protests against abortion demonising women who sough control of their bodies
Shelley - widespread fear towards galvanism process which sought to restore life of the death through electricity
motherhood
both corrupting the ideal of motherhood
victor is destroying natural order by taking role of mother in reproduction
victors incestuous dream of mother presents his Oedipus complex and repressed sexual desire for his mother whihc is perhaps projected onto Elizabeth who assumes role of mother in their family
both take have someone who takes control of reproduction
in gilead pregnanyc is taken as a means of control and their only outsource of power becomes controlled by someone else meaning their value becomes defined by it
religion
human relationships
both present human relationships to be at the root of characters sanity
isolation forces them to lose grip on reality and spiral into insanity
victors ambition leads to his isolation but also his later fear of being discovered leads to his detachment from human contact - offred is starved of meaningful contact so uses the commander and nick to ease the pain
"I was so guided by a silken chord" - victors actions were shaped by the presence of his family and looses this guidance bringing him isolation and lack of morality
the monster reverts to violence and revenge to deal with the anger victor has caused him in his rejection and abandonment as he has no positive human contact to teach him otherwise