Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Humanities
First Advisor
Wallace, Miriam
Area of Concentration
English
Abstract
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has served as a basis for modern science fiction and continues to inspire narratives even 200 years later. This thesis places Frankenstein within its intertextual tradition, analyzing its named sources as well as a modern adaptation in order to explore its continued resonance. The first chapter looks at how the novel uses Paradise Lost in order to discuss the role of God and dualities of good and evil, as well as the relationship between creator and creature. The second chapter explores how the 20th-century novel Poor Things uses Frankenstein in order to reflect on how adaptation creates new meaning. By placing Frankenstein in conversation with its sources and adaptations, this thesis attempts to identify the resonances that contribute to the longevity of a story, and how those resonances are reshaped and reinterpreted in order to maintain their relevance to modern readers and creators. In the case of Frankenstein, longevity is maintained in the themes of the human and non-human, aspects that Frankenstein’s Monster forces readers to confront, thereby challenging typically biased notions of personhood.
Recommended Citation
Hash, Amanda, "THE FRANKENSTEIN TRADITION: INTERTEXTUAL READINGS" (2019). Theses & ETDs. 5710.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5710