Frankenstein Vs Odyssey
Stories that are told by a powerful character can provide vital information and be a major source of characterization. These stories, more specifically: embedded narratives, serve as a tool frequently used by authors. Embedded narratives have the ability to change a character immensely, from a boring blank canvas to someone that is intricate, perplexing and intriguing. This is exactly what Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Homer’s Odyssey Book Nine: In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave do, they both utilize embedded narratives to depict the tales of two men: Frankenstein and Odysseus, and what we learn from these tales immensely shapes our depiction of these characters. Shelley’s Frankenstein and Homer’s Book Nine of the Odyssey both have fairly similar
…show more content…
In Frankenstein’s tale we learn all about his childhood but more importantly about his growing unquenchable desire for discovery, he expresses it passionately in these words: “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn" (Shelley, 2.4). Similarly Odysseus shows evidence of relentless and consuming ambitions, seeming never truly satisfied with what he has acquired. For example after ransacking the home of a stranger in a strange island instead of running as soon as possible like his crewmembers suggest he decides to stay, “I would not give away- not till I saw him, saw what gifts he’d give”(Hom. Od, 9.256-58) he declared. Through these acts and declarations committed by both Frankenstein and Odysseus we learn about a great fault of theirs: their …show more content…
In the Odyssey, although Odysseus’s tale does highlight a lot of his imperfections, in the end it is a tale told by himself. The embedded narrative provided by Shelley that are in the Monster’s point of view provides more insight into the extent in which Frankenstein’s actions have hurt the creature. Reading him exclaim in agony “Hateful day when I received life…Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU turned from me in disgust?”(Shelley, 15.8) really emphasizes the monstrosity that Frankenstein did. When applied to Odysseus the same would probably result, his actions as described by the Cyclops might be in a very different light than he
In Frankenstein’s tale we learn all about his childhood but more importantly about his growing unquenchable desire for discovery, he expresses it passionately in these words: “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn" (Shelley, 2.4). Similarly Odysseus shows evidence of relentless and consuming ambitions, seeming never truly satisfied with what he has acquired. For example after ransacking the home of a stranger in a strange island instead of running as soon as possible like his crewmembers suggest he decides to stay, “I would not give away- not till I saw him, saw what gifts he’d give”(Hom. Od, 9.256-58) he declared. Through these acts and declarations committed by both Frankenstein and Odysseus we learn about a great fault of theirs: their …show more content…
In the Odyssey, although Odysseus’s tale does highlight a lot of his imperfections, in the end it is a tale told by himself. The embedded narrative provided by Shelley that are in the Monster’s point of view provides more insight into the extent in which Frankenstein’s actions have hurt the creature. Reading him exclaim in agony “Hateful day when I received life…Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU turned from me in disgust?”(Shelley, 15.8) really emphasizes the monstrosity that Frankenstein did. When applied to Odysseus the same would probably result, his actions as described by the Cyclops might be in a very different light than he