Monsters ? Us

No character in English literature has given rise to a wider array of interpretations than Frankenstein's creature. In fields like human rights, gender studies, political studies, and critical race theory, he is frequently invoked to represent the injustices faced by immigrants, orphans, women, people of color, the incarcerated, the enslaved, people with disabilities, and LGBT people. Intelligent, articulate, sensitive, self-aware, and capable of deep emotion yet summarily rejected by his creator and spurned by everyone he encounters, it is no surprise that the creature has become such an apt metaphor for the diverse range of persons that society persecutes and excludes. What is surprising, however, are the lengths to which Mary Shelley goes to underscore the similarities between Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Both are driven by a passionate desire for knowledge. Both find solace and inspiration in the natural world. And both are locked in an inexorable cycle of mutual recrimination and mutual pursuit. Given their obvious biological differences and radically disparate upbringings, neither nature nor nurture can account for the profound kinship linking creature and creator. Who then, we are forced to ask, is the real monster? And what are the criteria we use to make this determination?

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For more information, call 845-758-7097, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 11:00 am – 12:30 pm EDT/GMT-4

Location: Bertelsmann Campus Center, Multipurpose Room

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