I never like Frankenstein until I read Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, a British novelist in 1831. It was a summer vacation, the group of writers spent time at Lord Byron's villa, reading ghost stories. Inspiring by Lord Byron's suggestion, she wrote a supernatural tale, Frankenstein.
Hollywood destroyed the real side of Frankenstein. I think Frankenstein was a little bit like an ESL student who tried to learn to speak the target language, to adapt to the multicultural society. Because of his hideous appearance, he was pushed away by human who thought that he were a monster while he actually was a nice person with soft spoken words and acted like a real gentleman. This was opposite when comparing to the ESL learners. The language barrier make their existence invisible.
The was a chapter when Frankenstein first encountered with a blind, old man. The conversation was engaged between them because the old man did not judge with his eyes. All he heard was the soft spoken voice; and Frankenstein believed human behaved like that man.
That is why Antoine de St. Exupery had a famous quote : "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
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I once worked in a library where a rare book librarian collected various editions of the Frankenstein book. I really love your comparison between Frankenstein and ESL student. I think in Frankenstein's case his otherness was obvious, while ESL students can pass, until they open their mouth. Or sometimes they are reminded of their otherness when they encounter the speaker of their native language.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment, I think ESL students must have felt socially awkward like Frankenstein first learn to encounter the human society.
ReplyDeleteIt's true, if Frankenstein had had a better surgeon,he would have been Mr. Hollywood.