"Listen to my tale": Shelley's Literate Monster
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University of Toledo Honors Theses / OhioLINK
2015
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| Online Access: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1450430867 |
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ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-uthonors14504308672021-08-03T06:34:36Z "Listen to my tale": Shelley's Literate Monster Heidenescher, Joseph D. British and Irish Literature Language Arts Literature Frankenstein Mary Shelley education sympathy literate literacy reading monster creature structure Rousseau Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, Frankenstein, is best known for bringing monsters to life. My thesis examines and discusses the nature of the educational inception of Victor Frankenstein's Monster. Frankenstein is a novel where a literate education functions as an illusion of humanization. Frankenstein's Monster embodies a Rosseauian model of natural, innate goodness. Because of his tendency to pity humans, the Monster desires becoming a member of human society. The monster misbelieves education is his pathway of humanization. Shelley's text reveals the limitations of that model of development through the Monster's literacy. Through an unfiltered sympathy for everything he reads, the monster undermines his ability to think critically about key issues. By imploring audiences to "listen to my tale," the Monster begs for sympathy through eloquent storytelling and education. Shelley's novel models in structure what the monster lacks in his literacy, a healthy, critical skepticism of the emotional power and influence literature has on its readers. Ultimately, the novel's Monster and the novel itself demonstrate the life-giving abilities and meaning-creating potential of an audience of readers. 2015 English text University of Toledo Honors Theses / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1450430867 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1450430867 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws. |
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NDLTD |
| language |
English |
| sources |
NDLTD |
| topic |
British and Irish Literature Language Arts Literature Frankenstein Mary Shelley education sympathy literate literacy reading monster creature structure Rousseau |
| spellingShingle |
British and Irish Literature Language Arts Literature Frankenstein Mary Shelley education sympathy literate literacy reading monster creature structure Rousseau Heidenescher, Joseph D. "Listen to my tale": Shelley's Literate Monster |
| author |
Heidenescher, Joseph D. |
| author_facet |
Heidenescher, Joseph D. |
| author_sort |
Heidenescher, Joseph D. |
| title |
"Listen to my tale": Shelley's Literate Monster |
| title_short |
"Listen to my tale": Shelley's Literate Monster |
| title_full |
"Listen to my tale": Shelley's Literate Monster |
| title_fullStr |
"Listen to my tale": Shelley's Literate Monster |
| title_full_unstemmed |
"Listen to my tale": Shelley's Literate Monster |
| title_sort |
"listen to my tale": shelley's literate monster |
| publisher |
University of Toledo Honors Theses / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2015 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=uthonors1450430867 |
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AT heidenescherjosephd listentomytaleshelleysliteratemonster |
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