Compare the theme of outsiders in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Daz 4 Zoe by Robert Swindells.
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Q. Compare the theme of outsiders in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Daz 4 Zoe by Robert Swindells.
This essay aims to compare two exceedingly diverse novels, Daz 4 Zoe
A contemporary novel focusing on the future and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley a piece of nineteenth century literature. Both discuss outsiders in society. While, both books are very different there are similarities. Both authors cope with the concern of what it is like to live with being an outcast in society.
Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin Shelley wrote her 'blood curdling' novel in 1816 while on holiday in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1831, Shelley declares her desire to 'quicken the beatings of the heart.' This is the first of numerous signals that this book should be found in the Gothic Fiction genre. Frankenstein is commonly acknowledged as a Gothic novel with significant links to the Romantic Movement; yet, it has connections with other genres. The novel may be seen as the opening of science fiction, representing the scientific and technological advances suggesting potential consequences of future developments. Mary Shelley illustrates an intimidating yet realistic forecast of what the future may hold where man interferes with the creation of life. Frankenstein is written in three, first person narrators, framed or embedded narratives. The narrator changes many times, starting of with Robert Walton and later becoming Victor and the monster.
Daz 4 Zoe, a futuristic adventure, also falls into various genres. It can also be associated with science fiction and modern mystery. Swindells begins the book with a true story that has a similar moral to Mary Shelley's interpretation. His true story essentially explains how if we did not get our priorities right, we will face a similar circumstance in the future as did the characters in this novel. Daz 4 Zoe is written in journal style retelling events using alternate voices, written in first person narrative, (two narrators - Daz and Zoe.)
Daz 4 Zoe is a teenage novel with several modern social dilemmas: love, loyalty and the main theme of a divided society. Briefly, Daz 4 Zoe is about the citizens of the wealthy suburb, Silverdale, in contrast to the poor people in the run down neighbouring city. Due to the feeling of entrapment in the suburbs, the teenagers go into the city in search of excitement. After a night of 'chippying' Zoe a 'subby' falls in love with a 'chippy.' This romance is a forbidden love which leads to excitement while the teenagers keep contact cross the divide and provides a tense ending, which leads to their escape
Frankenstein, explores of the mysterious fears of human nature and of how a man destroys his family and friends through the careless creation of a 'superhuman.' A project, which initially would be very successful and break the boundaries of science. However, it eventually ended as a disaster, which leads to his and many other brutal deaths. The first half of the novel deals with the creation of the monster and the story of Robert Walton, an explorer. The second half is concerned with the consequences of the monsters creation and how Victor tries to regain his power and capture the 'superhuman'
In extremely different ways, both authors Robert Swindells and Mary Shelley explore the theme of perfecting human society.
Daz 4 Zoe is concerned with social corruption; this is due to the subby and chippy segregation. Zoe has very little faith that there is possibility of change in this divide unless something drastic happens. This illustrates perfection of the human race for the reason that by having a partition between two societies, the government hope to get rid of the bad elements in civilization.
Frankenstein also deals with the corruption of social institution, this means science was ...
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In extremely different ways, both authors Robert Swindells and Mary Shelley explore the theme of perfecting human society.
Daz 4 Zoe is concerned with social corruption; this is due to the subby and chippy segregation. Zoe has very little faith that there is possibility of change in this divide unless something drastic happens. This illustrates perfection of the human race for the reason that by having a partition between two societies, the government hope to get rid of the bad elements in civilization.
Frankenstein also deals with the corruption of social institution, this means science was developing before its time and that law and order was affected. In this case, because of the scientific phenomena many people were killed, science overruled law and order. This novel also shows Mary Shelley's perspective of how she has little faith in creating the perfect human being. She does this by having hideous consequences by creating the 'superhuman'
In their own way, the two novels show different perspectives. One of a perfect society, Silverdale. Also an attempt to create the perfect human, the monster.
In the novel Frankenstein, Victor is probably the most apparent self-imposed outsider. We first notice this isolated behaviour when he grows up and leaves home in Geneva for Ingolstadt. Victor leaves his family to attend the university where he becomes obsessed with the old theories of science.
"Thus ended a day memorable to me, it decided my future destiny."
This quote shows how Victor decides to spend all his time studying the old theories of
Science.
"From this day natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry, became nearly my sole occupation"
This quote describes how he would put all his energy into his studies, however we realise this is an unhealthy obsession when his behaviour changes:
"Two years passes in this manner, during which I paid no visit in Geneva."
Victor isolates himself from his friends and family, spending all his time in residence at Ingolstadt never visiting home. Victor spends his months in pursuit of his scientific discovery and wonder, where he studies routes which make it possible to pursue his 'peculiar attraction to the structure of the human frame.'
When Victor realises that he has the power to 'bestow animation upon lifeless matter,' he causes himself to develop into more of an outcast. Victor suddenly has astonishing new power and is excited that he can break the boundaries of science with his newfound supremacy. This knowledge makes him very determined and after two years of research, planning, experiments and creation, Victor constructs what was to be the perfect 'superhuman.'
"No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards...a new species would bless me as its creator and source."
After the creation, Victor realises the disaster he created and 'beheld the accomplishment of his toils.' On this day he falls deeper into the hole of seclusion, and as each of his close friends and family die, the friendless characters feelings of desolation turn into revenge.
While Victor is desperately ill, due to his hard work he is nursed by the only friend he has, Henry Clerval. Victor is now given the chance to tell Henry his secret, however he does not. Thus, remaining secretive, isolated and unhappy
From the beginning, Victor is seen as an outsider, and is the basis of his own isolation. Throughout the whole novel, Victor continues to make decisions, which ultimately make him more and more of an outsider. Being such an outsider has a fatal effect on Victor. Living very much a sheltered life outside human society, family life, love and other human customs
After all his friends and family are killed by his creation, Victor follows the monster all around the North Pole on foot and the finally with Robert Walton. His misery drives him insane and he clings on to life in hope of vengeance.
Victor Frankenstein's creation, which we call the monster, is also an outsider in Shelley's novel. Unlike Victor who made himself and chose to be an outsider, the monster is an outcast from society from the minute of his creation. Immediately after the monster is created he is left to fend for himself with nothing apart from Victors coat. He is alone partly because Victor falls desperately ill, however it is also because Victor is disgusted with his wretched creation.
The monster travels to a nearby rural area where he comes across shelter next to a farming area, which belongs to the De Lacey family. Secretly the monster learns to read and communicate. However, when he is discovered and thrown out he also learns of his wretchedness and isolation.
From the very beginning, the monster is casted away from the De Lacey's and his creator. This is because of his looks, sounds and his abnormal creation. The monster fails to understand why he brings fear and terror. He abhors society and seeks revenge on Victor. This is because the monster realizes his isolation and loneliness is prescribed by his creator. The monster confronts Victor he expresses the reason for his want of revenge and curses Victor. He describes how Victor 'made me wretched beyond expression.' The monster is also clever as he gains Victors and the readers sympathy when explaining his 'tale.'
" I was poor, helpless, miserable wretch."
This quote shows how the monster, not through his own fault, was an outsider.
"I remembered too well the treatment I had suffered the night before from the barbarous villagers."
The quote shows how people casted him away through no fault of his own. Throughout the novel, the monster travels alone with no one and is an outsider until the end. Even when the monster ends his life he is alone.
" He was soon borne away by the waves in darkness and distance."
The isolation remains after his death, as there is no one left to mourn him. Victors ignorance towards his creation, leads to the monster to resort to violence and revenge.
Robert Walton is the first outsider we come across in the novel; we see this behaviour through the letters to his sister in England. One of the main factors of his separation from society, causing him to be an outsider is his obsession of breaking the boundaries of travel and reaching the North Pole.
" I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me; whose eyes would reply to mine...I bitterly feel the want of a friend. I have no one near me...I shall certainly find no friend on the wide ocean."
Robert Walton appears only twice in the text, at the beginning and at the very end. This quote shows us how he is very lonely, even though he is around many people; this is another factor that adds to him being an outsider.
Unlike Victor, Robert Walton returns home and gives up his life as an outsider, he admits defeat. If Victor had done a similar thing and returned he could of gone home and saved family and friends. However, Victors stubbornness and determination forces him forward to his death
In the novel Daz 4 Zoe, Daz is an outsider and is similar to the monster in Frankenstein. Daz was born in Rawhampton, the run down city, which immediately made him an outsider, from society. The citizens of Silverdale see all the 'chippies' as outsiders because of where they live. Government Rules and Regulations make Daz an outsider; this was the Income Qualification Bill.
However it is apparent that Daz is not a stereotype 'chippy.' On the first night Zoe went 'chippying' she and her friends find themselves in trouble and Daz who thinks 'chippies' are enemies helps them out. Daz feels a lot of remorse against the 'subbies' because his brother Del was killed while in D.R.E.D, so he wanted to join the terrorist group to seek revenge. In this respect Daz is similar to the monster, they are both willing to commit heinous crimes for vengeance.
' Del that's my brovver thay catch im raiding wiv Dred. Top him don't thay.'
This quote shows how Daz's brother was killing in a raid with Dred. After the night in the Blue Moon where he saved Zoe and her friends, Daz finds himself an outcast from two societies. He was still physically a 'chippy', which means he is not allowed in Silverdale; however, he helped out the enemy 'subbies' which make him not an accepted chippy.
After Daz and Zoe they contact each other through letters and finally when they meet, the reader recognise that Daz does not want to be a 'chippy.' Throughout this novel we are constantly reminded of this forbidden love.
' I seen this Subby girl, our mam. Forget her, Daz. Not easy, our mam. Not easy.'
Daz is given a negative response from his mum, when he explains that he has met Zoe. However, once Daz meets Zoe he realises he does not want to be an outsider any longer, Daz's priorities and views of 'subbies' change. Like Victor, Daz is very determined; he takes a lot of risks for Zoe and to make his life better.
It appears to the reader that Zoe has the perfect life, money, nice houses, cars and good facilities. However it becomes evermore clear that Zoe feels trapped and unhappy. Zoe is an outsider because after she meets Daz, Silverdale citizens see her as a 'chippy lover.'
'That's why we have fences and lights and guards...some kids get fed up being cooped up...a suburbs a pretty nice place...but any place with a fence around'll get to you, eventually.'
This quote shows the reader how a Subby teenager can become fed up with the enclosed lifestyle. Zoe feels this because she is brainwashed into believing her existence is happy and enjoyable. Similar to Daz, when the two forbidden lovers meet her priorities changes. Zoe the loyal and hard working daughter rebels against her parent's old fashioned and single minded views.
Unlike Daz, Zoe is an outsider by choice. Her easiest option could have been to lead a normal life as a young, well-educated Silverdale resident. Nevertheless, Zoe decides to leave the suburb and live in the city, choosing to become an outsider from two societies.
Zoe chooses to be an outsider and is similar to Victor; she sees that defending things that are important to her holds great risks.
'...For the first time I contemplated the enormity of the step I had just taken...'
This quote shows how Zoe realises that she has left her Subby life to live in the city; this is the first physical sign of her becoming an outsider.
In Daz 4 Zoe Zoe's Grandmother is not an obvious outsider. To begin with Grandma is not a visible outsider, although later we go on to find she is the founder of the illegitimate organisation. She is very similar to Robert Walton as they are both outsiders in their thoughts and views, however they are not outcasts. Grandma was part of an underground outfit called F.A.I.R, which stands for Fraternal Alliance for Integration through Reunification. Resembling Victor, Robert Walton and Zoe, she is an outsider through choice and these views influence Zoe.
Daz 4 Zoe and Frankenstein both discuss outsiders in society, and how people can be born outcasts and how others chose to be secluded from society because of their ambitions, beliefs or interests. We read how Daz and the Monster we forced into seclusion, isolated from society. Also how Zoe, Victor, Grandma and Robert Walton choose to live their lives dangerously and even unhappily because of their thoughts.
The nineteenth century literature and the contemporary novel are relevant to today's society. In the present culture we have different castes, religions, races even different accents, Daz 4 Zoe shows an extreme version of abused power and prejudice. Due to advances in medical science in the present day limbs can be sewn on, body parts reshaped new skin tissue be formed. Frankenstein again shows excessive power, since the novel was written we have had cloning and artificial body parts
The two novels both are severe results of social issues we have today. I feel the moral of the two novels combined is that with no action, modern society could find themselves in these difficult situations.
