| "Frankenstein and the Taliban: Monstrous Similarities" |
| In the literary works of the Enlightenment Era, and certainly in works following and preceding, there exists the topic of monstrosity. At the time it was established as a jab clearly aimed at the church and government. It was an act that deemed the ways of these forces as monstrous, and stemming from this, grew works of pure fiction. The classic antagonist in a novel was universally known as one of monstrous intent. Modern literature was founded on this unwritten law. With it too came the real monstrosity in the world, which is what keeps the world of fiction and reality in sync with one another. One of the most famed works of the latter years of this movement was Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. This is the original monster novel which depicts the ugliness and sadness that is associated with monstrosity. Monstrosity is defined as �one who deviates from the norm in appearance or structure; grotesquely unnatural� (Morris). Perhaps more notably it is associated with a horrid action. In this work there were two characters that could be accepted as monsters; the monster and Victor, himself. The monster is for obvious reasons depicted as a monster; his physical abnormalities and ugliness, added to his unintelligible nature, create the image perfectly. Victor is hard to define, he is the creator of the monster, and he is a heartless man when it comes to caring for those who are not himself; this is where his monstrosity shines. The images of these two beings can be seen reflected in the environment around us; in the people of the world and the nations of it as well. When one turns on the news today there is no doubt that monstrosity is still prevalent in our culture. Murders, suicides, kidnappings, mothers killing children; these are all examples which are vividly described in newspapers and television. The news is, of course, a biased source of information, but that one sidedness is a requirement in order to determine what �evil� is. The attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were, and are still, viewed as the most monstrous acts ever committed on American soil. Those behind the attacks, the Taliban, are the creators of this horridness and are themselves monsters of their own creation. However, some believe that the United States provoked the foreign threat with its constant intervening in the rest of the world�s affairs. One could argue that the United States created their own opposition by attempting to apply good to the other nations around it. Perhaps the United States is a Victor among nations. The acts themselves were brutal attacks on innocent victims, not on what could be deemed the source of the problems by the attackers. The Taliban is similar to Frankenstein�s monster, in that they too kill and punish those in relation to their problem, but stray away from their problem itself. They are portrayed by the media as �evil� and are viewed as such by the public. Some have even created jokes about the Taliban and its leader, Osama bin Laden. However, despite this attempt at dehumanizing them, continuing acts of violence are still prevalent, and similar to the monster�s claims, they will not stop until their demands have been met. The United States policy on non-negotiation with terrorists is similar to Victor�s uncooperative nature with his monster. With this action comes negative reaction and more attacks on the innocent. Due to the unyielding terror that is continuously applied the United States had to declare a war on all terrorism. This war can be compared to the �war against mankind� that the monster had begun. Since his demands had not been met, he decided that the only way to achieve his goals was to destroy his opponent�s relations and then his opponent. This is much like the way the Taliban attacked, and continues to attack, the United States. In the end it is a war that cannot be won by either side, and is merely delaying the inevitable destruction of both parties. Now more then ever before there exists the fear of nuclear war, and the total annihilation of all life. Similarities to this can be drawn with the deaths of both Frankenstein and his monster. If something is not done then we risk the same fate as those two pitiful creatures who, when faced with submission or ruin, destroyed themselves and each other. The parallels between Mary Shelley�s Frankenstein and the events of September 11, 2001, are astonishing. Both appear to be following the same pattern of sorrow that so many have taken before. The fiction that exists in Frankenstein can be viewed as a guide, or handbook, for what is occurring in the reality of today. Monstrosity has not changed its definition for all of the many years that it has been in existence, but it has changed its appearance. Monstrosity was mainly brought forth by writers of the Enlightenment Era in describing the authority of society, and now is prevalent in those who are in direct opposition to authority. Those who go against law, who kill and destroy, are the truly monstrous ones. Whether it is a single person, or an entire nation, monstrosity will always exist. It is present in our world and is then reflected in our literature, but sometimes it is the other way around. The events that are occurring today are following Frankenstein, and like Victor and his hideous monster, we too are heading down that path to ruin and taking that inevitable turn towards our own destruction. Works Cited: Morris, William. �Monstrosity.� The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. New College Edition. 1976. Shelley, Mary. (1818). Frankenstein. Bantam: 1991. |