Lab Notebook 2: Keyword Hunting with Mary Shelly

“Creature-izing” Frankestein

Within the pages of Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein“, the term “creature” is woven with intricate meanings and it shapes the undercurrent of the novel’s themes. We find in “Frankenstein” a moniker – “creature” – used to describe Victor Frankenstein’s quite unusual creation, a label that layers the text with discussions of identity, soul-crushing loneliness, and the ripple effects of unbridled ambition in science.

Shelley’s narrative isn’t your everyday tale; it’s a chilling sojourn into the depths where scientific zeal meets ethical boundaries. It drafts a portrait of one Victor Frankenstein – a man infused with youthful zest and an appetite for secrets hidden within nature’s bosom, who crafts what he dubs his ‘creature’. The appellation is no arbitrary choice; on the contrary, every syllable bears its own weight of significance across multiple layers.

The term ‘creature’ instantly highlights that this was no ordinary birth—it was an architectured existence. Unlike beings that enter this world following nature’s rhythms, this creature traces back to human hands and minds that have dared to venture where they perhaps had no right to step. Herein lies a questioning of man’s place in the universe—a meditation on whether there are thresholds to our impulse for discovery.

Moreover, vesting life artificially draws parallels with Prometheus and his legendary defiance towards gods. It spotlights Frankenstein’s hubris, his bloody-knuckled grasp at something that could quite possibly be sacred—the power to breathe life—and ponders upon what spirals may extend from such grasping.

Let’s talk about loneliness—the kind that clings to your soul—something that this ‘creature’ knows too well. Abandoned by Frankenstein and spurned by society at every turn, it embodies estrangement. Far beyond an abstract concept, such isolation digs deep into the narrative soil, flourishing twisted vines that remind us: to create is to be responsible.

Yearning to overcome solitude reveals so much about how we are wired for companionship, doesn’t it? The creature craves a touch of familiarity within its grasp but stands denied due to discourteous twists brought on by human fear facing the atypical or monstrous—cue societal critique via Gothic motifs.

But let us not forget—phylogeny recapitulates biography. The ‘creature’ entered stage left as blank as a slate can be but journeyed towards becoming an avenger molded by abandonment and prejudice. Benevolent potential overshadowed by malevolent turns speaks volumes about an ongoing dance within us all—the call towards goodness amidst siren songs leading otherwise.

So when Shelley writes ‘creature’, we’re beckoned into reflection over humanity’s stew of impulses—to react almost viscerally towards this invention and discern morality amidst Frankenstein’s trajectory. Sprouting from this narrative seed, these reflections unfurl unsettling questions about being parents unto novelty and stewards of said resulting existences.

By making the audience feel sorry for and compassionate toward the creature, the story makes them think deeply about the moral and ethical choices Victor Frankenstein made. By using the word “creature,” Shelley gets the reader to think about the consequences of creating life and the duties that come with it.

Engaging with Voyant and its Software

“Unraveling Textual Threads with Voyant Tools: A Visual Exploration of Literary Patterns” ( Source: Voyant Tools )

“A screenshot from the Voyant Tools software, showcasing a dynamic visualization of textual data. Colorful charts and graphs depict patterns, word frequencies, and relationships, providing insights into the intricate layers of the analyzed text. The tool’s interface allows for a comprehensive exploration of language, offering a visually engaging experience for literary analysis.”

 

Compound-Complex tools created by the program Voyant have a lot of random issues with vocabulary.

The following examples are provided to elucidate the use of the aforementioned term:
“The creature approached Victor with a look of despair.”
“Victor was horrified by the creature’s appearance.”
“The creature’s loneliness was evident in its actions.”

There seems to be at least 26-35 sentences it shows the word averaging out to be. An occurrence seems relatively common in this literature since the whole book in about a monster. There is a reading mode that is suppose to give a more complete and clear understanding to the person reading this program was made this way to defiantly help the reader essentially it to obtain the works of voyant so reading isn’t such a cookie cutter process and to really be able to understand and adapt a complete understanding with the ability to read I the sense of a class course or class room. This specific piece of immersive technology really breaks down how reading really is for 99% of people is not just going out and actually jumping int a book and reading it but trying to adaptive and read it and they way you need to get the most out of it.

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