Fire and Ice: Political Reflections

The wildfires that are spread across California can mostly be attributed to the lack of funding for agencies to prevent them in the first place due to the President, Donald J. Trump. Due to his negligent efforts to try and manipulate (second-hand) the climate as a point of some ill-gotten revenge fantasy, we the people in this gracious point are suffering for it. In essence, this is a sort of perverse reverse reflection to the events that occurred in the 1820s and their efforts to find an enemy in the inanimate icecaps of the North; while the cause of the concern back then was how a natural part of nature was culprit against humanity, the situation Californians face now is due to humanity being the culprit for a natural part of nature. In the near future it seems as if there will be articles saying that it is the fault of organizations and agencies in California that we are in such dire conditions, but that is a scapegoat to the fact that there is very much political avarice behind those messages to take the heat off the one who is truly to blame for the lack of funding for the services to try and prevent it in the first place: the President.

Alejandro Joseph Serrano

(I did not mean to totally make this a political attack piece, but it is important to note that the President did retract funding for California agencies, as well as threatening to withhold funds from the UC system in the past. Ultimately, this is due to his negligence.)

Victor and Science

 

Christopher Martinez
Throughout Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, there is a sense of Victor’s affection for life made by women. Based on Anne Mellor’s conclusion that, “the scientist who analyses, manipulates, and attempts to control nature unconsciously engages in a form of the oppressive sexual politics,” I can interpret that Victor Frankenstein is in need for the desire of a woman’s womb. This can be clearly be shown when Victor Frankenstein is practicing science with his professor. He wants the power to control nature – It is his fate. We see examples of this when he says “Natural philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate; I desire, therefore, in this narration, to those fact which led to my predilection for that science.” (45) This view that Victor has is a curse that keeps on haunting him. He won’t let go until he is completely satisfied. Unfortunately, that never happens to Victor.

 

Also, we see Victors encounter with science when M. Waldman gives Victor a set of things to do to possess powerful knowledge. After having some sleep Victor states he, “only remained a resolution to return to the ancient studies, and to devote myself to a science for which I believed myself to possess a natural talent.” (53) This shows the intentions Victor has. There is a connection between Anne Mellor’s statement and this section in the book since Anne Mellor says, “Moreover, in trying to create a human being as God created Adam, out of earth and water, all at once, Victor Frankenstein robs nature of something more than fertilizer.” (7) Victor Frankenstein seems to learn about the sciences in the wrong way. Anne Mellor mentions that he wants that power. Additionally, this can relate back to the discussion about psychoanalysis. Since we now know Victor wants his dead mother’s affection, there is a conclusion that Victor is committed to getting that power to life to pursue happiness. Victor Frankenstein is a bit greedy with his actions. He is manipulating his sexual desire.

Frankenstein and Feminism

On the first few reads, Frankenstein could be read as anti-feminist. The reader can be overcome by a patriarchal nineteenth century where the men get to travel while the women stay at home/ domesticated. The women are seen as weak, sexless, possessable, and passive. Anne K. Mellor’s opens the eyes of many about how feminist Frankenstein really is. Mellor’s first point is that Mary Shelley’s mother was a powerful feminist that inspired her to portray the consequences of a society that values men over women. Mellor argues that the separation of public man and private women is what ultimately leads to Victor’s and his creation’s demise. Victor is unable to love because it is a female/domestic affection, while work is something a man does. Victor puts all his emphasis on his work which causes him to have no affectionate feelings, which then leads to his inability to emphasize with the creature. Justine is also a prime example because although she is innocent she is still executed and Elizabeth’s defense for her is without value. The De Lacey family could be a way of Shelley portraying an alternative social organization, one that could be more favorable towards mutual concern and love. The division of male and female is shown when Victor refuses to make a female counter part for the creature. It could be possible that Victor feared a strong independent female creature more than the two creatures reproducing. Victor could fear that he might create something he nor his first creation can control. Victor could possibly fear female empowerment, he fears a woman who will make her own decisions, a woman who does not have to follow society rules. Finally nature is referred to as a women in the novel. Victor assumes he can manipulate nature. When he does, nature exacts its revenge on him by denying Victor mental and physical health.

 

• Andres Quezada

 

Inconsistent Equality

By: Leena Maria Beddawi

In Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Men, the feeling of melancholy is severely prevalent, not only in his admonishment of the form of justice the we internalize in society and politics, but also of the misogyny that has embedded itself into their very culture, surrounded them in all forms of life. Told best in this statement, “you love the church, your country, and its laws, you repeatedly tell us, because they deserve to be loved; but from you this is not a panegyric: weakness and indulgence are the only incitements to love and confidence that you can discern, and it cannot be denied that the tender mother you venerate deserves, on this score, all your affection” (51).  Her view of men, and  the good-natured man view of a man, that loves his country but not his women, and how the men were vehemently believed to be of higher value than women, and especially in his political vantage point, this was amoral and misogynistic. Wollstonecraft would look at this story of Justine’s trial (or lack thereof) as a product of the already messed up system.

In “Frankenstein”, Justine is put on trial for the murder of the young William Frankenstein, and if Wollstonecraft were to read this story in the way Shelley described it, he would gag at the very disturbing story. Victor Frankenstein can save Justine, he is the only one who is incredibly certain of her innocence, “Nothing in human shape could have destroyed the fair child. He was the murderer! I could not doubt it. The mere presence of the idea was an irresistible proof of the fact.” (75), because he created the very thing that killed his brother, William. But, since Victor was a self-serving man with a God-complex, he believed himself to be of higher value, even if he did feel guilt, he still allowed it to take place, still allowed Justine to be imprisoned, and still believed his life held more meaning. Wollstonecraft would most certainly see this as a reflection of the universal view of the women in their society since they saw them as less than, and even then, she knew “such a glorious change can only be produced by liberty, inequality of rank must ever impede the growth of virtue” (48-49). Although, in this case, liberty is not in question, since Victor merely had to tell the truth to show his respect or morality.