FREE ESSAY ON THE SUN ALSO RISES

THE SUN ALSO RISES

According to the Greek poet Hesiod, the Titan demi-god Prometheus was responsible for the
creation of men. He manufactured them from clay, from the natural earth. When Mary
Shelley wrote Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, she left little doubt that the
creator of the monster, Victor Frankenstein, by making a living creature from inaminate
parts was a new Prometheus. But her metaphor extends beyond the immediately obvious. In
Hesiod's myth, Prometheus had an inflated sense of self importance and was determined to
be adored by men. Because men had no control over fire they were destined to remain mere
animals. The forbidden knowledge of fire, the most basic and natural form of energy was
the domain of the god, Zeus. The ego-centric Prometheus became obsessed with devising a
means by which he could procure fire and with no other motive in mind than glory, he
cunningly stole fire from Zeus and gave it to a grateful mankind. Prometheus' trickery
was bound to invite catastrophe. Zeus' retribution was swift and twofold. Firstly, with
the help of Hephaestus, Hermes and Aphrodite, he fashioned out of clay the first woman,
Pandora. Thereafter, men would no longer be born directly from the earth; now through
women, they would undergo birth by procreation, and consequently old age, suffering and
death. She was given a box which contained all manner of misery and evils and was
responsible for letting them escape, to torment humankind forever. Secondly, Zeus caught
Prometheus, chained him to a rock, and each day an eagle would visit him and feed on his
liver. Prometheus' liver, however, replenished itself overnight, so he was condemned not
so much to a single act of punishment but to perpetual torture. This is the price of
tampering with nature. Prometheus' ultimate downfall was caused, not by a poorly executed
theft, but by the driving force of his own self-interest. By characterising
Prometheanism, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a critique of male egoism. Shelley
represents male egoism through the assertiveness of her glory seeking characters. The
attitude of her narrator, Robert Walton, is typified by his belief in his 'God given
right' to have ultimate success in Arctic explorations. He writes to his sister Margaret
asking, do I not deserve to accomplish some great purpose? (Shelley 17) This attitude
continues as he tells Victor that he would sacrifice anything, including men's
(presumably other men's) lives for the success of his polar expedition and for the
dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race(28). This
boast, made in the very midst of vast polar 2. ice fields, impels Victor to tell his
story, as both a confession and also as a warning to Walton. If Victor is the 'Modern
Prometheus', Walton is certainly his apprentice. Like Victor's knowledge of how to create
a living being from dead matter, the knowledge which Walton seeks is forbidden; the
secret of nature. By the end of the novel Walton has become aware of the ominous aspect
of the Arctic. Certainly, the cruelty of the Arctic has not been lost on the crew of his
ship who threaten mutiny. Their human spirit, in striving for forbidden knowledge, when
confronted with the terrifying and mysterious abyss of nature, prefers to retreat
trembling from the inhuman and seemingly infinite icy wilds. On his deathbed, Victor asks
them, Did you not call this a glorious expedition? ..... You were hereafter to be hailed
as the benefactor of your species; your names adored, as belonging to the brave men who
encountered death and honour, and the benefit of mankind(214). Despite Victor's rousing
speech, the crew resolve to return to the safety and warmth of 'Mother England', no
longer able to call themselves 'true men'. Or, perhaps they have some forethought that,
in finding absolution in 'Walton The Confessor', Victor's parting words would be, Seek
happiness in tranquillity, and avoid ambition...(217). With these last words, Victor is
finally able to release himself from his dogma of glory and from life itself but his
unflagging egoism will not let him concede that he might have acted in error: I have
myself been blasted in these hopes (of discovery), yet another may succeed(218). Another,
almost passing, reference to Prometheanism appears when Walton tells Margaret that his
lieutenant is likewise madly desirous of glory(20). Victor's closest friend, Henry
Clerval, is one male who pursues his objectives without striving for glory. This is due
to the moderating influence of a female, the epitome of a contemporary male's idea of
femininity, Elizabeth Lavenza. Whilst growing up together, she ... unfolded to him the
real loveliness and beneficence, and made the doing good the end and aim of his soaring
ambition(38). As Victor Frankenstein relates his story to Walton, he speaks of the desire
to learn beyond the physical sciences, to discover metaphysical secrets which is more
than a simple quest for wisdom. Fuelled by his perceived elevation in esteem and
admiration at Ingolstadt University, it becomes his obsession to find everlasting life, a
quest for forbidden knowledge. Like Prometheus, he is driven by the thought of glory more
than the benefit he might bestow upon humankind: Wealth was an 3. inferior object; but
what glory would attend the discovery, if I could banish disease from the human frame,
and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!(40). And like Prometheus, he is
able to fashion a living being from inaminate parts. But here he has made a double
transgression. Not only has he gone against nature, and circumvented the act of
procreation, he has used the parts of dead humans to achieve his result. Compounding his
crimes, Victor makes his gravest error. His egoism does not allow him to fulfil his
obligations as a creator; to nurture and provide for his 'offspring' . Victor finds the
look of the 'demoniacal corpse' too abhorrent; ....but now that I had finished, the
beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart(57).
Shelley employs the monster to mete out Victor's punishment. Frustrated by a lack of
compassion, the monster seeks revenge upon his creator. By killing William, Clerval, and
Elizabeth, the monster enslaves Victor to the turmoil of his own mind and emotions,
thereby destroying any hope of tranquillity, and his subsequent ability to rationalise
clearly and deeply. Victor's ability to devise a plan whereby he can destroy his creation
is overshadowed by his own predicament, merely pursuing the monster to wherever the
monster wishes to lead him. Victor's perpetual punishment is not so much physical as
mental and emotional. By contrast, Clerval's death has nothing to do with his ambitions.
Perhaps, because his motives are honourable, that is, not ego driven, that he is allowed
to die quickly. But like William, Victor's brother, and Elizabeth, it is the affection
bestowed on him by Victor that makes him a victim; his death is but another part of what
keeps Victor, like Prometheus, chained in an eternal hell(211). In an attempt to placate
the monster, Victor agrees to make a female companion, a Pandora. But when half
completed, he claims, like Pandora, she might become ten thousand times more malignant
than her mate or a race of devils would be propagated upon the earth(165). In the
presence of the monster, he destroys his work. But it is the lack of glorification were
she to become what he predicts which really stops him proceeding. If his egoism had
allowed him to believe humanity would marvel at his achievements, he would have kept
going. So, with his Promethean traits in tact, Victor's self-interest determines his
actions once more. Further retribution from the monster is a fait accompli . Victor's
egoism even denies him the opportunity of understanding the implications of the monster's
4. promise to be with him on his wedding night. Victor's self obsession leads him to say,
Villain! before you sign my death-warrant, be sure that you are yourself safe (168). As
far as Victor is concerned, the safety of Elizabeth is not a consideration; as far as his
'perpetual torture' is concerned, her fate is sealed. The seeking of glory is a pursuit
of ego driven males which, if left unchecked, deserves the fate of Prometheus. Shelley
tells the story of three men who deal with Prometheanism in three ways. Innocent Clerval
lived a happy, fulfilled, albeit brief life. Victor, refusing to repent until his last
breath, and unable to pursue the monster, is 'chained' to his bed with only his memories
to persecute him. And Walton relinquishes his own egoism and abandons his quest in the
Arctic thus allowing the story of 'The Modern Prometheus' to be told. The product of
Prometheanism, the hapless monster, regretful of his own existence and with revenge
complete, exits stage right, presumably to his death in the unknown wilderness.
s What do a god and a crazy doctor have in common? Nothing right! Wrong! In the stories
Prometheus and Frankenstein the protagonists are very alike in many ways. They both tried
to play god, steal, and they both get punished for what they did. In the stories
Prometheus and Frankenstein the protagonists both tried to play God in their own way.
They did this by trying to create their own being or race to worship them. In the story
Prometheus, the protagonist Prometheus takes all the human beings under his wing and
teaches them the beginning of civilization and changes their lives completely. He grudged
men all the gifts that Prometheus had given them and he was angry with Prometheus for
granting to these wretched creatures of an hour the ability to shape their lives into
something better and to rise their thoughts up to heaven itself. Pg.5. In the story
Frankenstein, the protagonist creates a creature to worship and control. Dr. Frankenstein
is trying to be a god which is why he is trying to create this new race. I became myself
capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter. What had been the study and desire
of the wisest men since the creation of the world was now within my grasp. Pg.167. To
hold their roles of playing Gods both characters in each story had to steal to get the
creation they wanted, which is what they both did. Prometheus and Frankenstein both stole
different things to achieve their own creations but their lack of knowledge about what
they were doing was the same. To finish his own creation of the human being, Prometheus
stole fire from Zeus without a doubt of what he was doing. He took the fire from the very
hearth of Zeus himself on Olympus and brought it to man concealed in the stem of a plant.
Prometheus who gave men every art and every science; and finally he gave them the gift of
fire. Pg.5. Dr. Frankenstein stole body parts of dead people, even without fear that he
was disturbing the dead in peace. One secret which I alone possessed was the hope to
which I had dedicated myself, and the noon gazed on my midnight labors, while with
unrelaxed and breathless eagerness I pursued nature to her hiding places. Who shall
conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the
grave or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay? Pg.168. They did steal
things but in return they both got punished for what they did. Prometheus and Dr.
Frankenstein were both punished for the things they did in the stories. In Prometheus he
was sent to the top of a high mountain and was nailed there to be tortured. Seize
Prometheus and to carry him to the highest peak of the dreadful Caucasus. There among the
crawling glaciers, beneath the lashing hail and winds of storm, or, in the summer time,
shelterless against the scorching heat of the sun, Prometheus was to be bound fast with
unbreakable chains. Pg.5. In Frankenstein Dr. Frankenstein is punished by having
nightmares of dead people and he starts to go crazy and a little insane from the thought
of disturbing all the dead people. Also he is punished by his creation turning out to be
an ugly hideous looking monster. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had
desired it and ardor that far exceeded moderation, but now that I had finished, the
beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable
to endure the aspect of the being I had created. Pg.169. Who would have guessed that a
role model and a nut case could be so much alike? Therefore, in the story Frankenstein
and in the story Prometheus both protagonists play god, steal, and get punished. Go
figure?
Prometheus Who was responsible for bring fire to mankind, who was chained to the top of a
mountain and had his liver devoured by an eagle every night? The answer: Prometheus. This
god was part of a mighty group of gods called Titans. The poet Hesoid described
Prometheus as a trickster, and a troublemaker. Aeschylus described Prometheus as a tragic
hero. Many plays have been written about Prometheus, including Prometheus. Prometheus was
a cunning, intelligent being. During the war of the Titans, he advised them to use
strategy, instead of just going out and having a massive bloodbath. (Encyclopedia
Americana, 577) Beethoven, Wolfgang Von Goethe, Percy Bysshe, and Bach all created works
inspired by the myths of Prometheus. Prometheus had no Roman name, only a Greek name,
Prometheus. (Graves, 185) He was one of the few gods that only had a Greek name. No one
knows why he only had a Greek name, we can only guess. His father, Iapetus was also a
mighty Titan, one of the first Titans. His mother, Clymene, was a beautiful nymph from
the deep trenches of the oceans of the world. (Hodge, 352) The story of his birth is
rather sketchy, most books just outline the story of Iapetus and Clymene being madly in
love with each other, and having a son, and naming him Prometheus. He had a brother who
was named Atlas. (Encyclopedia Americana, 576) (Picture taken from Microsoft Encarta,
1998) Prometheus isn't really in charge of anything, except bringing fire to mankind and
creation on man. When responsibilities were handed out, Prometheus was left out, possibly
because he was a Titan, no one really knows.) Prometheus is recognized by his nudity, the
stalk of fennel that he carried fire to mankind in, and the crown of sticks and leaves
that sits atop his head. (Tripp, 439) A giant, roaring fire symbolizes Prometheus, most
people understand why, and that is because he gave the gift of fire to mankind.
Prometheus has few unique characteristics. He isn't a massive beast, he doesn't have
magical powers, and he doesn't have huge, rippling muscles. He does, on the other hand,
have an immortal liver. In a certain Greek Myth, Prometheus stole fire from the hearth of
the gods, the gods became angry, especially Zeus. (World Book Encyclopedia, 567) Zeus
ordered Prometheus chained to the top of a huge mountain as punishment for stealing fire
from the hearth of the gods. During his imprisonment atop the mountain, he was tortured
daily by either a vulture, or eagle. (Academic American Encyclopedia, 743) the vulture or
eagle would tear out his liver, and devour it, again, and again, and again. Each night,
after enduring the great pain, Prometheus' liver would grow back, in the exact same place
in his body ready for the next day's punishment. It is odd, that being a god, that is his
only unique characteristic. (Picture taken from Microsoft Encarta, 1998) There are a lot
of Greek myths about the great Titan Prometheus. One of which is about how he stole fire
from the hearth of the gods, and gave it as a gift to mankind. Zeus was angry with the
humans, and as a punishment, denied them fire. He then took the fire, that was meant for
the humans, and placed it in the hearth of the gods, so he and all the other gods could
keep warm. Prometheus sympathized with the humans. During the night, while all the gods
were asleep, Prometheus made his way around the slumbering Zeus. He then made his way to
the hearth of the gods, and grabbed the fire. Being a god, he was not harmed by the fire.
He pulled out the stock of a fennel, that he had prepared earlier and put the fire in it.
He made his way past Zeus, and all the other sleeping gods. Prometheus ran out into the
night. He walked all night, and at the break of dawn, finally reached earth. He came upon
a group of humans preparing the mornings meal. He handed the stalk of fennel to the
eldest of the group and told him what it was, and how to use it. Prometheus began the
long journey home. By this time, Zeus had awakened, and discovered that the fire was
gone. He was furious. He stormed about the heavens making a huge scene. When Prometheus
returned, Zeus almost tore him to bits. Before he could lay a finger on Prometheus, one
of Zeus' aids suggested a more painful punishment. Zeus agreed with his aide, and ordered
Prometheus chained to the top of Mt. Caucasus. He instructed a vulture to tear out, and
eat Prometheus' liver each and every day at noon. Prometheus was bound with heavy chains,
so heavy that even a god could not break. He began his long, and never ending sentence.
Thirteen Generations later, Hercules, the son of Zeus, killed the vulture, and set
Prometheus free. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 639) (Picture taken from Microsoft Encarta,
1998) Another myth, which is rather short, involves the creation of man. In this myth,
Prometheus was the creator of mankind. He molded human and animal figures out of soft
clay. He made every living thing on earth out of this soft and malleable clay. After he
molded the human and animal figures, he placed each figure on a massive, stone slab. He
pushed the stone slab into a giant kiln. He let the figures bake in the kiln for two
days. When the clay figures were done baking, they were no longer clay figures, but
living animals and humans. He placed each animal and human on the earth, where they
prospered. (World Book Encyclopedia 568) One of the more popular myths explains how
Pandora's box was opened. Zeus was angry with Prometheus. He ordered the creation of a
woman, her name was Pandora. She had this little evil box, in it, was all the evils that
would come to plague mankind. She tried to seduce Prometheus, but he refused her. Pandora
then went to Prometheus' brother, Epimetheus. She seduced him, and persuaded him to open
her box. When he did, a great chill came over him, he had released all of the evil things
in Pandora's box, only one thing remained in the box, and that was hope. (Graves, 259)
Prometheus isn't responsible for naming, or creating anything, it all depends on how you
look at it. If you look at it one way, he is just some guy who stole fire from the gods;
he didn't create it, or name it. If you look at it form the perspective of mankind, then
he did create fire. Think about it, mankind had nothing back then. When Prometheus
brought them fire from the gods down to earth, they must have believed that he did indeed
create the fire. Prometheus was a great god, and he was one of the few gods that helped
humanity. The Greeks were wonderful at creating these myths and gods, and Prometheus has
to be one of the better ones.