This year for English class, I had to choose two major, famous novels to read, one for American literature, and one for British literature. So I chose "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck, and "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley.
Both were interesting and certainly very different. I felt that the different characters in "The Grapes of Wrath" had more individuality and better represented a realistic portrait of life. But the overall plotline in "Frankenstein" was more complicated and altogether more intriguing. It brought up complex themes that were certainly very thought provoking.
In particular, "Frankenstein", despite being written in 1818, brought up certain themes that are as relevent today as they were then. For example, the issue of the sanctity of life. In "Frankenstein", natural philosophy student Victor Frankenstein ended up with a monster after he ignored moral standards in his research. The monster ended up being a complete menace to his life, so he did in fact reap what he sowed. This relates so closely to our society, where we face tough choices on issues such as abortion and stem-cell research. Where will we draw our lines? Will we be like Victor Frankenstein? In this, Shelley has given us much to think about.
-Apollo
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