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The modern Prometheus

subtitle or alternative title (Frankenstein)

the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime

Victor's self-imposed isolation while he builds the creature is the beginning of his mental deterioration (Frankenstein)

I desire the company of a man who could sympathise with me... I bitterly feel the want of a friend

in Walton's letters to his sister he expresses that he cannot tolerate the loneliness (Frankenstein)

Walton's reckless ambition and desire for glory are exactly the same as Frankenstein's

Janis Caldwell, on Victor and Walton as foils (Frankenstein)

seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition

Victor's parting words convey Shelley's didactic message (Frankenstein)

the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart

after the creature is given life Victor realises his mistake (Frankenstein)

Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world

Victor's proclamation reveals his desire to usurp the role of god and take life into his own hands (Frankenstein)

The fallen angel becomes the malignant devil. Yet even the enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone

the creature's self-loathing demonstrates the importance of love and compassion and the effects of isolation (Frankenstein)

deep beneath the earth

on-screen text describing the workers' city (Metropolis)

Look! These are your brothers

Maria says this to the schoolchildren when she brings them to the garden in the Club of the Sons, showing her idealism (Metropolis)

[Joh Fredersen] Where is my son?

[The Thin Man] Tomorrow, thousands will ask in fury and desperation: Joh Fredersen, where is my son!

conversation between Fredersen and the Thin Man emphasising the suffering of the workers (Metropolis)

[Freder] Where are the people, father, whose hands built your city?

[Fredersen] Where they belong

Fredersen's cruel statement showing he does not care about the workers (Metropolis)

Let the machines starve, you fools! Let them die!

Robot-Maria incites violence amongst the workers (Metropolis)

the mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart

Maria's message after the workers and the elite reach a compromise through her (Metropolis)

a country road [beside] a tree

the only description provided on the setting of the play (Waiting for Godot)

all mankind is us, whether we like it or not

Vladimir comments on the universal significance of the play's message (Waiting for Godot)

To treat a man like that... a human being... it's a scandal!

Vladimir's horror at the way Pozzo is abusing Lucky (Waiting for Godot)

[Estragon] Well, shall we go?

[Vladimir] Yes, let's go.

They do not move

circular, meaningless and absurd back-and-forth conversation (Waiting for Godot)

[Estragon] You're sure it was here?

[Vladimir] What about Saturday? And is it Saturday?

characters being confused and distressed by their uncertainty, creating a general atmosphere of hopelessness (Waiting for Godot)

They look long at each other, then suddenly embrace, clapping each other on the back. End of the embrace. Estragon, no longer supported, almost falls.

Vladimir and Estragon embrace (Waiting for Godot)

They bicker, they embrace each other, they depend upon each other

Peter Boxall, how Vladimir and Estragon find solace within each other (Waiting for Godot)

Friendship... is the negation of that irremediable solitude to which every human being is condemned

Samuel Beckett, importance of maintaining relationships with other people (Waiting for Godot)

I knew that established orders could vanish overnight. Change could also be as fast as lightning

Margaret Atwood on her experiences living through World War II and the Cold War (Handmaid's Tale)

Nothing in the book that didn't happen somewhere

Margaret Atwood's explanation that she drew from historical and current events when building her dystopia (Handmaid's Tale)

I'll pretend you can hear me, but it's no good, because I know you can't

metafictive statement acknowledging the relationship between narrator and reader (Handmaid's Tale)

You deserve whatever I have left, which is not much but includes the truth

Atwood draws attention to the subjectivity of the truth (Handmaid's Tale)

the men like dolls... on one bag there's blood... like the mouths painted with thick brushes by kindergarten children. A child's idea of a smile

description of the men who have been hanged on the Wall using childlike imagery emphasising the dystopian reality (Handmaid's Tale)

like scarecrows, which in a way is what they are, since they are meant to scare

shows that the public executions are a way to maintain fascist control of Gilead (Handmaid's Tale)

the noose adjusted delicately around her neck, like a vestment

description of an execution using ironic religious imagery (Handmaid's Tale)

merely to lift off the heavy white wings and the veil, merely to feel my own hair again is a luxury

Offred's relief when she takes off her veil shows the way that the Handmaids' uniforms are intended to eradicate individualism (Handmaid's Tale)

I'm a cloud, congealed around a central object, the shape of a pear, which is hard and more real than I am

Offred's thoughts as she sees her own naked body in the bath reveal how the Gildean regime has forced her to reduce herself to her reproductive ability (Handmaid's Tale)

Don't let the bastards grind you down

Offred's mantra, left to her by the Handmaid who previously worked for the Commander (Handmaid's Tale)

I hunger to touch something, other than cloth or wood. I hunger to commit the act of touch

Offred struggles to adjust to her new life, including with the denial of meaningful human interaction (Handmaid's Tale)

Atwood's feminist concerns are plain here but so too are her concerns for basic human rights

Coral Holwells, significance of The Handmaid's Tale (Handmaid's Tale)

they're picking them up... they're bringing them in... they're zipping them up... they're tagging them now... they're giving them names

description of the processes involved with taking the men's dead bodies back to Australia (Homecoming)

the knuckled hills, the mangrove-swamps, the desert emptiness... in their sterile housing they tilt towards these like skiers

contrast between the natural features of the Australian landscape and the men flying on jets in body bags over the country

on the long runways, the howl of their homecoming rises

ironic description of the planes landing in Australia (Homecoming)

they're bringing them home, now, too late, too early

oxymoron highlighting the bitterness and grief of the men's homecoming (Homecoming)

“Nothing to be done”

• this opening line establishes the desolate tone

• it refers to Estragon’s struggle with his boot, the lack of action in the play, and a broader nihilistic rejection of human agency

“I’m glad to see you back. I thought you were gone forever.”

• this reflects the warped sense of time within the play

• even a short absence feels like an eternity

• the word “back” highlights the recursive nature of the character’s lives

“you’d be nothing more than a little heap of bones at the present minute, no doubt about it.”

• vladimir takes a parental role here, asserting that their present state of suffering is preferable to death

• while simultaneously hinting at the long duration of their relationship

“One daren’t even laugh any more./ Dreadful privation./ Merely smile… It’s not the same thing. Nothing to be done.”

• this exchange demonstrates the loss of genuine human emotion

• humor is suppressed by the environment, leaving only artificial performances of joy that fail to provide relief

“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” (The Creature)

this statement reflects the theme of isolation and the pursuit of knowledge, emphasising how the Creature, despite being sunned, embraces its own power. It highlights the transformation of the Creature from a victim to a being that commands fear.

Frankenstein critic opinions

• Bloom argues that Frankenstein is a modern Prometheus, highlighting the dangers of unchecked ambition and the quest for knowledge. This perspective suggests that Victor Frankenstein's drive to create life ultimately leads to his downfall and moral corruption.

• Anne K. Mellor emphasises the feminist reading of the text, suggesting that Victor’s creation reflects broader societal anxieties about motherhood and creation.

“I ought to be thy Adam, but rather I am the fallen angel…”

the Creature’s reference to biblical figures underscores the conflict of creation and rejection, showcasing the concept of the lost and the struggle for identity, aligning with the rubric’s focus on conflict and transformation

“Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes. It’s awful!”

This quote encapsulates the absurdity of existence as explored by Beckett, showcasing the themes of waiting and inaction. It portrays the existential crisis inherent in the human condition and exemplifies a trapped state of time and place.

“We are all born mad. Some remain so.”

This quote reflects the theme of absurdity and the normalisation of inaction, aligning with the exploration of individuals facing the uncertainties of existence

“The dead soldiers are not restored to us, but they are not lost”

This line addresses the themes of memory and loss, reflecting the impact of war. It connects with the rubric’s emphasis on how personal and collective memories shape identity amidst conflict.

“In the shadow of my own house, I have seen them return.”

This highlights the haunting presence of war and its emotional toll, showcasing the transformation of memory into a living haunting, directly linking to themes regarding legacy and the human struggle.

Their absence challenges the survivors to reconcile with their past, reminding us that the legacies of those who fought continue to influence our lives and identities, even when they cannot physically return.

This ongoing struggle emphasises the enduring nature of grief and the necessity of rememberance, as these experiences forge a connection between generations. Through the act of recalling these memories, we acknowledge the pain and the resilience needed to carry on, underscoring the importance of storytelling in preserving history.

Propells us to remember the past while battling with our own existence.

“The Mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart!”

This quote encapsulates the film’s critique of industrialisation and class struggle, illustrating the need for empathy in a divided society, directly correlating with the transformational messages prevalent in the genre of upheaval.

“There can be no understanding between the man of the brain and the man of the hands unless the heart acts as a mediator.”

this highlights the necessity of social justice and harmony, resonating with the rubric’s emphasis on transformation and the potential for change in human relationships and structures.