Molly Walsh
April 17, 2012
Post 1 for comparing and contrasting the two books
By reading To Kill a Mockingbird and Frankenstein it is already clear that they are both stories about good, evil, and misunderstood figures.
In To Kill a Mockingbird the obvious misunderstood person is Boo Radley, who is seen as a mysterious monster of sorts who eats cats and never leaves his house. Jem and Scout fear Boo and try countless times to catch a glimpse of him by sneaking around his house. There are many failed attempts, but their failures just compel them to learn more about the enigmatic Boo. Even despite much convincing from the adults of the town the kids still like to see him as a monster. Throughout the book, though, it becomes clearer that Boo Radley is a misinterpreted creature. He leaves gifts in the hollow oak for Scout and Jem, which actually by today’s standards is kind of creepy, at least to me, but in to book it is meant to show that he means peace and he doesn’t what to harm Jem or Scout, even though they are convinced otherwise. Also, later in the book when the kids are being attacked, Boo comes to the rescue and saves their lives, showing that he isn’t bad at all, but has compassion, enough to save the lives of Scout and Jem.
In Frankenstein, the Monster is the misread character who was born good, but corrupted by a society that viewed him as an ugly monster before getting to know him. The Monster was created with the mind of a baby. In a way he was innocent, but because of his outward appearance of looking monster –like, they didn’t give him a chance to let him grow up and be his full potential. As he grew up and became more intelligent, he also got more isolated and lonely. I think he resorted to violence as a way to channel the anger and rejection that he felt. And sort of ironically, he became the monster that people saw, but that he insisted he wasn’t. I just wonder what would of happened if even a few people other than Victor saw below the surface level of the Monster to see what he was like before he went homicidal.
These two books both have people who seem like terrifying monsters, but below the surface level are really more complicated, deeper, kinder creatures, but who can be corrupted because of mistreatment from society. Boo Radley, even though misjudged in the beginning, ended up saving the lives of Scout and Jem. Unfortunately for the Monster in Frankenstein, it was clear that he was doomed from the beginning.
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