What is a Monster? 

The Oxford Dictionary describes a monster as “an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening,” but is that it? If we look into the etymology of the word monster, we see that it comes from the word monstrum, derived from the Latin verb “monere,” which meant “to warn, remind, or instruct.” So is a monster just a large grotesque creature, or is it a symbol, meant for instruction?

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, when I hear the word monster, I think of the creature, Frankenstein’s creation. But why? Maybe it’s because of his description: 8 feet tall, yellow skin, black teeth, described by Victor as a “wretch” or “fiend” to signify the appalling nature of his creation. But is he really the monster of the story? Well, if we were looking at it through the modern lens, then yes. He is “large, ugly, and frightening,” but if we go back, it gets just a little more complicated. Using the knowledge we have of the word “monere,” let’s take a look back into the story to see if the creature is the true “monster” of the story.

Victor’s story begins with him talking to Walton about his childhood and the circumstances that led up to him creating the creature. When he finally reanimates the creature, he is immediately horrified by his creation and runs away from it. He was so caught up in his idea of bringing things back from the dead that he failed to realize his responsibility by playing god. His running from the creature as soon as it is brought to life sets the premise for the rest of the mishaps that happen throughout the story. If he had realized what would happen, all the problems could have been solved before they even started.

What does the Bible say?

This isn’t seen in just Frankenstein, Proverbs 16:18 says “pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” Victor is a perfect example of this verse. His pride and ambition to make a name for himself and be his own god all fails when faced with the consequences of his actions. Just like this scriptural verse, Victors story is used as a cautionary tale “to warn.” “monere”

Who is the Monster and what can we learn from them?

So does that make Victor the monster of the story? I think it does, because while the monster did horrible things it was all because of victors lack of foresight. I think Mary Shelley uses Victor as “monere” to warn us and to show us of all the problems that can be caused if we have too much ambition and hubris in the moment and don’t think about what our actions could cause. I think she uses Victor not just to show Walton but to show us too that if we don’t think about what we do then we can make our own “monsters” just as “ugly and frightening” as Victors.

When you hear love what’s the first thing you think of? Is it a feeling? Or is it someone in your life? Most people would say its just a complex emotion that we feel towards certain people or things. But is that true? Is love really just an emotion? 

Well to put it simply… No

Paradise Lost was written around 1667 by John Milton. It recounted his biblical view of the fall of Satan and mankind. Later on in the book, a meeting is held in heaven to discuss what will happen to Satan and mankind. God the Father discusses with his Son and his angels on what to do. When God the Father asks for someone to sacrifice themselves for mankind only one person volunteers. Jesus. “So heavenly love shall outdo hellish hate.” This sentence sums up the whole theme of Paradise Lost. God’s divine love will outshine Satan’s hate. Because of Jesus’s sacrifice for us on the cross, our debts are paid and we are sanctified. Satan no longer has any power against us and we can only thank Jesus for that.

While Paradise Lost is based off of biblical stories it isn’t entirely scripturally accurate. So what does the Bible say about love? In his epistle to the church of Corinth, the apostle Paul describes love as this, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” He says this in order to show that love isn’t just an emotion, but an action. We must act out love, not just feel it. In 1 John, it says “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” These verses show us that God doesn’t just demonstrate the qualities of love but that He IS love. If we love one another just as He loves us then he abides in us and we know Him. God’s divine love isn’t just a feeling or an action, it is Him. That’s why when Satan was banished from heaven in Paradise Lost he didn’t feel regret or love, he only felt hate. Pure hellish hate. Not because he didn’t want to but because it was not possible for him to. He rebelled against God and left him. He cannot ever love because he is no longer of God and  

 Love IS God.

Now when I hear “love” I think about Jesus’ sacrifice for us. He didn’t need to do anything for us. He could’ve stayed in heaven but instead he humbled himself and came down to earth for the sole purpose of dying for OUR sins. Not his, but all of ours. He exemplifies all love in every way and the VERY LEAST we can do is love others because he loves us.

        Most of us may think that chivalry is just an old way of living, used to keep the barbaric tendencies of medieval knights in check and now long gone after the time of knights. But is it actually? While chivalry was popularly practiced by knights, it can be practiced by anyone.  Chivalry is just a code, used to raise others before ourselves. But does that matter to us? Is it even relevant nowadays? Do we really need it? Well… let’s see. 

Code of Chivalry:

• Prowess
• Justice
• Loyalty
• Defense
• Courage
• Faith
• Humility
• Largesse
• Nobility
• Franchise

        The term chivalry was first used in France around the 10th century. It was used to describe the code of conduct that a knight should live by. Knights should be loyal, faithful, brave, and more. It was made particularly popular by certain pieces of literature such as “King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table”. These pieces idealized chivalry and created a Hero-Knight within the story. This led characters in the real world to pursue the ideologies of chivalry. 

        But is chivalry only for knights? How is it achieved? In “The Necessity of Chivalry”, C.S. Lewis says “Knightly character is art not nature- something that needs to be achieved, not something that can be relied upon to happen.” This tells us that anyone who is willing to can achieve chivalric ideals through their own work. He describes two sections of humanity, “Those who deal in blood and iron but cannot be meek in hall” and “those who are meek in hall but useless in battle.” By chivalry we can combine these two natures of humankind to become “a knight”. “The man who combines both natures-the knight-is not a work of nature, but of art.” 

        Probably one of the best examples of this is Sir Gawain in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”. In the story, a massive, all green knight bounds into King Arthur’s court and presents a challenge. After some hesitation, Sir Gawain steps up and accepts. The challenge, cut off the Green Knight’s head, and have it done upon you a year later. After the Green Knight’s head gets chopped off by Sir Gawain, he simply picks it up and leaves. When the time comes, Sir Gawain leaves for the Green Chapel. Along the way he stops at a lord’s house and stays for 3 days. During those 3 days, he is presented with a challenge each day.  He was offered gifts such as a ring and a kiss. Sir Gawain “swears on his knighthood that he could take nothing” but on the 3rd day he is presented with a green satchel that supposedly grants him immortality. Finally he decides to take it, even though he swore not to, and moves along to the Green Chapel. When he confronts the Green Knight, he discovers that the satchel had no magic ability and that it was all a test. Ashamed, Sir Gawain wept, but the Green Knight still called him “the finest man to walk the earth,” and that he stands out because he did not fall for the other temptations, only because of love for his life did he fail.

        Sir Gawain lacked, he lied even when he swore not to, you may say. How is he the finest man to walk the earth? It is because even though he did something wrong, he still only lacked a little, he acknowledged what he did wrong and was very sorry. He remained faithful to his challenge and was only less than loyal because he loved his life. Sir Gawain says “Cursed be cowardice and covetousness both, villainy and vice that destroys all virtue.” He acknowledges that he messed up but is confident to fix it. In the end, the Green Knight forgives him “since now you’re confessed so clean, acknowledging sins and bearing plain penance of my point; I consider you polished as white and as perfectly clean as if you had never fallen since you were first born.” He forgives Sir Gawain of his wrongdoing just as how God forgives us of our sin, not so we can keep doing it but so we can repent and teach others of what not to do.

         You may ask why we should do this? How is this relevant to me? Because we have an example that has all the knightly virtues and commands us to. Jesus is our perfect knight. He is always faithful, always noble, always merciful, always generous, and is always just. In John 13:15, Jesus is speaking and says “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.” We are not perfect, God himself said so, but through our faith and love in Him we should do unto others what Jesus did for us. Be loving, faithful, merciful, generous, noble, and just, as much and as often as we can, not because we gain something from it, but so others can gain something to be chivalrous about. Jesus.