Very interesting take! It brought to mind Barbara Almond's book, 'The Monster Within,' which explores the idea of maternal ambivalence, and the strange and sometimes troubling power of our ability to create life — and the societal expectation that we should do so. She spends a good deal of time talking about Frankenstein, and the fact that it's not surprising that book came out of the mind of a woman.
Wow. I’m wondering how I would have answered it now. Just shut that inquiry down for 60 years.
I grew up being told my genetics were “too defective” to breed. I didn’t discover the eugenics background of the religious cult until just the last decade. I internalized the message so completely. But of course now at 69 get so much shit for not having kids to help me when I need it, like post op or moving.
Thank you so for this. It's such a perceptive take.
I've been taken with the Frankenstein story for many years. It's *so obviously* a story about motherhood. About being compelled to create, and then feeling very ambivalent at best, and ashamed and hatred toward your creation at worst.
It's not uncommon. All mothers feel it to some extent. Some can even acknowledge it.
My wife & I have the movie on our watch list, but this is my main concern with it (and some aspects of the ending, which I've read about). We'll watch it with an open mind, to try to be fair to the other messages and stories within...
The movie doesn't seem to condone it, though. Thank goodness.
I believe this trope is called "born sexy yesterday." Think Leeloo from "The 5th Element." It really is gross. I appreciate that "Poor Things" portrays this as creepy as it actually is, then turns it on its head: unlike other "born sexy yesterday" characters, Bella has a brain, agency, and an agenda of her own. She also outwits every man who tries to own her.
Oh wow, Aubrey, my goodness. I'm eight months pregnant right now and I've been thinking SO much about this--the morality of creating a life and a death, the sheer madness of creation and our bodies' ability to do it with so little input from our conscious minds, the total sci fi experience that is being pregnant... Anyway, as always, thank you so much for putting words and images to ideas that I want to keep thinking about for eons <3.
Thank you so much! That's all 100% true. The body horror and moral ambiguities of the film also made me think of motherhood. And congratulations! Babies are definitely little monsters, but they're little angels sometimes, too ;)
I've read "Frankenstein" twice, and seen a lot of film adaptations of the same. I always thought that Mary Shelley's implication was that Dr. Frankenstein was trying to do what women have always done. So, what else could the result be but an abomination?
My issue with Dr. Frankenstein was not that he created life, but that he abandoned that life immediately thereafter. It was this abandonment, leaving the creature to its own devices, that made it into a monster. To Godwin's credit, he didn't do that. But, like all parents, he made mistakes, some of which he learned from his father. And even though his second "child" was not as smart or as interesting as Bella, he never abandoned her, either. (Though he probably procured her from the river in the same way, which is pretty effing dark.)
Very interesting take! It brought to mind Barbara Almond's book, 'The Monster Within,' which explores the idea of maternal ambivalence, and the strange and sometimes troubling power of our ability to create life — and the societal expectation that we should do so. She spends a good deal of time talking about Frankenstein, and the fact that it's not surprising that book came out of the mind of a woman.
Oh wow! I haven't read it, but that sounds fascinating! Thanks for the rec!
When my son was 7, he asked why "you made me born if I'm just going to die?"
😳
Because I wanted something to love me I guess?
That really helped reframe for me just how selfish it is to have children.
And yet, humans are also animals wired to procreate.
It's a fascinating conversation.
Thank you for your work!
Oh man. That hits so hard!!
“ Because I wanted something to love me I guess?”
Wow. I’m wondering how I would have answered it now. Just shut that inquiry down for 60 years.
I grew up being told my genetics were “too defective” to breed. I didn’t discover the eugenics background of the religious cult until just the last decade. I internalized the message so completely. But of course now at 69 get so much shit for not having kids to help me when I need it, like post op or moving.
That's awful. I'm so sorry.
Thank you so for this. It's such a perceptive take.
I've been taken with the Frankenstein story for many years. It's *so obviously* a story about motherhood. About being compelled to create, and then feeling very ambivalent at best, and ashamed and hatred toward your creation at worst.
It's not uncommon. All mothers feel it to some extent. Some can even acknowledge it.
Thank you!
I couldn’t get past the extreme heterosexual male attraction to a person with a woman’s body and child’s intellect. It made me think of Lolita.
My wife & I have the movie on our watch list, but this is my main concern with it (and some aspects of the ending, which I've read about). We'll watch it with an open mind, to try to be fair to the other messages and stories within...
Sooooooooo gross
The movie doesn't seem to condone it, though. Thank goodness.
I believe this trope is called "born sexy yesterday." Think Leeloo from "The 5th Element." It really is gross. I appreciate that "Poor Things" portrays this as creepy as it actually is, then turns it on its head: unlike other "born sexy yesterday" characters, Bella has a brain, agency, and an agenda of her own. She also outwits every man who tries to own her.
Oh wow, Aubrey, my goodness. I'm eight months pregnant right now and I've been thinking SO much about this--the morality of creating a life and a death, the sheer madness of creation and our bodies' ability to do it with so little input from our conscious minds, the total sci fi experience that is being pregnant... Anyway, as always, thank you so much for putting words and images to ideas that I want to keep thinking about for eons <3.
Thank you so much! That's all 100% true. The body horror and moral ambiguities of the film also made me think of motherhood. And congratulations! Babies are definitely little monsters, but they're little angels sometimes, too ;)
WOW
This is fantastic
Thanks, Lee!
Love this!
Thank you so much!
That is a really interesting take. I'm re-visioning so much literature right now!
Thank you! So am I!!
I've read "Frankenstein" twice, and seen a lot of film adaptations of the same. I always thought that Mary Shelley's implication was that Dr. Frankenstein was trying to do what women have always done. So, what else could the result be but an abomination?
My issue with Dr. Frankenstein was not that he created life, but that he abandoned that life immediately thereafter. It was this abandonment, leaving the creature to its own devices, that made it into a monster. To Godwin's credit, he didn't do that. But, like all parents, he made mistakes, some of which he learned from his father. And even though his second "child" was not as smart or as interesting as Bella, he never abandoned her, either. (Though he probably procured her from the river in the same way, which is pretty effing dark.)