The carnivalesque and the Grotesque A bakhtinian reading of select retellings of Frankenstein

Abstract

Parody is one of the literary genres that has endured the test of time. Today it has permeated into all sorts of mediums and is still one of the most endearing forms of pleasure. In addition to merriment, the polemical aspect of the mockery in parody has been a topic of discussion for a very long time. Starting from Mikhail Bakhtin, parody has been largely looked at as a subversive voice that challenges the voices of power and authority. This thesis continues this discussion by reading the parodies of Mary Shelley’s illustrious Gothic fiction, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus (1821). Horror narratives are mostly written with an intention to evoke pity and fear in the readers. This thesis argues that the fear evoked in Frankenstein is a patriarchal anxiety about systemic disintegration. With the help of instances from the text, it tries to prove that the characters in Frankenstein live in a society that consecrates hierarchy and that the true horror in Frankenstein is the crumbling of this hierarchical system. A significant part of the research examines the workings of the society depicted in Frankenstein to see how it segregates people on the basis of rank as well as the aspects which make it want to exclude them as a threat. The thesis refers to Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection to see what are the characteristics that a typical patriarchal society deems as a threat to their order of things. As a continuation of this, it looks at what the Frankenstein monster signifies and how it becomes a source of horror. In addition to abjection, the thesis also employs monster theory to see how monstrosity can be an ascribed trait and how it becomes convenient for the narrative to ascribe it not only to the Creature in the novel, but also other characters due to their socially disadvantaged situations pertaining to their gender, class, religion and family. The prime purpose of this thesis is to see how the parodies of Frankenstein neutralize the hegemonic narratives of the text. Bakhtin’s theory of carnival, which delineates parodiesas narratives capable of questioning the imbalance and power play in the serious narratives that they parody, becomes helpful in this regard. Bakhtin’s take on Rabelaisian humour is a study of parody’s peculiar use of language, imagery and characterization. It provides ample pointers to see how parodies can be analyzed as a subverting discourse. The two parodies of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Shelley Jackson’s Patchwork Girl (1995) and Spike Milligan’s Frankenstein According to Spike Milligan (1997) are analyzed separately. This analysis intends to show how these parodies not only ridicule the fearmongering against the subversion of social order but also provide an alternate inclusive narrative. Two of the important aspects discussed regarding these two parodies are their self- reflexivity and their metafictional properties and how they become a more democratic way of subversion. Patchwork Girl, which is a work in hypertext format, also opens further doors to explore the ways in which a writer chooses to play and destabilize the narrative. Frankenstein is one of the most widely studied texts. The previous studies on the Frankenstein monster have interpreted him as representing a myriad number of disadvantaged communities like the working class, people with disability, queer communities and so on and so forth. This thesis refuses to limit the categorization of the monster as representing just a single marginalized community but instead focusses on looking at those aspects of the Creature, as well as certain other marginalized characters, that force society to shun them as misfits. It is also a study of how to recognize and thwart such exclusionary narratives that create a misplaced fear of people. Such a study gains relevance in the light of continuing social exclusionary policies of countries around the world. It points to the need for literary studies to come up with alternative narratives that will question social exclusion. The study of parody narratives reiterates the importance of humour and laughter in a world intent on building boundaries and hatred. It highlights the power of laughter in destabilizing hierarchies as well as replacing misplaced fear with understanding.