The BYU-Hawaii Honors book of the semester, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” came to life for Honor Students as they discussed its themes, values, and arguments on Nov. 12 at a faculty member’s home on Laie Point. Libby Templeton, a freshman from Washington studying education, said she learned that creation is not a carefree thing. “Victor didn’t take responsibility for what he created. Because of that, the creature was left with no purpose in life or guide to show him the way. It really shows how careful we need to be with what we create whether that be in a family or science context.” Dr. Randal Allred, director of the Honors Program and professor in the English Department, said, “‘Frankenstein’ is considered to be a great classic yet it’s a book that most people haven’t read. Pop culture has made everyone think the monster is Frankenstein and that he’s this dumb oaf for Halloween when in reality he’s an intelligent being with thoughts and feelings.” Allred said, “It was an interesting experience to have people from this generation visit that novel again and see if it has any relevance. The group got into the discussion so clearly it has relevance. There are interesting things to do that don’t involve Nintendo or Twitter.” Dr. Mark James, professor of English Language and Learning, said he hosted the event at his home because he wanted to facilitate student discussion on great ideas. “When students are willing to go the second mile, they reach virgin territory,” he said. “I’ll give you an example of this. A lot of people hike to Laie Falls but very few go on to hike to Laie Summit. When you move beyond Laie Falls, you start to see some things you don’t see on the lower slopes. Those are the rewards that only go to those who go beyond the normal effort.” “Frankenstein” tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist in Switzerland who seeks to create life through science. A young Dr. Frankenstein stitches together various body parts to create a “The Monster”. Dr. Frankenstein is disgusted by his creation and abandons it, and “The Monster” searches for its meaning to his life. When “The Monster” finds himself abandoned by his creator and unwanted by those around him, “The Monster” sets out to make Dr. Frankenstein’s life miserable by killing the ones he loved. Luke Searle, a freshman from Utah studying business management, said he felt the group analysis of the book showed the diversity in students. Searle said, “You can tell where people have been and what this book means to them. You could see some people were very passionate about it. It was almost scriptorial for some people. I argued that the person at fault was Victor’s parents because they let him get away with things by bailing him out.” Dan Malinconico, a senior from New Jersey double majoring in anthropology and history, who is the Honors Program executive assistant, led the discussion. Malinconico said, “It shows that literature can actually be fun and meaningful; you don’t just have to do it for an assignment. You read literature to learn with the past and future in mind. Sometimes we read something by ourselves or for our class but having to read a book is not always the best way.”
Writer: Joshua Mason ~ Multimedia Journalist
