Through close analysis of the respective physicians illustrated within Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, and Oliver Sack's Awakenings, one is able to comment upon their respective duties. The duty of the doctor, as portrayed in these texts, can be seen to be highly varied and immensely diverse.
Bram Stoker's Dracula deals with the role and duty of the doctor, and with the relationship between them and their patient extensively. Stoker, from a medical family himself (his brothers were doctors), creates a very stereotypical male doctor/female patient scenario with Dr. Seward and Dr. Van Helsing aiding Lucy Westerna and Mina Harper. Of the two physicians however, Seward comes to illustrate the failings of Victorian English society, and is also romantically involved with one of the patients (Lucy Westerna) which confuses and muddles the normal duties one would expect from a doctor to their patient. From these distractions and lack of belief in the supernatural - modern Victorian society dismissed the supernatural - Dr. Van Helsing stands at the forefront of our attention in the battle against Dracula, and demonstrates his duties admirably for all to see.
Doctor Abraham Van Helsing is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating characters we encounter within the novel. Aside from his role as "a philosopher and a metaphysician, and one of the most advanced scientists of his day" (Stoker, 121), he is also a gentleman of much compassion and care. At his introduction, Van Helsing is obligated to rush to the Westenra household in Whitby to attend to Lucy Westrena's mysterious illness, as a request from Dr. Seward. Due to the fact that Dr. Seward sucked gangrene poison from Van Helsing's wound ...
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...om the extreme case of neglect as illustrated in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein with Victor, to the loyal, courageous Dr. Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula, to the personally moving battle of Dr Sacks in Awakenings. All offer a different level of duty to their patient(s), despite the fact that all have sworn the same Hippocratic Oath.
Bibliography
Hammond, Ray. “The Scientist as God.” The Modern Frankenstein: Fiction Becomes Fact. Poole: Blandford, 1986. 21-45. Rpt. in Nineteenth Century Literature Criticism. Ed. Jessica Momanto and Russel Whitaker. Vol. 170. Detroit: Gale, 2006.
Sacks, Oliver. Awakenings. London: Picador, 2002.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Broadview Editions, 3rd Edition 2012.
Smith, Andrew. Dracula and the Critics. Sheffield: Pavic Publications, 1996.
Stoker, Bram. Dracula. London: Penguin, 1998.
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Maurice Hindle. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus. London: Penguin, 2003. Print.
The late nineteenth century Irish novelist, Bram Stoker is most famous for creating Dracula, one of the most popular and well-known vampire stories ever written. Dracula is a gothic, “horror novel about a vampire named Count Dracula who is looking to move from his native country of Transylvania to England” (Shmoop Editorial Team). Unbeknownst of Dracula’s plans, Jonathan Harker, a young English lawyer, traveled to Castle Dracula to help the count with his plans and talk to him about all his options. At first Jonathan was surprised by the Count’s knowledge, politeness, and overall hospitality. However, the longer Jonathan remained in the castle the more uneasy and suspicious he became as he began to realize just how strange and different Dracula was. As the story unfolded, Jonathan realized he is not just a guest, but a prisoner as well. The horror in the novel not only focuses on the “vampiric nature” (Soyokaze), but also on the fear and threat of female sexual expression and aggression in such a conservative Victorian society.
in Frankenstein: Contexts, nineteenth century responses, criticism. By Mary Shelley. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. Norton Critical Edition.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited by: D.L. Macdonald & Kathleen Scherf. Broadview Editions. 3rd Edition. June 20, 2012
Baldick, C. "Making Monstrous - 'Frankenstein', Criticism, Theory - Botting,F." Review Of English Studies 45 (1994): 90-99.
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Works Cited Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: A Norton Critical Edition. ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W. Norton, 1996.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. The 1818 Text. New York: Oxford UP, 1998.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: A Norton Critical Edition. ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W. Norton, 1996.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a nineteenth century literary work that delves into the world of science and the plausible outcomes of morally insensitive technological research. Although the novel brings to the forefront several issues about knowledge and sublime nature, the novel mostly explores the psychological and physical journey of two complex characters. While each character exhibits several interesting traits that range from passive and contemplative to rash and impulsive, their most attractive quality is their monstrosity. Their monstrosities, however, differ in the way each of the character’s act and respond to their environment. Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two horrific tales of science gone terribly wrong. Shelley?s novel eloquently tells the story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who creates a living monster out of decomposed body parts, while Stevenson?s novel describes the account of one, Henry Jekyll, who creates a potion to bring out the pure evil side to himself. Although the two scientists differ in their initial response and action to their creations, there are strong similarities between their raging curiosity to surpass human limitation, as well as their lack of responsibility concerning their actions. These similarities raise an awareness of human limitation in the realm of science: the further the two scientists go in their experiments, the more trouble and pain they cause to themselves and to others.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
In 1816, a time accompanied with great political and industrial revolutions, Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein. While Frankenstein comments upon some modern anxieties —parenthood, isolation and abandonment— the novel also touches upon the meaning and fears behind bioethics and scientific discovery. The idea of science and discovery develops into this horror story, in which the scientific ambition’s of Victor Frankenstein harms mankind and himself rather than helping it. Tampering with or altering nature also stems from this fear of scientific discovery as well. Through analyzing the journey and aftermath of Victor Frankenstein’s monstrous creation, Mary Shelley questions the sake of scientific discovery and deems its effects to be detrimental.
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