Of Monsters and Dinosaurs
By: Ashlyn Annis
Frankenstein
Protagonists
Victor Frankenstein
I chose Victor as my protagonist because the story is mainly about him and his life. He is the man who created the creature which led to a lot of the events in the story. Without him there would be no other half of the story either because the creature wouldn't exist. Also, a majority of the story is told through his point of view with his thoughts and feelings.
Antagonists
The Creature
The creature would be considered the antagonist because he is the one who is Victor's biggest rival throughout the entire story. His goal is to have a connection with Victor, all while making his life completely miserable. He is what leads to Victor's distress and downfall during the whole novel.
Man Vs. Himself
The biggest issue victor faces with himself is his own arrogance. Since he is arrogant, he is blind to the things that will help him instead of hold him back. Not only does it lead to his own downfall, but selfishness and the loss of his wife due toself-absorbed thoughts and actions.
Man Vs. Society
Victor faces the challenge of not being able to tell society about the thing he has created. He fears judgement and thinks that either people won't believe him or will think he's crazy and this causes him to try to handle everything himself which doesn't go well for him.
Theme
Don't judge a book by its cover.
Quests
Robert Walton
Robert is on the quest for glory and companionship. He wants to reach his destination with his crew and discovery new things he can get recognition for. He is also lonely on the waters and hopes to find a friend for his travels and to keep him sane.
Victor Frankenstein
In the beginning of the story victors quest is the quest for knowledge. Later on the main thing he is trying to do is become God-like in the eyes of someone. Specifically his own creation, someone he can lead and have power over.
The Creature
All the creature is ever looking for is companionship. Even though in parts of the novel it seems as if he is looking for vengeance, all the things he does leads to him wanting someone to love him or someone that he can have some kind of connection with.
Jurassic Park
Protagonists
Dr. Grant
Dr. Grant is my first protagonist because the story starts and ends with him. In the beginning of the story Mr. Hammond is seeking him and his wife out for their opinion and expertise. Without Dr. Grant we wouldn't have ever gotten a look inside Jurassic park.
Dr. Hammond
Mr. Hammond is the best option for another protagonist considering he's the creator of Jurassic park. He sets the whole setting of the story and helps play out the moral of the story as well.
Antagonists
Dennis Nedry
Dennis Nedry, along with Mr. Hammond, helps show us the unethical side of this movie. Even though he is the creator of Jurassic Parks son, he tries to steal samples to sell to other people. By doing this he could potentially ruin the chances of Jurassic park thriving which harms Mr. Hammond. He is also responsible for the park shutting down in the first place and everything going bad.
The Dinosaurs
I think the dinosaurs are antagonists because without them there wouldn't be a Jurassic Park. Indirectly, the dinosaurs acting on their instincts and not cooperating are working against Mr. Hammond's success and even others' survival.
Man Vs. Himself
When the park starts failing and people start dying Mr. Hammond has a big decision to make. To save the ones he loves and the scientists he looks up to he has to basically leave behind everything he's worked for and his true joy. He has to decide what is more important to him and what the right thing to do would be.
Man Vs. Society
After Mr. Hammond tells everyone he invited to the park about what he is doing, one of the first responses he gets is about whether he should be cloning things and trying to modify
science. Another response he gets is if it's right of him to bring dinosaurs into a whole new era where they don't belong and humans don't know how to deal with them. He has to deal with the fact that what he is doing might not be accepted by society.
science. Another response he gets is if it's right of him to bring dinosaurs into a whole new era where they don't belong and humans don't know how to deal with them. He has to deal with the fact that what he is doing might not be accepted by society.
Theme
Advancements in technology aren't always beneficial.
Quests
Mr. Hammond
Mr. Hammond ultimately wants to be recognized and change the world. His goal is to modify modern science and get the glory and credit for doing it.
Dr. Grant
Dr. Grants quest is to basically discover things (primarily bones). He is a curious man who wants to show the world how great dinosaurs are and cares about what's right. Later in the story he makes it his quest to make sure Jurassic park is never a running place.
Compare & Contrast
Common Theme
Ignorance is bliss.
Ending Scences
Similarities
-At the end of both stories each man accepts the defeat of his creation.
-Neither mans creation went as they had planned and both end up
leaving it behind one way or another.
-By the end of each story both men has let their creation drive them crazy.
-Each man is afraid of what they have created and fear what will become of it.
-Both men are accompanied by others to witness their creations that
the rest of society doesn't know about.
-Both men have destroyed the lives of others because of their creations.
-The viewers are unsure of what happens to the creations.
-Neither mans creation went as they had planned and both end up
leaving it behind one way or another.
-By the end of each story both men has let their creation drive them crazy.
-Each man is afraid of what they have created and fear what will become of it.
-Both men are accompanied by others to witness their creations that
the rest of society doesn't know about.
-Both men have destroyed the lives of others because of their creations.
-The viewers are unsure of what happens to the creations.
Differences
-In Jurassic Park the protagonists live.
-Mr. Hammond admits he's wrong and did things he shouldn't have.
-The tone and mood in Frankenstein is a lot more is a lot more serious and sad compared to the happiness in Jurassic Park.
-In Frankenstein they are on a ship and the creature apologizes for what he had done to his creator.
-Someone comes to save the people off of the island but in Frankenstein they have to just wait and save themselves.
-Mr. Hammond admits he's wrong and did things he shouldn't have.
-The tone and mood in Frankenstein is a lot more is a lot more serious and sad compared to the happiness in Jurassic Park.
-In Frankenstein they are on a ship and the creature apologizes for what he had done to his creator.
-Someone comes to save the people off of the island but in Frankenstein they have to just wait and save themselves.