Monster- Justine

(the image I created was e-mailed to you)

My Creation of a "monster- turned heroine" in Frankenstein depicts Justine as the courageous, fallen hero of the novel. She is accused of the murder of William, who she loved dearly, and must bear the consequences of this accusation. Even though she is innocent, she choses to take the blame, a heroic act forced upon her, yet that she choses to help the family with the pain, allow them to blame someone and feel some sort of vengeance come to life. I chose to put wings on her because she did die, so she is like the angel figure. She has has bandages on her legs because she is hurt, she is vulnerable, and this visible symbol of pain and wounds shows her pain. She has a two-sided face because while she confesses at one point and takes on the persona of a villain, underneath she alwå¥s maintains her innocence and is able in her final moments to express her innocence to Frankenstein and Elizabeth. The shield are the people who are trying to protect her. Elizabeth and Frankenstein always maintained her innocence, and Elizabeth even stood up in court to defend her. These are people who are trying to show the real Justine to people, and the impossibility of her having created this viscous crime. The lion is shown because for me the lion symbolizes honor and courage, things that Justine possesses. She has so much loyalty to the Frankenstein family, to the mother as she was dying and to Elizabeth as a confidant and friend. She is also protected by these honorable characteristics. Even though Justine is wounded in the end, she must lose her life, she is still valiant in her persona. She comes off as a weak character, incapable of a believable solution to the crime, yet I see her as heroic - always keeping in mind the families emotions, and simultaneously trying to fend for her own life while comforting the Frankenstein family. Her face is also visibly angry, because it is alright to be angry and upset - yet she triumphs over this and shows her heroism. Far too often, people forget that heroes can be human - they can be angry, desire vengeance, crave revenge - yet they try to make the right choices in light of the situation. They are able to weigh all choices and delve through their emotions to come up with sound decisions.