blog 15

I am going to write my essay based on the episode, “Some Assembly Required”, from the series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The episode creates a parallel scene to that of Frankenstein which brings modern scientific boundaries to question. I want to research professional opinions on creating life as well as reanimating corpses. I also want to research whether or not it is possible to reassemble and rejuvenate a body to life. I hope to find good arguments for both sides. What crosses the line? Is it wrong for a human being to create artificial life? When has science gone too far? Is it beneficial or immoral?  Is grave-robbing wrong and immoral, or is it in the name of science and a key factor to one day possibly helping people? Is creating unnatural life ok? Is it fair to that creature? Is it decent to bring something into this world without the same experiences as a natural born human? I want to answer these questions. I would also like to find some new interesting scientific information and discoveries. Maybe I will come across some experimental procedures. In order to do this I have dug around for some possible resources that would be reliable and trustworthy to use in my essay. Such are listed below.

Laan, Van D. "Frankenstein as Science Fiction and Fact." Thesis. Illinois State University, 2010. Frankenstein 30.4 (2010): 298-304. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Oct. 2010.

Highet, Megan J. "Body Snatching & Grave Robbing: Bodies for Science." History & Anthropology 16.4 (2005): 415-40. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Oct. 2010.

Rosenthal, Elisabeth. "HEALTH; Rules on Reviving the Dying Bring Undue Suffering, Doctors Contend." New York Times [New York] 4 Oct. 2007. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Oct. 2010.

Venter, Craig J. "Unmasking the Secret of Life." BMJ: British Medical Journal 325.7367 (2006): 736. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Oct. 2010.

"US Scientists Continue Commie Reanimation Research | Undead Report." The Undead Report. 30 Nov. 2007. Web. 08 Oct. 2010. <http://www.undeadreport.com/2007/11/us-scientists-continue-commie-reanimation-research/>.

blog 14

The episode, “Some Assembly Required”, creates a parallel scene to that of Frankenstein which brings modern scientific boundaries to question. In the episode, Buffy the Vampire Slayer discovers that a high school boy has been assembling a monster girlfriend for his revived dead brother. Not only is the boy using teen girl’s corpses to piece together his creation, but he also plans to take a life to finish his masterpiece. This episode is clearly linked to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. In this sense, it is trying to get the viewer to think about science today and its boundaries. What crosses the line? Is it wrong for a human being to create artificial life? When has science gone too far? Is it beneficial or immoral? These are the questions this episode inspires. Obviously this boy has crossed the line by choosing to murder someone to finish his project, but did he cross it before then? Some people would say that grave-robbing is wrong and immoral, as well as creating life unnaturally. Some people would argue that it is in the name of science and could one day possibly help people. Better yet, is it fair to that creature? It seems unfair to bring something into this world without the same experiences as a natural born human. It also doesn’t seem fair for this boy to bring his dead brother back. Did he even want to come back? Now he lives miserable and alone except for his brother, and must create some other miserable thing to be his companion.

blog 13

Maybe it’s a good idea to listen to mom and dad about staying away from college frat parties. I just watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Reptile Boy”. In this episode, Buffy is fed up with her life as the slayer and her high school troubles. She just wants to go out and have one night of juvenile fun. Cordelia on the other hand has decided she wants to find a rich college boyfriend. They both decide to solve their problem by going to a frat party together. Two high school girls at a frat party full of drunken college boys. No problem there right?  Anyway, they go and at first are having a good time and letting loose….then they’re drugged and kidnapped. Not so far from reality. The part that is far from reality is when they wake up chained to the wall in the frat house basement. Next to them is a giant serpent that they are being sacrificed to by the frat boys. Apparently it’s an annual thing. Luckily Buffy’s friends come and rescue them. It made me think about college frat parties realistically. Every Friday and Saturday night you walk along the campus streets and find several houses lit up and full of drunken giddy college students. What else lurks behind those walls? How many rapists do we have on campus, how many sick and twisted people….impossible to know? Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a good party. I think the way people proceed to enter and leave is what’s a little sketchy. Buddy system everyone!

blog 12

Nothing is predetermined in a world where things can always change. I just watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “School Hard”. In this episode, Buffy is miserably failing at school. Her slayer duties are getting in the way of her schoolwork, so that her GPA has dropped to a dangerously low level. To say the least, principle Snyder is constantly on her back. As if things couldn’t get more hectic within her busy schedule, she is responsible for setting up Parent-Teacher night at the school, when her mom will be coming to check on her progress…and meet with Snyder. Poor Buffy is anxiously anticipating her grounding when two new vampires (Spike and Drusilla) make an entrance at the school. They crash Parent-Teacher night and unleash other vampires to feed and kill. Buffy is now faced with the task of getting everyone to safety and killing each and every vampire in the building. Her mom ends up saving her from Spike by braining him with an axe. This episode made me think about what’s currently happening to me in college. I think I have so much homework and I’m so busy and it couldn’t get worse, but it really could. I should rather value what I do have and the fact that worse things are not happening to me. Buffy always seems to persevere, so I suppose I should too. If life is going badly, it can’t continue forever. Nothing lasts forever, and fate can always change. Everything happens for a reason, and the human race just has to live and learn from it while preserving some kind of hope.

blog 11

A world with a modern Frankenstein monster would be a panicked and distraught place. I just watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Some Assembly Required”. In this episode, Cordelia discovers several recently diseased teen girls’ bodies in the dumpster at school. Buffy soon learns that a classmate named Chris has brought his recently diseased brother back to life as a zombie, and he is trying to build him a lover so that he does not spend eternity alone. All he needs is a fresh head. This boy has discovered the key to life and he is sitting around building companions for his brother Deryl. Can you imagine if this were to really take place. I personally enjoyed Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein quite a bit. I think it had very deep meaning and relevance within it. Mary makes a very valid point that there is a line that man can cross and not step back over, such as creating life. Should we as humans really have the option of creating a human through unnatural means? What if Deryl did not want to be revived? Now he is doomed to a life of zombie misery. Advances in today’s technology could very well lead to this event occurring in our modern civilization. Honestly, if it did, would you not be scared? If we can toy with something as precious as life and death, if we blur the line, what else can cross that line? Murder, torture, revival for the purpose of torture/interrogation? These seem far-fetched, but how awful would an eternity of torture be if recreating life was possible.

blog 10

Bravery is built in to a person’s soul. I just watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer, “Prophecy Girl”. Giles discovers an ancient prophecy that explains Buffy’s future as the slayer. It claims that she will eventually face off with The Master, an insanely powerful vampire. It also says she will die. At first, Buffy is terrified and denies that she is meant to be a slayer. She discredits her slayer roots and tries to run from her fate. In the end, she realizes this is her real destiny, and she must protect the people of Sunnydale. She decides she will not run, and she will continue to fight the vampires, demons, werewolves, and evil supernatural on a daily basis. She knows her impending doom, yet she somehow finds the bravery in her heart to accept all of this. I admire her willingness and devotion to protecting the innocent and battling the evil. If faced with such a dilemma myself, I’m not sure I would stick around for that terrifying moment in which an all-powerful monster destroys me. Buffy knows where her allegiance lies, and she knows her morals. She must be strong for the people in her town, for her friends and her family.  I wonder if only some people are able to summon courage. I wonder if it really is a matter of strength, and some people just don’t have it. It takes a lot of understanding and acceptance to continue knowing your ill fate. Maybe everyone has it in them and it just takes the right circumstances to pull it out.

blog 9

Every action, no matter how innocent or well deserved, has its consequences. I just watched an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer called, “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date.” Buffy wants to be a normal high school girl and yearns to have fun and relax. After much contemplating, she decides to let loose and give a classmate named Owen a chance. They start dating, and conveniently Giles discovers a threatening prophecy. He asks Buffy for help, but she blows him off for Owen. Every day she is plagued by her slayer duties, never allotting time for herself. What harm could just one night do? Giles ends up going out on his own to investigate and he is caught by a group of hostile vampires. Now Giles is in severe danger because of Buffy’s actions. Buffy is forced to leave Owen and try to find some way to save poor Giles. I could connect with this episode on a personal level. Ever action I take, even in good will, has its consequence. If I don’t do my homework before work, or I don’t leave on time to pick up my brother…..if I decide to stay out on a Sunday night….If I don’t remember to feed Skittles….each will result in a chain of less than desirable events. Why would these things ever happen? Because I got tired, because I wanted to live a little, or because I simply let it slip my mind for once. But that one choice will cause myself and others to suffer. Each person truly does hold a lot of responsibility in their actions.