Frankenstein: Responsibilities.

       I wanted to talk about the responsibilities that Victor held as the creator, and want to challenge why Victor abandoned his creation. I personally believe that Victor was very selfish when making his creation. Victor is was very ambitious and obsessive with his work. Eventually, it pushed his experiment too far.  Victor's creation is often seen as a villain, and evil. But I think that Victor Frankenstein should've taken responsibility for the crime's his monster created because he was indeed the creator.  This really shows Victor's selfishness when he shows no regard for others, and takes no responsibility for a monumental action. Victor said, "I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." (Shelley, 51)
       Frankenstein is frequently misunderstood and a lonely character, who was abandoned by his creator. His creator is the closest thing to a father figure, but is no longer there for him. Sadly, he is not accepted by society due to his terrifying appearance. He is being a book judged by his cover. Victor has a parental duty to nurture his baby, and he fails at doing so. The creature is only made of fragmented pieces, and his heart is made of fragmented pieces as well. 
       I find it so heartbreaking that Victor could not own up to his creation. It would be like a mother abandoning her baby on the streets after giving it birth. It is illegal and looked down upon by society, which I think should've cause more emphasis to be put on the fact that Victor abandoned his creation at birth. 

Jantsen's Gift

       This summer I had the chance to read a book called, "Jantsen's Gift" by Pam Cope. It is a true story about a mother who looses her son, Jantsen, in a freak accident when he was about thirteen years old. For several years after Jantsen's death, she struggled to live with the loss, and becomes severely depressed. After slowly recovering from Jantsen's death, she soon becomes involved with her friends orphanage in Vietnam. After visiting the orphanage in Vietnam, her life totally begins to change. She knows she was called to Vietnam and to help rescue one child at a time off the streets. It didn't take long for her to rescue more than two hundred children in Vietnam. She even adopts one baby boy of her own. 

  After a New York Times article about slavery in Ghana, Pam then begins to intervene into the orphanage system in Ghana. She takes several trips to Ghana over the course of a few years, slowly removing kids from the streets and the slavery system, and putting them into orphanages. She begins a series of orphanages, starting with the Village of Life in Vietnam, and next the Village of Hope in Ghana. Pam and family downsize homes and make several lifestyle changes in order to pay for the homes in Vietnam and Ghana. It becomes a full time job for Pam and her family, and even today they work on the Villages, hoping to build them stronger everyday. 

This book really hit home for me, and helped me want to make a difference in the world. I was extremely moved and have set up a time to meet with the author of this book due to her being a friend of a friend. One of my families closest family friends, Jan, has organized for another home to be added on at the Village of Life. Our friend Jan lost her baby at only a few months old, and Jan's family has decided to make the new home in Ghana in honor of her son. 

I HIGHLY recommend reading this book. I believe it caters to all ages, and both male and female. You will be extremely moved, and called to make a difference in lives all across the world. Pam Cope is a wonderful author, and after suffering such an extreme loss in her life, is able to write such an incredible story about grief, and rescue.