Literature is an exquisite kaleidoscope of proofs of the beauty the human mind is capable of creating. Techniques and methods exist that make this uniquely human art form more special and interesting. The way a simple sentence is given life and variety through the mixture of words is something only the human mind can be capable of.History has given man a rich pot of teeming literature, both great and mundane.
And although created long ago, these timeless creations sometimes serve as inspiration for more recent literary works. In fact, some classic stories and characters have made their way into our modern dictionaries and encyclopedias.Even allusions have become a more creative way to give life to a story, an article, a poem, an essay and almost everything else.Allusion is a reference to another work of art, whether it is a painting, a poem, a sculpture, a novel, a play, a short story, or even a real event, in the body of another literary piece.
Allusions have most commonly been derived from characters of mythology; from passages in the Bible; and from other products of the Renaissance period.This paper is divided into two main parts. The first one will delve on the allusions touched by C.L.
Moore’s “No Woman Born,” while the second main part would deal with the allusions in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”.I. No Woman Born: The Humanity of TechnologyBriefly put, “No Woman Born” is the story of Deirdre, a world-famous singer who died in an accidental theater fire. Scientists, led by a Professor named Maltzer, revived her by “rescuing” her brain and transplanting it into a new metal body composed of rings of magnets connected and controlled by “electrical impulses from the brain (Moore 9).
”The story revolves around Deirdre’s resurrection, both as a human being and as a performer, a year after the fateful fire that consumed her human body. The events were narrated from the point of view of John Harris, Deirdre’s previous and, perhaps, future manager.Primarily a science fiction, “No Woman Born” probes the issue of humanity, technology, and the blurring of the distinct line between these two. It goes into the ethics of creating a “second life” for a person who was badly disfigured or has already died.Various allusions to different literary figures were made in the novel. However, the three main allusions were made to James Stephens’ poem, “Deirdre”; Lazarus’ resurrection from the dead; and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein’s “Frankenstein”.
The title of the novel was actually derived from a line in James Stephens’ poem:“There has been again no woman bornWho was so beautiful; not one so beautifulOf all the women born (Moore 2).”These words were originally formed by Stephens to describe another Deirdre: the Irish’ version of Helen of Troy. The Irish Deirdre was a woman of great beauty. Various kings fought for her hand but she decided to elope with a man named Noisiu, someone she herself had chosen.
However, Noisiu was eventually slain and rather than let herself marry another man, Deirdre flings herself into the rocks as a final act of defiance and suicide (The Gale Group n.p.).The Irish Deirdre and Moore’s Deirdre are almost the same characters only, they were placed in different settings.
They were both popular and beloved; they both have a strong will to fight for what they want; and they are both independent.Being independent, Ireland’s Deirdre decided to choose a man for herself, despite already being promised to a King. Independence was also seen in Moore’s Deirdre when she insisted on going back to the stage to perform as herself, despite her robotic features, and despite Maltzer’s and Harris’ disapproval.However, they also had differences.
Whereas the Irish Deirdre was of tremendous beauty, Moore’s Deirdre won her audience with a face that wasn’t perfect but was illuminated by a “light within, shining through her charming, imperfect features (Moore 2).” Most importantly, at the end of the story, the Irish Deirdre killed herself to avoid marrying a man she hated. In total contrast, Moore’s Deidre decided to live, despite the knowledge of what awaits her as a cyborg.Another interesting allusion in the novel is to that of the Bible’s story on the resurrection of Lazarus.
Harris compared Deirdre to Lazarus who had come back from the dead (Moore 11).In the book of St. John 11: 1 - 45, Jesus had brought back to life Lazarus, a man of Bethany. When Jesus arrived on the town of Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead for four days due to an illness. However, through the belief of Lazarus’ sisters on the omnipotence of God, Jesus requested from the Lord that Lazarus be revived. Thus, when the tomb was opened and Jesus called to Lazarus, Lazarus indeed rose from the dead (The Holy Bible, New King James Version 1047-1048).
However, equating such a divine event to Maltzer’s creation, a question would now then arise: “Who granted Maltzer the right to act like God and give Deirdre another life?” Although the mechanisms by which both resurrections occurred were different, there was still the aspect of a second life being granted.Was it right, then, for Maltzer to act like God and reverse what has probably been meant to occur? Although the story took place in a world that has long transcended postmodernism, the existence of the Christian belief was still evident in Harris’ use of the metaphor between Lazarus and Deidre.Thus, these Christian beliefs may have argued that Deirdre’s death in the fire was something that was decreed by God to happen, and Maltzer’s action may have been something that interfered with the very nature of human destiny. Even Maltzer himself had questioned whether he committed a mistake and whether he should have left Deirdre dead.Another matter in relation to this is the subject of the human soul.
The body was meant to be the temple of the soul – a house in which it can rest and act for the glory of its Creator.However, since it was only Deidre’s brain that was transferred into that humanoid body, does this mean that Deirdre has no soul? On the other hand, can the soul not perhaps rest in the brain – the center of all thoughts, beliefs and emotions? And since the exact mechanism by which the soul functions is unknown, this question still remains a matter of debate.Finally, the third most interesting allusion in the novel is to that of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (The Gale Group n.p.
).At the near end of the novel, Maltzer compared himself to Dr. Frankenstein. He called what he had done as an “unlawful creation of life (Moore 26),” and attempted to commit suicide.Thus, very much like the doctor Frankenstein, Maltzer paid for his unlawful act with his own life – or at least he tried to.
Deirdre foiled Maltzer’s suicide attempt and it was then revealed that she had developed capabilities way too profound for a normal human brain: telekinesis and more things undiscovered.
