Title: Alraune
Author: Orrin Grey
Date of First Publication: 2015
Place of Publication: Daughters of Frankenstein: Lesbian Mad Scientists
Type: Short Story
Characters: No Character
Themes: MAD SCIENTISTS/MONSTERS; QUEER FRANKENSTEIN; SYMPATHETIC MONSTER
Critical Summary: Orrin Grey tackles the controversial topic of homosexuality in his Frankenstein inspired piece, “Alraune,” in which he depicts a beautiful young woman as his monster.
Alraune, whom the title is named after, is a child created by a Doctor who planted a seed on the ground above his late wife’s grave. She grows from the earth like a flower until she emerges from her bud and reveals her pale skin and blue hair. The Doctor also has two twin daughters named Flora and Fauna, who are roughly the age that Alraune seems to be. As Alraune adjusts to her new life on their farm, she begins to show irregular qualities which include her standing and staring at nothing for extended periods of time. In the nighttime, she undresses and basks in the moonlight. On one such night, as she is standing naked outside, Flora decides to follow her and take her inside. Instead, however, Alraune kisses Flora and they run off into the barn where they continue their love affair. After this event, Flora begins to draw away from Fauna who doesn’t like Alraune and wouldn’t understand the nature of their relationship. Meanwhile, Fauna follows in her father’s footsteps and continually sneaks into his study and flips through books on tinctures and poisons. Suddenly, Alraune becomes ill and the Doctor seems to understand that Fauna is behind this and quickly takes Alraune to his study to save her. One day, as the Doctor and Fauna are fighting, Flora and Alraune run off to the barn to seek comfort in each other. However, when Fauna finds them lying together naked, she is outraged and storms off to the house. As they both come back to reality, Flora finds that her father dead is in his study and, unfortunately, Alraune is accused and sentenced to death. After they bury her body, they soon come to realize that someone has dug it up. Alraune and Flora are never seen again.
When relating this story to the classic, Frankenstein, the Doctor’s character completely embodies the role of the “mad scientist” even though he is not the main character and the reader never sees any intimate side of him. It is understood that he spends the majority of his life inside of his own study because his own daughters rarely speak to him and they do not share any close bonds. The great and ironic twist to this story is that the being that he creates artificially does not lead to his demise, however, his own flesh and blood daughter is culpable for his murder. This follows the traditional series of events in which the monster destroys its creator, only in this situation, it is not the “monster” that we initially expect.
Alraune is a sympathetic monster because she is outcast because of her sexual orientation and the prosecutors decide to sentence her to death simply because of the way she looks.
Administrative Notes: Rebeca Serna, CSUF; Cynthia Alvarado (editing)