Title: Frankenstein II

Author: Leonard Merrick

Date of First Publication: 1994

Place of Publication: The Frankenstein Omnibus

Type: Short Story

Characters: No Character

Themes: BYRONIC HERO

Critical Summary: Orlando Lightfoot is a recently famed playwright who bankrupted himself while financing his play. During an intermission between the first and second act of his play, Orlando explains to an unnamed friend how he feels like Frankenstein who “constructed a monster that’s destroying” him. Orlando had spent most of his funds towards copyrighting his comedy. As an amateur writer, he did not think the theatre would accept his work, so he asked a renowned actress named Elsie Millar to read it. Elsie was interested in the play and invited Orlando to her home to discuss production. She agrees to be both his agent and the main actress of the play at the standard rate, further depleting Orlando’s money. He becomes infatuated with Elsie and believes that the success of his play will help Orlando marry Elsie. Rehearsals for the play begin which further adds to Orlando’s expenses. The comedy is tested outside of Orlando’s residence and is successful but expensive. He is unable to afford a newspaper and is forced to read about his success in a public library with the unemployed. Elsie tells Orlando how tenderly Fairfax plays his part, but Orlando explains to the unnamed character that the part is tender, not Fairfax. The two men are interrupted by an attendant who gives Orlando a letter from Elsie. She and Fairfax are planning to marry and that they owe their happiness to Orlando.

This story plays off of the Frankenstein mythos as a metaphor for creating art. Both Victor and Orlando parallel a sense of an insatiable desire to create something grand, with the inability to foresee their creations’ tragic impact. Orlando writes a successful comedy, but suffers severe financial losse… and his love interest. Like Victor, Orlando’s creation becomes uncontrollable and impairs its creator with anxiety about the future; neither creator can foresee their demise while in the act of creating. Although not a traditional “Mad Scientist,” Merrick’s character and story approaches the theme of the Byronic Hero. The legacy of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein lives through Leonard Merrick’s writing as a metaphor for creation rather than using a literal monster.

Administrative Notes:  Kyle Wilcox CSUF; Dr. David Sandner, CSUF (editing)