Title: Postpartum
Author: Betty Rocksteady
Date of First Publication: 2016
Place of Publication: Eternal Frankenstein
Type: Short Story
Characters: No Character
Themes: MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; ANDROID; WOMEN WRITING MONSTERS; BYRONIC HERO
Critical Summary: This short story begins in a dreary basement and centers on a mother and her child Timmy. The mother despises her child, to her Timmy is only a burden to take care of and a reminder of the love that she has lost in a terrible car wreck. Prompted to go out for a walk one day, the dejected mother comes across a skull that she finds particularly interesting. Bringing back memories of her late husband’s own affinity for collecting bones and taxidermy the mother brings the strange skull home. Finding her husband’s old collection of bones, the mother begins to piece together a new creation. Things escalate quickly from there as the mother continues to collect more macabre pieces for her own creature only stopping to minimally take care of Timmy from time to time. Continually disappointed by her work the mother finally realizes what her creation is missing and in the climax of the story sacrifices her child giving her new creation Timmy’s heart and giving life to a monster that flies away.
The theme of the Mad Scientist is as prevalent in “Postpartum” as it is Shelly’s Frankenstein. The mother at several times to describe herself as mad and her complete disregard for anything except the creation of her creature mirrors Victor. Though not a scientist in name the mother is searching for the same end goal as the mad scientist and the absolute grotesque lengths she will go to, including the murder of her first creation, allow her to wear the moniker well. The story also features both a creature that outgrows its creator and a creator that outgrows it creation. The monster that the mother creates immediately flies away once it is given life much like the creature in Frankenstein. While the mother is incredibly regretful of what she has created (like Victor) when it comes to Timmy, a child she views as a monster.
Woman writing monsters is in full force throughout “Postpartum”. Aside from the obvious of the story being written by a woman, there is also the feature of the main character being a woman. The story takes the female point of view further by attributing the creation of the creature to pregnancy and the pain and sadness that can sometimes come after giving life. One could also say that the main character herself is a monster, the mother hates her child and has no interest in being a mother something that society would view as monstrous. Perhaps though, the mother truly becomes a monster when she kills her child to make way for another.
Administrative Notes: Zackary Van Hauwaert, CSUF; Allison Archer (editing)