The Man Who Made a Man

Harle Owen Cummins reprinted "The Man who made a Man" as the first... | Download Scientific DiagramTitle: The Man Who Made a Man

Author: Harle Oren Cummins

Date of First Publication: 1901

Place of Publication: McClure’s Magazine

Type: Short Story

Characters: No Character

Themes: MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; BYRONIC HERO; ANDROID

Critical Summary: The story begins with Professor Holbrok, who has been convicted of murder, in an asylum for the insane. The narrative recounts the incidents that lead up to his institutionalization. With the help of Dr. Bicknell, Professor Holbrok used his knowledge of chemical composition to synthesize a human organism; however, he cannot complete his experiment and bring the creature to life without the help of his assistant, Frederick. Together they use galvanization to successfully bring the creature to life. Amidst the excitement, Frederick faints and fails to turn the switch back to the off position. When he comes to, he smells burning flesh and finds the creature burnt to a crisp. The professor is last seen laughing maniacally on the floor as he counts the nails in the floorboards.

This story contains the theme of the Mad Scientist/Monster, as the professor is determined to create life out of inanimate objects. His character seems nearly identical to Victor Frankenstein, though the difference in this story is that the creature never actually sees life, but only experiences death.

Both Frankenstein and “The Man Who Made a Man” contain the theme of the Byronic Hero as the main characters are willful, superior, misanthropic, aristocratic men who desperately believe that they are destined to create life. They believe that the success of their experiments will elevate their status as genius scientists, but rarely consider whether or not it will benefit the creature or the human race. In both stories the creators lose control of their creations: in Frankenstein, Victor is constantly haunted by the thought and the actual being of which he created; Holbrok, on the other hand, is driven to madness and held responsible for the death of the man he created.

Administrative Notes:  Samantha Henshaw, CSUF; Adam Shelley, CSUF (editing)