Literary classics always return. Sometimes their rejuvenation occurs through the lens of a different culture or medium, as it has happened with Shakespeare’s plays. On October 31, 2018, the enduring popularity of Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein—regarded by many as the first modern Science Fiction story—was resurrected again at the ULAB Auditorium to remind us of its 200 years legacy.
The creative presence of the eight-feet-tall monster and his creator Victor Frankenstein raised great enthusiasm among the attendees at ULAB’s first ever Halloween Day celebration. The auditorium, made thematically spooky with its costumes, background music, laser lights, and dry ice, was a perfect atmosphere for Frankenstein to bleed into the evening’s conversation.
Shamsad Mortuza, Pro-VC, ULAB, spoke about how a book by an 18-year-old has remained such a hit after all these years. Male characters created by women (a surprise for readers in Mary Shelly’s time), the element of foreseeing the future, and her personal experiences of life before writing the novel—all of these have contributed to its long-lasting popularity. Mortuza joined in a discussion on “Frankenstein and Feminism”, introduced by Abritty Abdullah, a Senior Lecturer of the Department of English and Humanities (DEH) at ULAB. He commented that “Frankenstein is not just a classic mostly read by the young enthusiasts, but also a book in which adults and critics also get a scope of its multi-dimensional interpretation: from biographical, biblical, and of course feminist perspectives.”
Poet and essayist Kaiser Haq, Dean of DEH at ULAB, gave a dramatic reading of an excerpt from the book, where he brought to life the verbal brawl between a monster and his maker; his reading was incredibly realistic and synced perfectly with the unearthly ambience of the event.
Later, in a talk about the idea of Halloween Day with Imran Rahman, a Special Advisor of BOT at ULAB, fiction writer and critic Syed Manzoorul Islam humoured the audience by referring to “old men like him and Kaiser Haq” as being ghosts, who possess their students and readers.
A postmodern short drama performance based on Frankenstein, brought out by Paper Canoe—ULAB Literary Society, led the event to end on a high note.
The programme was organised by the DEH, ULAB in association with the Keats-Shelley Association as part of a global celebration of the novel around 50 countries of the world.
The opening remarks were provided by HM Jahirul Haque, VC, ULAB, and it ended with a vote of thanks from Dr. Tabassum Zaman who worked as the Event Coordinator with different clubs and faculties of ULAB.