The moment she got the ok, Melanie pushed the button. Of course, she would still write down the proceedings by pen, but having a recording to refer to would help greatly. She listened carefully to the girl's counter argument, waiting until she finished to form her own counter.
"Yet, the human being that develops from those methods develops from egg to fetus to baby. Frankenstein's Monster, arguably on goes through two steps of this process, and that is only taking the situation liberally. One could see that the various stages of building the monster could be called the conception of the beast, but one first needs to take into consideration the manner in which conception occurs..."

Perhaps she was over thinking this, but Melanie enjoyed a good hypothetical argument. Setting aside her mostly finished meal, she took out her biology textbook. Flipping the pages about, Melanie settled on an image showing the phases of human conception.

"If we were to ignore the molecular and cellular basis of defining human life, the portion that develops first in the human body is the brain. The brain for Frankenstein's monster was the last of the jigsaw puzzle. The body is developed around the brain, such that the tendons of the baby would be properly connected. Frankenstein merely placed the brain into the skull of his 'monster.' Further more, the brain does not resemble that of a baby- it should still bear the memories and personality of the murderer it was taken from.

"But this is all just bad science. Mary Shelley couldn't have known half the things we know now. It's almost hard to believe that the book is still considered 'Contemporary.'"

If it had been a camcorder, Anne would have felt rather differently about being recorded, but as all that was being captured was her voice...she could manage. Her fingers stopped moving while she listened to the counterpoint, her brow furrowing as she followed the argument.

"So w-without the steps between fertilization...and m-maturation we aren't h-human? D-does a....g-growth disorder c-constitute a monster t-then? A c-child whose....b-body chemically "s-skips ahead"...a f-few stages of maturation...assuming it s-survives birth. As f-for....the issue of b-brain function...I t-think it is b-best...to c-consider the Doctor...as t-the Creature's brain....f-for the formative s-stage....w-which is no d-different than gene therapy....using an outside s-source of g-genetic information...to c-correct an otherwise....c-congenital f-flaw...in t-this case the f-flaw...being a lack of....b-brain function."

Again, she couldn't help but smile at how ridiculous the argument was. A little flaw like lack of brain function....really? But still, they needed to fill three pages.

"Actually...f-from what I've read...Mary Shelley c-consulted Lord Byron's....p-personal...physician...one Dr. Polidori I b-believe....about t-the basic anatomy of h-human bodies...s-so much so t-that some...literary h-historians believe....h-he should have b-been credited f-for its authorship...m-much like Percy Shelley l-later....w-was. And anything w-written after 1800...is m-more often t-than not...s-simply labeled "Contemporary"...and l-left at that...at l-least in this c-case it is c-considered....a "Contemporary Classic"..."

She smiled faintly and resumed drawing shapes on the table with her fingertips, rather enjoying the debate. It wasn't often she got to talk someone else who enjoyed literature...or to anyone else at all, for that matter.

She was getting more talkative, which was certainly a good thing. Anne didn't seem like too much of a talker, but this conversation seemed to pique her interest quite a bit. Was she a bookworm? It certainly seemed like it. Because she was really piling on the arguments. Melanie would have to really work hard if she was even going to get five pages from this conversation.
"But see, there were at least born. They were composed of the mixture of two sets of DNA. The monster it a being composed of dead tissue knitted together by a scientist. Even in the most advance forms of artificial breeding, one needs a "mother" and a 'father' donor. Otherwise, the whole process is just reanimating a corpse, which cannot be considered human in most cases. Even those who suffer from such deteriorating anomalies like you mentioned came from parents. They can actually be considered genetic beings. Frankenstein's monster can't even be considered as such- according to the description, the monster is composed of numerous genetic inconsistencies. How can his brain indicate feeling, Hunger, Sight or even breathing when none of his body parts grew up alongside the brain? The connections are different, the muscles should have differences in density and mass. Worst of all, the creature shouldn't even be able to perform cellular respiration. You cannot even process oxygen without respiration."

Perhaps Melanie's fears were unfounded- between them, three pages would pass by like a breeze.

She pursed her lips slightly, turning her head to one side in thought.

"Is it r-really that different...t-than resuscitating a r-recently dead person? T-the Doctor....even uses the s-same basic p-principle....b-by applying a m-massive electric shock...t-to otherwise...n-non-responsive tissues. F-further, what of....t-transplants? Organs and b-body parts....d-donated by t-the dying...or r-recently dead...to g-go towards the r-revitalization of...an otherwise....d-dying or disfigured...individual. B-by that...the Creature...is s-simply a l-logical progression...f-from those practices...a h-human being assembled....f-from the medical advances...of m-mankind...and t-the tissues of t-those deceased long b-before...a h-human in ideology as w-well as f-form...and w-while it m-may seem...m-monstrous...s-so to did all....m-major advances....at t-their time of...d-discovery...."

She leaned forward in her seat as she spoke now, actually really intrigued by this line of reasoning. Why was the Creature really any different than most major medical advances, or large steps in human invention? Was it any less astounding than man learning to fly? Or break through the atmosphere and travel into space? Though perhaps given modern reference, it was quite a bit different than when the book had been written...but still...

"As f-for the inconsistency....of t-the myriad parts...in the Creature's construction...if w-we are to b-believe the book...t-the Doctor t-took into account...the problem of....m-mass and density...and s-such was t-the reason for....the Creature's great s-size...And f-for the matter of h-how the c-cells function....w-we can attribute it...c-completely t-to the all t-to human d-drive....t-to live on...t-to survive....T-the body's c-cells are capable of...c-completely surprising m-metamorphoses...outside of c-conventional t-theory even....w-when under duress...s-such as parts of the b-brain altering in f-function...when others are s-severely d-damaged...the d-dissonant parts w-work together...b-because t-they must...if any are t-to "survive" as it w-were..."

"... Survival? How can a cell still bear the will to survive if the cadaver it was taken from was already resigned to death? Dead is a term that refers to the event that various areas of the human cease to function. Let us take, for example, the heart. Taking a simplified approached to the manner in which death occurs, the moment the heart ceases functioning, the paramedic has little over five minutes to resuscicate the person in question, unless the doctor is in a facility where they can keep the victim's blood pumping. In any case, should the paramedic fail to revive the victim within the given time limit, or at least get their heart beating properly, the brain ceases to function. Once the heart stops, the blood no longer reaches the vital organs that require blood to keep the human in state of 'life.' Once the brain ceases to function, lungs, kidneys, stomach and everything else just shuts down. Whatever cells remain die within 24 hours of the stall in blood flow, save for a few muscles.

"Dr. Frankenstein's experiment takes parts from long deceased bodies, with little to no semblence of function. All of the monster's body parts would not have a single living cell, and therefore would not function. I would classify Frankenstein's monster as little more than a zombie in terms of physical form and functioning."
Melanie took a moment to consider what had been said. All they had discussed was the creature's status as living being, not a human being.
"Perhaps we should discuss some of the emotional stuff as well..." she mentioned off-handedly looking over the assignment sheet.

Anne nodded in agreement, more than willing to let that portion of the debate die off. She sat in silence for a few moments, considering how to defend the Creature's humanity from an emotional aspect.

"W-well...emotionally...the Creature is p-perfectly human...if one considers it as a c-child...which g-given it's b-birth...one r-really should. It is n-never implied...t-that the Creature h-has any...memories r-remaining in its b-borrowed brain....f-from its former owner...instead...it s-seems to do everything as a n-newborn would...with the s-same sense of wonder...and t-terror...S-sadly, unlike...a b-baby, the Creature has t-the physical.....s-stature and strength...t-to be rather destructive....w-with its tantrums....or its f-fits of fear...s-such as its interactions w-with f-f-fi-....f-fi..." she paused and closed her eye, trying not to relate too much to the character from the book, and its fear of flames (which she strongly shared).

"It's f-fear of f-f-fire....shared b-by most...living c-creatures...t-though more so in infants....f-further, it s-shows the same kind of t-trust...a child d-does for its...."father", the Doctor....until h-he betrays t-that trust...by t-treating it less as a c-child...than a t-thing....w-which is when it truly b-begins acting..."monstrous"...m-much the way an abused c-child will...sometimes g-grow up t-to be an abusive p-person themselves..."

She nodded firmly, this time rather more certain of her stance. She'd always felt rather bad for the Creature...perhaps if it had been shown more affection by the Doctor, things would have turned out differently.

Melanie knew that she had to play the devil's advocate, but frankly, she completely agreed with Anne. It was an uphill struggle for Melanie, but she figured that there was another way to circle around that logic something else. The argument was whether or not the Monster was human. But, the monster displayed a curious mind throughout his travels.

But, curiousity was not necessarily a human function.


"I wouldn't attribute the fear of fire to human children particularly- I mean, most creatures portray an initial fear of fire, until they understand what it offers. I would not compare the Monster to a human, rather I would compare him to a dog. A dog who is inherently gentle, but causes harm despite. Like... a playful Golden retriever. He is naturally curious, but lacks the ability to convey his feelings effectively. I find that the way the Monster reacts to Frankenstein's mistreatment is reminiscent to a beaten dog. Dogs that run generally disregard the damage they leave behind. A child with a tantrum cannot run, but even so, they would cling to what is familiar. The monster instead barges off into a mysterious and cruel world. Most animals understand what revenge includes, if time has proven anything."

This way, Melanie would not need to consider the tragic figure a monster for what he did.

She tilted her head the other way, so caught up in the debate that she forgot to make sure her hair didn't swing away from her face. It was still shadowed, but the burns marring the right side of her features were fairly easy to see, quite old by the look of them, the scars well developed into ridges and whorls. Her eye was a startling contrast to the other, healthy orb, a filmy, milky white compared to the deep purple hue of it's sister. Without a doubt, the paler orb was completely blind, as Anne didn't seem to notice the movement of her hair at all.

"B-but is there...r-really all that much d-difference....developmentally, b-between an infant and a g-golden retriever? T-they undergo t-the same...p-process of l-learning, albeit with...a d-drastically different s-set of input c-cues....they t-tend to imprint on t-their "family" s-so to speak....and h-have to d-discover the c-concept of....r-right and w-wrong much t-the same way...b-by trial and error...T-though again....any error on the p-part of....t-the Creature....t-tends to b-be magnified....b-by it's g-greater size and strength..."

She paused for a moment, suddenly realizing her posture and leaning back, one hand quickly darting up to brush her hair back into place. She glanced worriedly at Melanie, looking for any sign of disgust or repulsion, uncertain the other girl had seen anything....regardless, she tried to continue.

"As f-f-for revenge...is the Creature t-truly looking...f-for vengeance? IT s-seems....more l-likely to be d-defending itself....against a t-threat...or at l-least what it...p-perceives to be a t-threat....f-further..it d-doesn't even...s-seem to understand...t-the concept of d-death...or t-that it's actions...h-have consequences...m-much like a child...f-first learning...h-how to play w-with toys....w-which is why we give c-children hard to b-break playthings...w-when they are young...as t-they don't y-yet grasp...t-the concept of "breaking"...in the Creature's case....t-this is impossible...as it is f-far, far stronger...t-than a child..."

There it was again- the off color look of Anne's shaded face. If Melanie did not know any better, she would have guessed that they were burn marks. How cruel. But she couldn't determine anything from her current position. She did not Anne well enough to judge her appearance. She had made that mistake before, and she knew that there was story behind everything. If anything, Melanie was unsettled, but she quickly disregarded her partner's appearance, in interest of continuing the argument.
"But that only applies to one of the murders. The monster proceeds to murder the rest of Frankenstein's family out of spite, and quickly proves that his own concept of right and wrong are completely off-base. What was initially error becomes purpose, and Frankenstein's monster quickly loses the image of innocence. Even then, he continues in his rage. Only a psychopath could justify so much blood shed. Of course, the monster was a unique circumstance- he getting revenge on his creator. It's kind of hard to build a case for one who would go as far as to frame others for his crimes, and kills an entire family for the sake of his existence."

She sighed softly in relief as it seemed her project partner hadn't seen too much, or at least hadn't reacted badly if she had. She frowned faintly at the turn in argument, and considered for a few moments before speaking.

"R-right and w-wrong...w-which are concepts t-that...are usually t-taught to...children b-by their parents...w-which in this c-case...the Creature only h-has one...and a negligent, d-destructive one at t-that....y-you could even g-go so far as...t-to say abusive. F-further...w-what little re-enforcement it...r-receives is t-thoroughly negative....even in t-the few cases in w-which it...d-demonstrates no aggression or inflicts n-no harm...to anything at all...w-with the only s-stimulus being p-pain and f-fear...is it any w-wonder...the Creature g-goes berserk...and l-lashes out..at the s-source of its t-torment....ultimately, its c-creator...and the f-family....it s-should by all r-rights have b-been....considered a p-part of?"

Getting an idea, she changed tactics, turning an argument around.

"F-further...even if t-the Creature...is acting out of s-spite and envy...are t-those not decidedly h-human concepts? T-take a look....at the s-state of the w-world...in our m-modern era of f-fear and hatred....the Creature w-would seem downright p-placid...and refreshingly d-direct."

She smiled faintly, subduing a fresh set of giggles.

OOoooohh, I was hoping she wasn't paying attention.
Again, Melanie's true feelings had tempered with her argument, rendering it susceptible to a keen argument. And Anne was certainly keen. The creature was placid and direct compared to some of today's humans. In fact, when was the last time she checked the news? It was hard to come by any legitimate info about the modern world here. She needed to take a moment to consider how she would counter that last point.
"Well, the first assumption is that the creature has rights." God, she hated doing this. "We've already discussed the biological proof that he was 'born.' As an extension to that conversation, one must consider the rights of being born in a similar setting today, like a lab. Even if they were to successfully clone a human, there can be no guarantee of rights for this individual, because they were born through artificial means. Since we as a society cannot come to an agreement concerning the rights of cloned humans grown in their natural biological order, how can we discuss a creature who born in mind only?

"Furthermore, we need to consider the basis for his selfishness. The Monster is spited because he understands that he will never be accepted as a human being, and goads Frankenstein to make him a fellow monster so that he may not be alone. His understanding that he is not a human is important, because his entire understanding of himself is that he is above human morals, and does not need to try and understand them.

"But, if I may say, the true monster in this book is Frankenstein."

She grinned more widely, her fingers resuming their tracing on the tabletop, the lines resembling some sort of looping, abstract mandala.

"B-but we attribute r-rights to many...t-things, be they h-human or otherwise...t-take the SPCA f-for example...and other h-humane organizations....g-geared towards p-protecting t-the rights of animals. W-with or without...r-rights, as it were....the Creature is s-still more human t-than animal...and h-hardly a monster....in anything b-but appearance...t-to the c-close minded..."humans" t-that s-surround it."

Her smile turned slightly sad then, her voice dropping even lower.

"And is it s-so wrong...f-for the Creature...t-to want s-someone...s-something...like itself around? N-no one...w-wants to be alone...t-the drive for companionship...even at t-the cost of....h-hardship...is a decidedly h-human need....it isn't t-that the Creature is....above human m-morals....he is r-rejected by humanity...s-so rejects t-their w-ways in t-turn. H-humans have a history...of d-doing much the s-same thing...in t-the form of rebellion...or r-revolution...often s-splintering off f-from their...n-native lands to form c-colonies of "like minded" individuals....m-much like the Creature and its bride...are a s-splinter of humanity themselves..."

She chuckled softly and shook her head, looking at Melanie with a faint smile.

"I d-don't think...of either of t-them...as monsters....p-per se....just misunderstood b-beings....trying to l-live as best they c-can...by their own w-will..."

Melanie decided that Anne was, frankly, correct. She could pick apart Anne's argument, but in truth, she didn't want to. She liked to think of both the monster and Frankenstein as able beings, equally capable of misunderstanding and misleading each other towards their respective deaths. She checked the timing of their recording. Half an Hour. More than enough.
Melanie sighed.
"Thank god its over," she said, turning off the recording and snapping the cell phone shut. "Its so hard to play the devil's advocate when you agree with everything your opponent says." She took a sip of her warmed Orange Juice as she said this, but instantly regretted it. Her face scrunched like she just chewed on a tart lemon. It was that bad. But she swallowed, setting the juice aside. Never to be touched again.
"Sorry Anne, I can't continue the argument. You REALLY know your stuff," Melanie said, impressed by the girl. She seemed so quiet and shy, but it appeared that books were what turned her on.
"I was actually wondering if you could recommend any books for me. I've been running out of entertaining reads," she continued, showing Anne the battered copy of 1984 she always kept handy. At 330 pages, the paperback was probably the deepest book Melanie ever had pleasure reading.

She watched the orange haired girl check the recording length, leaning back in her chair, slipping back into the shadows of the corner now that the debate was over. The grin faded from her face as the false confidence of a good conversation waned, her usual shyness re-asserting itself. One hand rose to nervously fidget with her long bangs, stroking and brushing the hair concealing her face absently.

"It's alright...as l-long as...w-we have enough f-for the assignment...I'm f-fine." she mumbled softly, looking down at the tabletop. At the compliment, she shrugged slightly, a faint hint of a blush tinting her cheeks. She wasn't used to being praised...or spoken to at all, lately. A small spark of interest flared, causing her to look up as she was asked about books.

"Uhm...w-what sort...of b-books do y-you like? R-romance....f-fantasy...science f-fiction...h-historical...or s-something else?" she stuttered out quietly, glancing at Melanie a few times and eventually settling on looking at the tabletop again, peeking through her bangs when spoken to.

Melanie was dissappointed that she fell back into her usual shy tone. She was hoping that Anne would be a little bit more straightforward with her, as they did really open up about the book. Melanie personally felt that she could understand Anne, to some extent. Books were amazing. They could never be replaced by electronics, or the internet- the physical aspect of turning the pages yourself, letting your eyes convert the data into something substantial....

"Hmm... I guess I like a little bit of everything," Melanie replied, considering all the books she truly liked. The girl was still trying to hide her scar with her hair, but Melanie knew she looked like. It didn't bother her- it just sickened her that she would be injured in such a manner. A part of Melanie hoped it was only due to an accident and not... you know.... Melanie was dissappointed that she fell back into her usual shy tone.
"I like... Dracula, for starters. I also really enjoyed Asimov's stuff. What else... what else..." Melanie started to list off the best books she knew about.