摘要
A multi-genre and interdisciplinary analysis that compares Sam Shepard＇s classic, Buried Child （1978）, to Mary Shelley＇s Gothic thriller, Frankenstein （2004）. This paper, using a comparative analysis of the texts （a play versus a novel）, argues that Shepard follows Shelley＇s theme and characters in order to frame and create his own even-more modern ＂Prometheus＂, a premise that Shelley borrows to center her novel and to establish the antagonistic origins of her monster-man. Shepard＇s splintered individuals all share a postmodern disillusionment, and as Shelley＇s novel establishes, it is a conflict brought on by an absent or emotionally-removed mother and a brutal father who denies or disavows the ＂child＂ he considers an abomination. Other themes that Shelley and Shepard＇s works have in common include infanticide, incest, a life built on lies, patricide, and an unnatural relationship with Nature.
