The Whatsitsname’s second assistant is a manipulative, tyrannical character who becomes the Magician’s rival. A specialist at making any kind of argument persuasive, the Sophist is defined by his lack of principles and, therefore, his ability to adapt his arguments to any interlocutor. For example, although he tries to argue that the Whatsitsname is not made of criminal body parts, he later decides that, even if the opposite is true, the Whatsitsname will become a “supercriminal,” better than all other criminals—that is, that the Whatsitsname will be admirable in either case. His lack of moral values becomes apparent when, during the conflict that pits the three groups of the Whatsitsname’s followers against each other, he murders his colleague the Magician.
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The Sophist Character Timeline in Frankenstein in Baghdad
The timeline below shows where the character The Sophist appears in Frankenstein in Baghdad. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10: The Whatsitsname
The second most important assistant was the Sophist, a specialist at making any idea, good or bad, extremely convincing. The Sophist, who did...
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...that he would play an important role in shaping the history of the world. The Sophist concluded that, because of his extreme insanity, the eldest madman’s mind was comparable to a...
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...made the group much more visible and, therefore, easier for the authorities to catch. The Sophist disagreed with the Magician, because he believed the Magician sought to control the Whatsitsname. In...
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...violence might have engaged in violence themselves at another moment in their life. Although the Sophist disagreed with the Magician, the Whatsitsname had already wondered the same thing himself, because he...
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...argued, even if he was the victim in a battle. Angered by this discourse, the Sophist concluded that, if the Whatsitsname was made of criminal parts, he would become a “supercriminal,”...
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...removed the dead man’s eyes. He wondered what his assistants would say about this. The Sophist, he concluded, would argue that, as the Magician had predicted, the Whatsitsname had indeed turned...
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...still in the building. The young madman confirmed the Whatsitsname’s suspicions: it was indeed the Sophist who had killed the Magician and, later, escaped. With his new, innocent eyes, the Whatsitsname...
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