WORDS by KATARINA QUINN
“Poor Things” is a modern epic that takes on what it means to be a woman in society and all that entails–loss of innocence, sexuality and its demonization, and the morally controlling instincts of men. When Frankenstein-esque mad scientist Godwin Baxter (affectionately referred to as “God,” which may be a little too on the nose) finds the pregnant body of a woman who has just committed suicide, he does the “obvious:” he transplants the fetus’ brain into the woman and reanimates her. The resulting creation, which he names Bella Baxter, begins with the demeanor of a toddler and develops in the same way a child would, though so quickly that she soon slips out from under his care. The adventure she sets out on fosters her growing understanding of her own sexuality, the controlling norms of society, and her place in the world.
