Fantasy Versus Reality: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Fantasy versus Reality Maggie Nader
“I had worked for two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body . . . I had deprived myself of rest and health . . . now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished,” (Shelley, 55). This quote depicts how one can dream of fantasies and fame, but the consequences of the real world must be considered. Knowing the contrast between fantasy and reality can make the biggest difference. Walton, Victor, and the monster all made mistakes when envisioning their own stories of happiness. People dream of eccentric things, and Walton is not an exception. “I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by foot of man. These are my enticements,” (Shelley, 11). Walton wanted to journey farther north than anyone had ever ventured, and essentially wanted to make a passage-way from the North Pole to all the other countries near it. Walton had good intentions and just wanted to be acknowledged for his discovery. What Walton did not think about was the dangers of his journey and anything that could slow him down. Throughout the book, Frankenstein, Walton and his crew were enveloped by the ice and could not continue their journey further until the ice thawed. Victor longed to uncover the secrets of life, so he started with creation, but ultimately he wanted to find a way to bring the dead back to life. "I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation," (Shelley, 45). Victor had good intentions also, he wanted to far surpass the discoveries of previous scientists, and to pave a new way of thinking. Unfortunately, Victor did not think realistically and he turned out to abhor the monster. This caused the monster to runaway and wreak havoc while Victor was sick and powerless over
“I had worked for two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body . . . I had deprived myself of rest and health . . . now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished,” (Shelley, 55). This quote depicts how one can dream of fantasies and fame, but the consequences of the real world must be considered. Knowing the contrast between fantasy and reality can make the biggest difference. Walton, Victor, and the monster all made mistakes when envisioning their own stories of happiness. People dream of eccentric things, and Walton is not an exception. “I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited, and may tread a land never before imprinted by foot of man. These are my enticements,” (Shelley, 11). Walton wanted to journey farther north than anyone had ever ventured, and essentially wanted to make a passage-way from the North Pole to all the other countries near it. Walton had good intentions and just wanted to be acknowledged for his discovery. What Walton did not think about was the dangers of his journey and anything that could slow him down. Throughout the book, Frankenstein, Walton and his crew were enveloped by the ice and could not continue their journey further until the ice thawed. Victor longed to uncover the secrets of life, so he started with creation, but ultimately he wanted to find a way to bring the dead back to life. "I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation," (Shelley, 45). Victor had good intentions also, he wanted to far surpass the discoveries of previous scientists, and to pave a new way of thinking. Unfortunately, Victor did not think realistically and he turned out to abhor the monster. This caused the monster to runaway and wreak havoc while Victor was sick and powerless over