Preview

Frankenstein Passage Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
480 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Frankenstein Passage Analysis
Frankenstein Passage Analysis
In this passage from the novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, the author describes the Creature’s experience of coming into the world for the first time, as well as his human life perspective. Shelley uses sensory diction and visual imagery in her writing to help the reader draw a parallel between the Creature’s entrance into the world and that of a newborn baby experiencing the world for the first time. Shelley’s visual imagery of light and darkness and strong use of sensory diction help to reveal the humanity within the Creature.
Shelley uses sensory diction to depict the Creature as a newborn baby experiencing the world for the first time. This description helps to highlight the humanity within the Creature despite its unnatural creation. When the Creature wakes up it feels “light, and hunger, and thirst, and darkness…sounds rung in my ears…scents saluted me…I fixed my eyes on [the bright moon] with pleasure” (50-55). The author’s word choice shows that the Creature entered the world just like a newborn infant does. Knowing that the Creature experienced such sensory feelings as light, hunger, thirst, and sound shows that although created artificially, he is very much like a human. Furthermore, the author states that the Creature felt, “delighted [by the] pleasant sound, which often saluted my ears” (62-63). This leads the reader to believe that the Creature is able to create an opinion based on his feelings and experiences further proving his appreciation of humanity and life. Shelley’s repetitive use of sensory diction used in the comparison between the Creature and a newborn baby proves the Creature’s humanity.
Shelley uses visual imagery of light and darkness to express the Creature as a newborn baby experiencing the world for the first time. This characterization helps to emphasize the humanity the Creature often exhibits despite its artificial creation. When the Creature first enters the world, “a stronger light

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Chapter 20 Summary While Victor is working one night on his new creature, he begins to wonder about what would happen when he finishes his creation. He imagines that his new being might not want to keep his promises, or that the two creatures might have families, creating “a race of devils . . . on the earth.” In these thoughts, Victor looks up to the windows and sees the monster staring at him through the frame.…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On page fifty-seven of the novel, the creation is first brought to life and Shelley describes the initial interaction of the two main characters, "…his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some in articulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks…rushed downstairs." This particular quote depicts how Victor immediately shut out any connections with the creature due to his appearance. He decided to interpret the creature's instant grin and stare to revolve…

    • 667 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    During the creation scene, the creature is portrayed as a malicious beast by Victor and the reader blindly accepts his perspective because in the reader’s mind, Victor is a human while the Creature is not. As humans, we have a tendency to sympathize with the human Victor as opposed to the non-human Creature. As the story progresses to volume two, Mary Shelley challenges the reader’s perspective by providing a panoramic view of the Creature so the reader can gain a perspective through the Creature’s eyes and thus it allows Shelley to challenge what the reader views as…

    • 98 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shelley’s Gothic novel, Frankenstein, explores the complex nature of mankind by considering the consequences of an unrestricted pursuit of science. A rise in scientific experimentation with Galvanism during Shelley’s time is reflected through the protagonist Victor as he uses it to bestow life. Shelley portrays Victor and the Creature as complex beings, demonstrating both inhuman and human qualities. Despite this, the subsequent rejection by his creator and the De Lacy family drives the Creature to ‘eternal rejection and vengeance of mankind’. Victor’s initial response when meeting the creature, demonstrates his savage, cruel treatment and lack of responsibility towards his creation.…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shelley’s belief of the corruption inherent in science is demonstrated through the allegory of Victor’s fall from grace as he loses his morality which is highlighted by his lack of empathy. Through his destructive quest for knowledge, Victor’s own sense of humanity is destroyed, as emphasised by the hyperbole within Victor’s statement, “I seem to have lost all soul or sensation, but for this one pursuit”. In contrast, the supposed “daemon” he creates is depicted as a sentient, passionate being, evident in his opening narration with its sensory imagery “innumerable sounds rang in my ears, and on all sides various scents saluted me” where the awareness and appreciation of nature reflects Shelley’s Romantic leanings. Shelley utilises this narrative voice of the creature to draw sympathy away from Victor to highlight the lack of empathy of Victor as he spurns his grotesque creation on superficial qualities, ignoring his responsibility to the thing he has created mirroring the chaos The creature alerts Victor of his moral failings through biblical allusions “I ought to be thy Adam... whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed”. Shelley's powerful biblical allusion to Genesis provides an immediate juxtaposition between the self-interested relationship of Victor and his monster,…

    • 1353 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Shelley uses aspects of Romanticism in the novel by having the Creature live in the heath. Romanticism is also displayed on Victor’s retreat to the mountains. Shelley displays an enormous amount of emotion in the novel which assists the reader to understand the feelings of alienation and neglect that the Creature is experiencing. With all of these aspects, the reader may begin to question whether Shelley had an extreme personal connection to one of the characters, whether it be the Creature or Victor.…

    • 83 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    When an infant is first born it experiences its five senses all at once like the Creature does when first created. In the passage from Frankenstein by Mary Shelly the author portrays the Creature as a new born. For the first time the Creature experiences his five senses and is overwhelmed by his experience. He connotes a baby like experiences and behavior; which is seen in the author’s writing when she compares the two by using the five senses and allusions.…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Shelley uses this twelve paragraph passage to gain the trust of the reader towards Frankenstein and to also make the reader disapprove of the monster. Shelley tries to make the creature seem inanimate and worthless when Victor Frankenstein tells Robert Walton about his ‘experiment’. Frankenstein refers to the creature as ‘a daemon’, ‘lifeless matter’, ‘a frame for the reception’, ‘the being of gigantic structure’, ‘about eight feet in height’, ‘the lifeless clay’ and ‘the great object which swallowed up every habit of my nature’. Every one of these quotes infers that the creature is a terrifying being who does not resemble a human at all. These descriptions are ones which would describe a hideous fiend. Frankenstein and Shelley use these descriptions to ensure that Robert Walton and also, more importantly, the reader, can gain a prejudice towards the creature on account of Frankenstein’s attitude and the creature’s depressing countenance. Frankenstein knows that Walton is very gullible as he is very lonely and will believe everything that Frankenstein tells him. This is backed up when Walton writes:…

    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Who has the right to create life? God or Science?”(Bissonette, Melissa Bloom 1) One of the compelling monstrosity of Shelley’s novel continues to appeal readers, but why? (3) The monster is a victimized child, mistreated and misunderstood, or evil some may say. (3) Is he really a monster?…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Shelley wants the reader to feel compassion for creature as well as for Frankenstein. She writes as though she is trying to distinguish the idea of a good or bad in a person. In her biography, written and research by the European Graduate School Program, that she is atheist and you can really tell that by reading the novel. Things such as morals and ethics can be easily leaned not only by attending the church but merely social interactions and self-education. I think that this is shown through the creature in how he is so neglected but continues to persevere and gain his own knowledge and wisdom through his sensations and passions. Mary Shelley created something more than just a…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The presence of “Light” in the Frankenstein, Shelley’s novel, symbolizes knowledge. Victor wants to use his knowledge and determine the secret of life. Victor said that "As I stood at the door, on a sudden I beheld…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The diction used by Mary Shelley in her novel Frankenstein varies throughout the chapters varying in tone. Chapter five is the beginning of the end of Victor Frankenstein. There he creates the beast which will torment his life forever. The diction used in this chapter is haunting in the sense that it foreshadows the fall of Frankenstein. Shelley describes the newborn creature as “beautiful”, this creates a theme of amazement of what science can do but it quickly shifts. A few sentences later Shelley describes him with a more “horrid contrast” pointing out how hideous the creature is. This foreshadows the grief the beast will encounter due to his physical appearance, that no human being will ever love him. Through Shelley’s use of imagery…

    • 346 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Through the theme of birth and creation, Shelley criticizes Victor not only for creating the new being, but also for abandoning it when it comes to life. Shelley's description of how Victor created his creature closely resembles that of human birth. She calls Victor's lab a "workshop of filthy creation" and describes it as a…

    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Frankenstein’s monster is most frequently seen as, of course, a monster. He is fearsome naturally, but he has the mind and spirit of a developing human child. The creature’s youthful demeanor exhibits itself through many examples. The most prevalent childish behaviors he has are; the creature’s fear of being alone and seeking attention and love, being completely unbiased and not judgmental at the dawn of his creation, and his lack of knowledge of the world around him.…

    • 923 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Fiend In Frankenstein

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages

    To being with, the creature is looked upon as a creature because Frankenstein created him and he is not a baby who was naturally born, however, the creature acts like any other human being. He wants love, attention, and care from his creator like any baby would want from their…

    • 973 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays