In “Frankenstein” a gothic novel by Mary Shelley there is much suffering and affliction, some attribute this to victors search for glory, however it is by his ravenous search for knowledge that he meets his tragic fate. This novel often presents knowledge as destructive, and dangerous, but this does not only apply to Victor, all who wish to expand their knowledge find destruction eventually in this novel.…
In the fourth letter, Walton recalls Frankenstein starting to share his tale with him. Frankenstein says, “Do you share my madness? Have you drunk also of the intoxicating drought?” (12). A drought typically resembles a long period of time. This draught that he speaks of refers to the burden that Frankenstein must carry for the remainder of his life. There is no end to his drought. He can wish for absolution, just like one might wish for rain, but for Frankenstein, a cure will never come. He is stuck in the drought of the albatross until his death.…
The intensity of this novel is finally beginning to escalate. Chapters 22 and 23 have the feeling of impending doom and a strong sense of foreboding. Mary Shelley uses a couple of different strategies to give the reader a feeling of catastrophe around the corner.…
Victor- (pg. 28) “Learn from me . . . how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow." Here Victor is warning Walton against following his example. This quote expresses the regrets Victor holds towards the knowledge he grasped and shows that he would have rather been naïve or less knowledgeable. It seems as though Victor believes ignorance is blissful thinking.…
WILL BE WITH YOU ON YOUR WEDDING-NIGHT." That, then, was the period fixed for the fulfilment of my destiny. In that hour I should die and at once satisfy and extinguish his malice. The prospect did not move me to fear; yet when I thought of my beloved Elizabeth, of her tears and endless sorrow, when she should find her lover so barbarously…
The pursuit of knowledge is at the heart of Frankenstein, as Victor attempts to surge beyond accepted human limits and access the secret of life. Likewise, Robert Walton attempts to surpass previous human explorations by endeavoring to reach the North Pole. This ruthless pursuit of knowledge, of the light (see “Light and Fire”), proves dangerous, as Victor’s act of creation eventually results in the destruction of everyone dear to him, and Walton finds himself perilously trapped between sheets of ice. Whereas Victor’s obsessive hatred of the monster drives him to his death, Walton ultimately pulls back from his treacherous mission, having learned from Victor’s example how destructive the thirst for knowledge can be.…
In the novel “Frankenstein” revenge is a lonesome path for the characters. Victor Frankenstein and the creature choose the path of revenge after they have suffered a lot of misfortune throughout their lives. Revenge is a path of pain that a person chooses to walk in order to cause pain and suffering to the other person. The creature whose heart was the kindest whenever he met a new person, was turned into a heartless creature. The creature who is on a path of revenge, has sworn revenge on Victor.…
“But in Clerval I saw the image of my former self” – VF. Could it be that Clerval is the innocent, ambitious and excitable VF, and the monster is the corrupt and miserable VF? P.113…
RevengeThe novel contains revenge because of the mentioning of the quote; “When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation. I would have made a pilgrimage to the highest peak of the Andes, could I when there have precipitated him to their base. I wished to see him again, that I might wreak the utmost extent of abhorrence on his head and avenge the deaths of William and Justine” Victor seeks revenge on the monster, because of all the murders the creature has caused. Victor uses strong emotions to show his feelings towards the monster.This quote shows revenge because of visual imagery…
Some people argue though that one does not need to have anything do do with ones creator like in this quote,"Man need no longer be in awe of his creator; he no longer even feel grateful for being created. He can turn his back on God with a good conscience and set about charting his own course, seeking out ways to remake an imperfectly created world, even to change his own nature for the better"(Hogsette). This quote talks about how in life now we don't need a God figure in one's life today. The monster though would disagree with this. The monster was left alone for his entire life and kept looking for something to make him happy and if his creator would have been in his life he would have known a lot more and would have made his life a lot…
The craving for vengeance spurs uncontrollable, dangerous emotion that bear equally as dangerous consequences. Following the monster’s creation, Victor Frankenstein’s very existence is driven by the desire for revenge, distorting his once clear, purposeful mindset. Victor’s appetite for revenge is self-destructive, he constantly “burn[s] with rage to pursue the murderer of [his] peace” (121). For years and years, Victor Frankenstein’s hunger for retribution grows and his feelings of rage, loneliness, regret, and even suicide, intensifies and the emotions consume his former, passionate self. By representing the lust for retribution as “burning”, Shelly suggests that experiencing such a profound feeling of rage can create an unstoppable force…
Victor Frankenstein was one of the first on the list of people in history who were unsuccessful at creating a new and perfect human. Unlike others who experimented on live humans, Dr. Frankenstein took body parts from dead people and pieced them together. Although he successfully gave life to a creature, the ugliness of it terrified Dr. Frankenstein and many others. Throughout the story, the monster demonstrates its complexity by showing human-like attributes: feelings, ability to learn, and possibly the ability to reproduce. This brings up the question, did scientists and doctors have the knowledge and technology to have created…
In Macbeth, William Shakespeare writes this passage in order to shape the character of Lady Macbeth. Using only this line, the reader can almost determine Lady Macbeth's personality and her motives.…
That’s the only thing that never fails...” The quote goes on, but that essentially sums it up. I can say without a doubt that this quote changed the way I viewed the world, and the way I interacted with it. This is inpart is because of when I first really read this passage, grade 7. By the end of grade 7 I was entering the my first bout of depression. At the time I didn’t know there was a name and reason I felt how I did, all I knew was that a never ending grey day had taken over my life and I couldn’t change it. I felt sad, therefore I learned. Just like the quote had told me. I learned about JFK (mainly his assassination), the Son of Sam, Quantum Theory, Neuroplasticity, Ancient Greece, and anything I could get my hands on. It gave me something to focus on other than the never ending grey day. The quote gave me a reason to get up each day and go to school, because if nothing else I was there too learn. I plastered it on my wall in big letters, I even highlighted it in my copy of the book. Without that quote I doubt I would be (maybe) going into criminology. The desire to understand blossomed in me because of it. I didn’t want too be sad, and here my favourite wizard was telling my favourite king that learning was how too fix…
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is arguably one of the most controversial novels of the 19th Century. It discusses the concept of science verses human conscience in a technological world. The Gothic atmosphere of the novel reflects the dark feelings of society at the time, and Shelley utilised pathetic fallacy, her chosen form and imagery to suggest a twist on the real monster of her story. Shelley uses poetical language and perspective to emphasise how the monster is a model Romaticist, and to express the importance of belonging and communication to a judgemental society. Symbols, contrasts and ‘heavenly’ adjectives are used to portray Victor Frankenstein as a God-like figure; expressing how we must never interfere with nature’s course and take on God’s role to the knowledge-greedy culture of the 1800’s, which was consumed with the Industrial Revolution. Shelley has manipulated her writing to convey her personal ideologies, and to reflect her concern for a loss of ethics in a society fixated on the pursuit for answers.…