Mary Shelley's Frankenstein-The Memorable Monster
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein
The Memorable Monster
In 1818, The British Critic, a British literary magazine, assessed Mary Shelley's new novel, Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus. The reviewer wrote:
"We need scarcely say, that these volumes have neither principle, object, nor moral; the horror which abounds in them is too grotesque and bizarre ever to approach near the sublime, and when we did not hurry over the pages in disgust, we sometimes paused to laugh outright; and yet we suspect, that the diseased and wandering imagination, which has stepped out of all legitimate bounds, to frame these disjointed combinations and unnatural adventures, might be disciplined into something better. We heartily wish it were so, for there are occasional …show more content…
How silly this person would feel now. Today, with our hindsight, it is easy to see why this assessment is so ridiculous. Indeed, the image of the lonely wretch and the misdirected Victor Frankenstein are two of literature's most lasting images. But, upon reading this commentary and realizing how wrong it was, I asked myself one question, "why"? Why is it that the wretch and its creator have remained so indelibly imprinted on our imaginations?
"We need scarcely say, that these volumes have neither principle, object, nor …show more content…
The theme of parenting is important in the book and Shelley's "gentleness" is indeed apparent (and certainly not forgotten, as our bumbling reviewer suggests). Like Adam in Paradise Lost, the wretch is created with good intentions but unlike Adam, he is left with no companion and is thrown out on his own without ever committing any wrong.
In this theme, we have two very important points. The first is that Frankenstein runs from his obligation to "parent" the wretch. The second is that the wretch learns hate, revenge and anger only after he is abandoned by his creator. Who then is responsible for the actions of the wretch? Does the wretch deserve love despite its faults?
As a young woman facing pregnancy and motherhood, Shelley undoubtedly sought to answer questions like these. These were issues close to her
The Memorable Monster
In 1818, The British Critic, a British literary magazine, assessed Mary Shelley's new novel, Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus. The reviewer wrote:
"We need scarcely say, that these volumes have neither principle, object, nor moral; the horror which abounds in them is too grotesque and bizarre ever to approach near the sublime, and when we did not hurry over the pages in disgust, we sometimes paused to laugh outright; and yet we suspect, that the diseased and wandering imagination, which has stepped out of all legitimate bounds, to frame these disjointed combinations and unnatural adventures, might be disciplined into something better. We heartily wish it were so, for there are occasional …show more content…
How silly this person would feel now. Today, with our hindsight, it is easy to see why this assessment is so ridiculous. Indeed, the image of the lonely wretch and the misdirected Victor Frankenstein are two of literature's most lasting images. But, upon reading this commentary and realizing how wrong it was, I asked myself one question, "why"? Why is it that the wretch and its creator have remained so indelibly imprinted on our imaginations?
"We need scarcely say, that these volumes have neither principle, object, nor …show more content…
The theme of parenting is important in the book and Shelley's "gentleness" is indeed apparent (and certainly not forgotten, as our bumbling reviewer suggests). Like Adam in Paradise Lost, the wretch is created with good intentions but unlike Adam, he is left with no companion and is thrown out on his own without ever committing any wrong.
In this theme, we have two very important points. The first is that Frankenstein runs from his obligation to "parent" the wretch. The second is that the wretch learns hate, revenge and anger only after he is abandoned by his creator. Who then is responsible for the actions of the wretch? Does the wretch deserve love despite its faults?
As a young woman facing pregnancy and motherhood, Shelley undoubtedly sought to answer questions like these. These were issues close to her