Composed during the Industrial Revolution at a time of increased scientific experimentation, Shelley warns and forebodes her enlightened society of the consequences which come about from playing god. She uses Victor Frankenstein as her platform, whose self-exalting line “many excellent natures would owe their being to me” represents a society engrossed with reanimation. Recurring mythical allusions to Prometheus, “how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge” portray Victor as a tragic hero; a noble character whose “fatal flaw” of blind ambition ultimately results in his own downfall and dehumanization, “swallowed up every habit of my nature”. In addition, Victor’s impulsive rejection of his grotesque creation, leads to the Monster’s rebellion (“vowed eternal hated and vengeance to all mankind”).…
In Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein we see not only the internal struggles of both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature he has created,…
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.…
Frankenstein is a novel book in which the mistake of Victor leads to the death of his loved ones. A scientist decides to interfere in the plans of nature and nature represented by the creature severely punishes him for that. Only “God” should take responsibility of creating a human form of life. Victor and the monster both die.…
The Marxist lens is used to examine how socioeconomic factors influence the plot, setting, reader, author, and time period of a certain subject. The Marxist lens is based on socialist and dialectic theories. Marxists believe that literature itself is social institution and has a specific ideological function. Marx said that human history can be studied best by observing how the lower class interacts with the higher class. One of the most obvious observations that can be made through the Marxist lens about Frankenstein is the motivation behind the creation of the…
By questioning the attributes of a human being and how one becomes integrated into society, Shelley has explored the nature of humanity through the complex characters of Frankenstein. After Victor Frankenstein, a revolutionary scientist for his time, created life using an amalgamation of body parts he rejects his grotesque Creature who becomes scarred by experiences of rejection by society and suffers from estrangement and loneliness. The Creature challenges the Romantic values of Shelley’s time, as his tendency for violence is contrasted with his yearning for returned compassion. Writers in the Romantic period explored the qualities that defined the human experience, such as compassion. The juxtaposition of the Creature’s acts of extreme violence such as the murders of Elizabeth and Clerval (Frankenstein’s wife and good friend), with the acts of kindness he hoped would integrate him into society, such as the gathering of wood for the migrant family. By juxtaposing…
In the novel of Frankenstein, the monster demonstrates a very “mad” character. When it comes to justice or injustice to the monster, he leans towards justice. Due to the reason of his loneliness, he retaliates. The monster has a need for vengeance due to the reaction he gets from people, additionally, he was successful when victor died, and the significance for this as a whole was to be loved.…
I believe that people are born neither inherently good nor evil, but are created as blank slates to be constructed by childhood impressions and other life experiences. In my opinion, the concepts of good and bad are impossible to be natural instinct. Rather, these ideas are mainly formed by the guidance and direction from one’s parents, and also by observation of the environment, and how others handle specific interactions.…
The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly tells the story of an obsessive scientist who pursues to defy nature and create unnatural life. Victor Frankenstein attends a university where he is introduced to natural philosophy and soon after becomes consumed with a project replacing all ties to the outside world and those closest to him. When Frankenstein succeeds in bringing life to an inanimate body he is set back immediately by the botched creation he has made. Without a word from the creature, Frankenstein throws a tantrum and ultimately abandons the brand new life he started. As the creature struggles on the search for love and compassion, he encounters continuous rejection because of his distorted appearance and is driven further into isolation…
Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley and first published in 1818, follows the set of extraordinary events encompassing the life of Victor Frankenstein; natural philosophy devotee and reanimation pioneer. Characterization plays a major role in encouraging different attitudes in Frankenstein, an example being how the reader is encouraged to feel sympathy for Frankenstein and his creation throughout the novel. Aided by the differing narrative perspective, these sympathies are continually evolving, changing as the reader’s perception of the two is altered, and at the end of the novel, the reader is left questioning who the real monster is: Frankenstein, or his creation? The…
By this definition, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein both Victor and his creation can be perceived as monsters. Both characters breach socially established boundaries with the creature blurring the lines between life and death as well as humanity and bestiality through his combined circumstances of birth and outward appearance. Frankenstein’s creation is not of human origin, but rather exists as an amalgamation of corpses created through scientific experimentation, “a product of nature – his ingredients are 100 per cent natural – and yet by the process and the very fact of his creation, he is unnatural”. Admittedly, Frankenstein’s creation fits the definition of the archetypal monster as “a large, ugly, and frightening imaginary creature” however, this is only true in regards to his aesthetical appearance for he is shown throughout the novel to exhibit the essence of humanity through his morality, intelligence and emotional capacity. In fact…
The monster, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, is the nameless creature whose physical grotesqueness and murderous deeds label him as the embodiment of evil, when in actuality he is a remarkably sensitive and benevolent being. The monster is Victor Frankenstein’s creation, assembled from old body parts and strange chemicals, brought to life by supernatural means. He enters life with the strength of a giant, yet an infant mind. He is abandoned by his own creator and rejected by society. His feelings are the deepest of any characters in this novel, as well as the most conflicted. He states,…
Mary Shelley’s efforts to have Victor Frankenstein play creator simply points to the inability of an imperfect human trying to play God. Man’s motivation to use science to advance selfish needs becomes an obstacle in the quality of life that the creature created would experience. The idea that free will trumps control of living beings is easily recognizable. In the end, the failure of the monster to be successful speaks to the intricacy of creation. The complexities…
Scary stories are not always just forms of entertainment, some of them provide readers with great insight into various social and ethical topics of the time. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley acquired immediate popularity after publishing Frankenstein in 1818. The novel became known worldwide as a result of the author’s style of writing which allows the reader to be entertained as well as informed and it is known as “the first true work of science fiction” (Aldiss). Frankenstein is a reflection of Shelley’s personal life as well as some topics of interest during the Romantic era as it incorporates themes such as the importance of receiving affection and family relationships, the characterization of women in the novel with feminist ideals as well…
The creature created by Victor Frankenstein was very vicious and evil as described in the story. The book creates an image of the creature as a monster that murders people close to Victor. The monster is actually a victim of an injustice taking place. The creature understands that in his life there is no justice, he tries to make himself perfect in order to change his injustice, and the willingness of searching for fairness gives the story a sense of inspiration and life lessons.…