The text finally uses the interaction between Victor and the Monster to display the similarities of their misfortunes, but then completely contrasts the two characters, leading readers to create a larger conclusion about the text. At the end of the Monster’s life story he demands a companion emphasizing Victor’s role in his misfortunes: “Instead of threatening, I am contest to reason with you. I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind? You, my creator, would tear me to pieces, and triumph… and would not call it murder” (104). The texts ironically portrays the Monster as the responsible figure attempting to change his future contrasting him to the human who refuses to participate in a self-determined change of fate. Due to the fact that the Monster is dependent on a human creator, no decision he makes can ultimately change the fate of his misfortune. Victor on the other hand not only has the choice of the Monster’s happiness in his hands, but also his own fate. By displaying the Monsters inability to change his destiny, the text emphasizes the…
Victor begins to tell the story of how he became interested in natural philosophy, and what kept him interested. He had a thirst for knowledge, and when his father defiled the book Victor was reading and learning from, it lit a fire within him to do everything possible to prove his father wrong. Although Victor felt upset by this situation, it pained him more that his father did not teach him why he felt this book was “sad trash” (68). Therefore, Victor felt neglected by his father and maintained an unfulfilled desire for a father that truly cared. Along with this neglect came the feeling that he was “destined for some great enterprise.” Alas, to an outsider, Victor did just that. He created a living being from nothing. However, Victor only viewed his creation as a monster and not as an astounding scientific discovery. One last thing that Victor wanted for numerous years was to see the death of his creation (118). He became aware of the horror that he had created at the exact moment it came to life and tracked Creature down for years. Because neither Creature, nor Victor were real (they were broken parts of Walton’s psyche), only Walton would be able to put Creature to…
Victor’s rejection and abandonment of the creature and many other people’s subsequent rejection of the creature, based on appearance, reminds the reader of how society (both in Shelley’s era and in the modern day), can and do reject those who are different and Shelley cultivates more sympathy from the reader this way. Frankenstein has had love and support from family all his life, by showing us Frankenstein’s childhood and then showing us his acts toward the creature readers are positioned to think of how callous, selfish and awful Frankenstein is as he rejects the creature and does not deem him worthy. Frankenstein tells the readers of his charmed childhood and because of this the reader thinks he’s a decent man, you also admire how he loves…
Judging others because of appearance is often found in society. This is illustrated in the 18th century novel Frankenstein written in the romantic era by Mary Shelley. The protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, gains sympathy from the reader gradually throughout the horrific tragedies that occur. Victor’s objective is to create life through and inanimate object from his University professors in Ingolstadt. Unfortunately, knowledge is power and is powerful creation turns into a loathsome monster. The monster roams through Europe seeking revenge which leaves Victor in constant fear. The reader develops a sympathy for Victor because he strives to warn society about the horrendous beast that lives, and has good intentions to restore life; however,…
Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818. At that time, the Gothic Horror genre was becoming increasingly popular. The Gothic Horror genre combined the genres of horror and romance and is often associated with dark castles, murder and monsters. The idea for the novel came about during a dream while Shelley and her husband Percy were staying with Lord Byron. She then used that dream as a basis for a story for a ghost story competition. At the time, the Industrial Revolution was occurring and science was being developed. Scientists carried out experiments with electricity, trying to bring frogs back to life. Shelley visited an alchemist’s…
Victor’s father sends a letter to him telling him to come home because his brother was murdered. Once he gets there the city gates are closed so he had to stay outside for a night. Out there he remembered that it’s been 6 years since he’s been home and 2 years since he left his creations. In the night he sees his creation between the lightning light. Once the monster sees him he runs off. Then victor begins to think that the murder of his brother was because of his creation. Victor knows that he cannot reveal the source of the crime without some serious inquiry about his creation. Thus, Victor is torn between revealing the monster and risking inquisition on his past or letting the criminal justice system free the accused. Once he is home he learns that Justine is accused for the murder because of the undeniable evidence. Justine is convicted guilty and goes to her death with no fear, leaving Victor to ponder the deaths of two innocent victims. He sinks into a deep depression from which he cannot escape. He tries boating on Lake Geneva and a trip into the Swiss Mountains. He escapes to the Chamounix valley region to rest and recover his senses. Victor takes a tour of a nearby mountain and glacier on Mount Montanvert to refresh his tortured soul. While on the glacier, the monster confronts his maker. Victor seems ready to engage in a combat to the death, but the monster convinces Victor to listen to his story. The two go to the monster's squalid hut on the mountain, and the monster begins to tell his tale. The monster begins his story by recalling his earliest memories and how he came to be. After fleeing the city and villages where he is not welcomed, the monster learns to live in the forest. Food is sometimes stolen, and shelter is scarce. He does manage to find a "hovel" attached to a small cottage. He fashions a way to see into the cottage and begins to observe the life of the De Lacey family —…
During an encounter in the mountains with his creation, “the monster” confides in victor his tale of misery and isolation. He tells victor that as his creator he owes “the monster” happiness and all he needs to be happy is a female companion. Victor denies “the monster” his request, stating “I sometimes felt a wish to console him; but when I looked upon him, when I saw that filthy mass that moved and talked, my heart sickened”.(131)After a moment though victor’s compassion for his creation overcomes his hatred for its appearance and he agrees to his request. One night while working on this female companion for “the monster” victor thinks of what the end result of his second creation might be. Considering what the effect might be if the two hideous beasts were to have children and spawn a “race of devils” (147), again Victor is overcome by his superficiality. He tears his half-finished creation to pieces with “the monster” watching him. Enraged “the monster” swears his revenge again and retreats into the wild. Victor, fearing for the lives of his family and friends, leaves Scotland to go meet with Henry in Perth. It isn’t long though before victor Discovers that Henry has been killed by “the monster”. Being convicted of the murder Victor is put in prison for several months. Upon his release and journey back home Victor receives a letter from Elizabeth asking him if he is in love with…
Frankenstein’s characters suffer in a couple of ways, psychologically such as through loneliness or through emotional pain of the death of close ones, and physical suffering. Shelley herself was an only child, so could have been considered lonely when she was younger, and her mother died, which is obviously a death of a close one. While suffering is deserved by some of the characters as they bring it upon themselves, some of the characters are not deserving of their suffering as it is thrust upon them.…
He ends up getting in Victor’s mind until he ultimately dies. He spent the rest of his life trying to get away from the monster and then trying to track it with clues. There are some similarities and differences between the monster and Victor Frankenstein. The similarities are that they both possess physical power. Victor has the ability to put a life together by putting body parts back together and has power over science. Likewise, the monster has the physical capability to have ability over life in the fact that he can kill. The difference is that Victor is bringing life back and the monster is killing. Another difference shows that Victor realized he had power and felt guilty and the monster has never felt any remorse. A similarity is that the monster and Victor are both self-centered. The monster wants a mate for himself and does not think of the outcome it may have. Victor is self-centered because he created the monster because he originally wanted to have the power over science and life. He sooned learned that power was not all that he thought it was. Victor was also self-centered when he did not turn the monster into authorities when it started killing people. If he would have done this originally, he would not be in trouble or feel guilt and remorse. They both are similar because they are not very intelligent. Victor might have brains to build a body back but he was too arrogant and stupid to realize what could possibly happen. Likewise, the monster had the brain capacity of a baby and did not know anything socially or mentally at all. He just knew he wanted to get back at Victor for not building him a…
The Monster compares Victor to God, as they both act as creators, although immediately points out every reason Victor cannot be a God. He then continues on to create his own hierarchy where even the devil reigns supreme to Victor and himself. This contrasts Victor’s previous imagery of hierarchy since the Monster places Victor at the bottom, confronting Victor on the consequences of his actions. Victor’s character suffers due to his quest for knowledge to solve answers, yet the Monster suffers for his knowledge of the very same answers Victor suffers to find. The misfortunes for both Victor and the Monster due to their knowledge links readers to question the determination each character had in their fate, as a construed creature and a human, and what this can say about their own…
After rejecting the monster’s plea to create a female companion, the monster promises to leave and go live abroad in the jungles, never to bother anyone again. Victor agrees unexpectedly as he believes this is the only way to rid the monster. Yet again tampering with the nature of existence and trying to presume the role of god, he begins constructing his female creation. But because of the slothfulness of his character, he realizes that the creation will require a lot of time and resources, and he begins putting it off for as long as possible. When he is near finished with his creation he begins to have selfish thoughts, of what the monster would look like and could possibly bring on him self. This results in him rejecting the idea of another monster who would be just as hideous as the monster he had already made. He does not think about the monster’s loneliness and sorrow but rather that whether he would end up in jail for the murders if her were caught. In the midst of these thoughts the monster appears through the window, out of pure fright Victor sins again by immediately destroying the female creation-right in front of the monster. A quote from the novel shows how Victor’s wicked act made the monster feel, and which made him swore revenge on his wedding night. "Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have…
Victor is now regretting his creation of the monster, and refusing to build another one. But, his intentions to build the monster in the first place was to “create a new species”, which is what inspired his years of work. This characterizes Victor as he is now cautious, and is thinking through the effects another monster may have on society, which are things he didn’t recognize before. Victor has matured since his initial creation and is now scared of his creation.…
Victor states “I am chained in an eternal hell”, this shows how Victors feels he has caused his own demise (157). Also the monster’s sadness as he states at the end “and that happiness and affection are turned into bitter and loathing despair” (164). And Robert’s horror as he explains what he saw, “Never did I behold a vision so horrible as his face” (163). It also allows for the reader to question the main characters’ decisions, such as “Why would Victor want to build a monster? Why would he just leave his creation? Why did he not say anything until it was too late?”. But like all horror stories there are always things that could have been done to prevent something bad from happening. Every time Victor does something bad he is given the chance to learn from it and make a better choice. Such as when Victor was given a second chance to love the monster, yet again he doesn’t. Victor is given so many chances to fix his mistake, yet he never does. This continuous disappoint is what makes the story so hard to predict and making it difficult to put down, making the reader want to know what happens next. Though if the book would have been longer, the reader would have learned what decision to expect from…
He follows him to his ice cave to sit around the fire. While following the monster, he reexamined what the monster had told him. He was had curiosities about why the monster had done what he did and he also had compassion for the abandoned monster. Victor also wanted to confirm his suspicions on whether or not the monster was indeed the one that murdered his poor little brother. Victor also claims that for the first time he has determined that it is his duty to the monster to help make him happy again by being his creator. I think that within only a few paragraphs in the book Victor comes to his senses. Realizing that he has created this mess, he needs to fix what he started. Victor knows that he has created this being and he has also created his feeling of sadness and abandonment. He begins to have a heavy heart about what he has…
It is believed by many readers and scholars like Ellen Moers, who wrote Female Gothic: The Monster’s Mother that when Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly wrote Frankenstein, she wrote the story as a reflection of her own fears and issues with parenting. I also think that Shelley may have felt that her offspring were somehow against the laws of nature and that this is why most of them died at birth or in early infancy. I think that Shelley brought death from what should have been life from the part where Victor only had created life from the confines of death. In Shelley’s real life, her mother died during the labor and I believe this is also reflected in her role as the creature where it destroys the man who created it because she may feel resposible…