Examples Of Juxtaposition In Frankenstein

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Living in 18th century Germany, Victor Frankenstein, driven by his love for science and fascination for nature, lived as a highly esteemed chemist. However, as this passion began to dominate his life, Frankenstein began his work on creating a living man from scratch, and would not rest until it was complete. In her novel “Frankenstein”, Mary Shelley uses character development of Frankenstein and the Creature as well as juxtaposition between the lives that both characters lead to show that, although they are seemingly quite different, they are strangely alike. Horrified and regretful of his creation, Frankenstein becomes overwhelmed by thoughts of depression and guilt. Previously, while working as a scientist and before his creation, he had “possessed a coolness of judgment that fitted me for illustrious achievements.” But once terrorized by the consequences that were to come with his creation, “this thought...now serves only to plunge me lower than the dust.” Frankenstein, who once was so enthralled with science that it dominated every facet of his life, now wanted nothing to do with it. Similarly, the Creature was brought into the world with high hopes: “once my fancy was soothed with dreams of virtue...I falsely hoped to meet with beings who, pardoning my outward form, would love me for the excellent qualities which I was capable of …show more content…

After the Creature is given life, him and his creator start to lead similar lives of misery and failure. Although the two could have attempted to help each other with their own moral dilemmas, both were so far ridden with feelings of emptiness and the horrors that they have suffered, that the two characters both search for their own source of happiness, which could have been found in each other, but was never

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