Many books around throughout time have had two characters that are very similar and can be compared and contrasted. One book, The Hunger Games, introduces the characters of Katniss and Peeta in way so that they may be analyzed quite easily. Katniss and Peeta are both willing to get through the test of the Hunger Games and they both want to keep living for the sake of another person. But, at the same time they are also very different. Katniss has a more masculine personality because she enjoys hunting and scavenging, while Peeta is more reserved because he is just a dough boy and works in a bakery. While The Hunger Games has two great characters to compare and contrast, so does the classic frame narrative, Frankenstein. In Frankenstein, Mary …show more content…
Shelley introduces Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein who are very similar, but also have many differences. To start of the novel, the reader can develop a comparison of Frankenstein and Walton in the letters, and the first four chapters of the novel. In the letters, Robert Walton is telling his story of his journey through the Arctic Ocean to Alaska in the form of letters to his sister.
After Walton and his crew get stuck in some ice, they notice a gigantic man in the distance. Just a couple hours later, Victor Frankenstein washes up to their boat on a sheet of ice. Walton welcomes him onto his ship, and Victor tells the story of this thing in the distance, which is his creation. In the first four chapters, Victor talks about his family and how they came to be. He also talks about his education, and what made him create this monster. Walton and Frankenstein are similar because they both switched what they wanted to do before pursing their current occupation. “I imagined that I also might obtain a niche in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare are consecrated. You are well acquainted with my failure and how heavily I bore the disappointment”(Shelley 2). This shows how much Robert Walton desired to be a poet and also how distraught he was after his failure. Walton also reveals how he was not well educated, even though he loved reading. So after he failed at trying to become educated, and becoming a poet, he inherited his cousins fortune, and became a sea captain. Like Walton, Frankenstein did not do …show more content…
what he first fell in love with. At first, he starts to read Cornelius Agrippa, a Natural Philosopher and Alchemist who sparked Frankenstein’s interest in science. When he was about seventeen, Frankenstein went to the University of Ingolstadt. At Ingolstadt, Victor met two professors that made him understand what he wanted to do with his life.
“From this day natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry, in the most comprehensive sense of the term, became nearly my sole occupation” (Shelley 36). This shows that he devoted all his time to learning and studying about natural chemistry. After a couple years of intense studying, he starts to develop an interest in the human body, and he wants to create life from death. Just like Walton changed from being a poet to an explorer, Frankenstein changed from being a natural philosopher to being a creator of life. Another way Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton are similar is how both of them adore their sisters. Frankenstein’s sister is named Elizabeth and she was adopted by Victor’s mother, Caroline after Elizabeth’s family could not afford to take care of her. “… she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally and looked upon Elizabeth as mine—mine to protect, love, and cherish” (Shelly 21). Before Elizabeth was taken into Victor’s home, his mother told him that she was going to give him a present for him to take care of. Then, the next day, Victor’s parents brought
Elizabeth home. Victor thought that Elizabeth was the present that his mother was talking about, and he would not let anything ever happen to her. Although, as the reader, there is not as much information about Walton’s sister as there is about Elizabeth, the relationship between Robert Walton and Mrs. Saville is still easily understood. Not much is said about the relationship of Robert Walton, but the reader can infer that is a loving and welcoming one by the way that he always calls dear Margaret, or excellent Margaret. Another way that it is obvious that they have a good relationship is by the way that he is actually writing to her. If he did not have good relationship with her he would not be writing her letters. Although Victor’s relationship with Elizabeth may seem more developed, it is still obvious that Walton and Mrs. Saville’s is still very strong. Frankenstein and Walton have many similarities, but they also have many differences too. Where these two characters are different is where the story is most prominent. Both men are very intelligent, but Walton has other reasons for his story. In the first letter, Walton reveals to his sister that he will attempt to find a passage to the North Pacific Ocean. Walton is trying to find a passage from the Arctic Ocean to the North Pacific Ocean to help other explorers. With Frankensteins work, his creation is all from his crazed mind. He created this monster for his own self interest, and to see if creating life from death was even possible. “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me” (Shelley 40). Frankenstein is showing his craziness building up inside of him. He is becoming selfish, compared to Walton, who is exploring the arctic to help other explorers find an easier way to get around the world. Throughout the first four chapters, Frankenstein starts as a nice loving child, and becomes a deranged scientist. Throughout the Letters, Walton shares with his sister his love for adventure and the world, and ends it with meeting crazy Doctor Frankenstein. Frankenstein asks him, “Do you share my madness?” (Shelly 13). After examining the evidence, the answer to that question is no because of the fact that Walton has not lost his sanity, and Victor Frankenstein has. Just like Katniss and Peeta, Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton have many similarities and differences. Robert Walton and Victor Frankenstein both change their occupation for a new pursuit, and also both love and cherish their sisters. Where they differ is why they are pursuing this occupation. Walton is doing it for others, and Frankenstein is doing it for himself. As one can see, Victor and Robert are great characters for comparison.
In both books they share some traits, even though they may not look anything alike they are. both of these novels are dystopian novels and many characters share similarity’s.
Robert Walton, an explorer who nourishes Frankenstein back to health and tells the narrative through a series of letters to his sister back in England, also possesses similar traits as Frankenstein, because he is persistent to seek ultimate knowledge at all costs. The monster, who is driven with rage from the betrayal of his creator, is considered the antagonist of the novel, because he kills innocent civilians and takes the lives of Frankenstein’s loved ones as revenge for Frankenstein abandoning him. Apart from these central characters are: Henry Clerval, Elizabeth Lavenza, William Frankenstein, Alphonse Frankenstein, and Justine Moritz. These characters also play a crucial role that alludes to the element of betrayal in the novel, because they either influence Frankenstein and the monster or are killed which drives this element. Shelley’s perspective and opinion about the effects of betrayal are transpired throughout the novel, beginning from Frankenstein’s childhood and transitioning into the monster’s remorse over his
1. He came like a protecting spirit to the poor girl who committed herself to his care.
Walton's letters play an important role for the reader may find many foreshadowed themes. As the novel progresses, the reader will realize how Walton and Victor Frankenstein share similar views on their life's roles. Both men are driven by an excessive ambition, as they desire to accomplish great things for the humankind. Walton is an explorer who wants to discover a new passage to the Pacific and therefore conjures "inestimable benefit on all mankind to the last generation" (16). Victor's purpose is to "pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation" (49). These explorers will demonstrate that such pursuit can prove to be very dangerous in quest for knowledge. Walton's ship becomes stuck in the ice and Victor's creation finally kills everyone dear to him. However, this parallel is not the only one: we can easily compare Walton's search for a friend ("I have no friend, Margaret" (19)) with the monster's request for a female because he feels alone ("I desired love and fellowship" (224)). This similarity between man and monster suggests that the monster perhaps is more similar to men than what we may perceive. If it is assumed that Shelley also shared this view when she wrote the novel, maybe she meant that the real monster manifests itself differently tha...
In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley tells us a story about a man called Victor Frankenstein who creates a Creature which he later decides he does not like. The novel Frankenstein is written in an Epistolary form - a story which is written in a letter form - and the letters are written from an English explorer, Robert Walton, to his sister Margaret Saville. Robert is on an expedition to the North Pole, whilst on the expedition; Robert is completely surrounded by ice and finds a man who is in very poor shape and taken on board: Victor Frankenstein. As soon as Victor’s health improves, he tells Robert his story of his life. Victor describes how he discovers the secret of bringing to life lifeless matter and, by assembling different body parts, creates a monster who guaranteed revenge on his creator after being unwanted from humanity.
Frankenstein is a horror movie that tells the story of Dr. Henry Frankenstein’s experiment. In search for the fame and glory of playing to be god, he reaches a point where he is able to revive dead people. In this version of Frankenstein’s monster we see a selfish and careless scientist that created a creature with his intelligence. The way the character is shown reflects how ambitious someone can be to reach to be known in the world. This movie makes the people who are watching to feel empathy on the poor creature. This poor creature that did not want to live in a life where everyone is going to hate him for having a horrible aspect and not following rules that he has no idea about.
Frankenstein is a fictional story written by Mary Shelly. It was later adapted into a movie version directed by James Whales. There are more differences than similarities between the book and the movie. This is because, the movie is mainly based on the 1920’s play, other than the original Mary Shelly’s book Frankenstein. A text has to be altered in one way or the other while making a movie due to a number of obvious factors. A lot of details from the book were missing in the movie, but the changes made by Whales were effective as they made the movie interesting, and successful.
James Whale's Frankenstein is a VERY loose adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel. The spirit of the film is preserved in its most basic sense, but the vast majority of the story has been entirely left out, which is unfortunate. The monster, for example, who possesses tremendous intellect in the novel and who goes on an epic quest seeking acceptance into the world in which he was created, has been reduced to little more than a lumbering klutz whose communication is limited to unearthly shrieks and grunts. Boris Karloff was understandably branded with the performance after the film was released, because it was undeniably a spectacular performance, but the monster's character was severely diminished from the novel.
...the downfall of Frankenstein and the monster. Frankenstein found the secret to life, though he applies his gained knowledge and ambition to his own selfish goals, which wind up destroying him and those closest to him. Walton has something in common with Frankenstein; his ambition to achieve something that no man has ever accomplished before. The difference between Victor and Walton is tat Walton decides to turn back. The monster on the other hand never wanted any fame or glory; his ambition was motivated by the thirst for revenge. Ultimately even Frankenstein, on his deathbed, realized the harsh consequences of his actions. Victor states, "Seek happiness in tranquility, and avoid ambition..." (Shelley 229).
Frankenstein said that he had been an only child and during a expedition with his parents, his mother found a peasant and his wife with five hungry babies. The peasant’s children were dark-skinned, except for one little girl. Frankenstein’s mother decided to adopt the little girl. Victor and his adopted sister, Elizabeth, came to love one another, even though they were very different in temperament and nature. Elizabeth "busied herself with following the aerial creations of poets," while Frankenstein preferred scientific knowledge "it was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn ... the physical secrets of the world." After the death of his mother when he was seventeen, Frankenstein departed for the University of Inglostadt. Frankenstein grew intensely interested in the phenomena of the human body and he explored the processes of death and decay, and became infatuated with the idea of creating human life itself.
During the first four letters of Frankenstein, Walton's ambitions are revealed. He is on a journey and takes himself and his crew through treacherous conditions, and yet, he continues. His ambition causes him to disregard the possibility of death and the danger he is putting himself and others in in order to reach his goal. Unlike Victor though, Walton is able to save himself, all thanks to Victor himself. After spending some time with Walton on the ship, Victor realizes that Walton shares his ambitious nature. He asks him, “Unhappy man! Do you share my madness? Have you drunk also from the intoxicating draught? Hear me; let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cup from your lips!” After telling him about the dangers of ambition, Victor tells Walton, “Farewell, Walton! Seek happiness and tranquility and avoid ambition, even it it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and
Although “Frankenstein” is the story of Victor and his monster, Walton is the most reliable narrator throughout the novel. However, like most narrator’s, even his retelling of Victor’s story is skewed by prejudice and favoritism of the scientist’s point of view. Yet this could be attributed to the only view points he ever gets to truly hear are from Victor himself and not the monster that he only gets to meet after he comes to mourn his fallen master.
Robert Walton was on an expedition when he discovered Victor Frankenstein. Walton helped Frankenstein regain his health and listened to his bizarre story about the monster. Frankenstein started his story with his early life in Geneva. He told Walton all about his family, his love Elizabeth Lavenza, and his friend Henry Clerval. The story started with his happy childhood but gets darker as it progressed. Frankenstein’s ambitions took over him when he started the University of Ingolstadt. He spent months trying to find old body parts to finish his creation. His creation finally came to life, and he is terrified of his creation. He does not understand how he could have created something so hideous. The monster was left alone because
...ry. The loneliness of Frankenstein and the monster drove them miserable for most their lives, and in the end, to death. Walton on the other had, turns back to civilization, perhaps learning something from the story of Victor Frankenstein. In the book Frankenstein, there were many moments of glory for Victor Frankenstein, but in the end he only ending up destroying many of his family, himself, and the monster after suffering through loneliness and grief for a big part of his life.
Robert Walton served as the sole person that Frankenstein could completely open up to. Walton was also a man that was very similar to Frankenstein in character, providing means of paralleling throughout the story. Henry Clerval was the hopelessly ignored but entirely loyal friend of Frankenstein. Clerval was one that Frankenstein could depend on. He sacrificed his own happiness and responsibilities for that of his friends. Sadly, Frankenstein often took Clerval for granted and, therefore he did not influence Frankenstein decisions very much. It can be hypothesized that if Frankenstein did not leave Geneva and pursued something mundane (and safe) like Clerval’s dad wanted of him, he would not have made the grave error that lead to his tragic downfall. Elizabeth Lavenza served as not only a familial bond but also a female version of Frankenstein, In fact, I Elizabeth proved to be stronger, more clear-minded, and more emotionally stable than Victor had