In daily life, everybody has a friend. Friends are people who look out for each other. Some are such good friends, they become best friends. Friends are there when needed most. The help could come as advice or just being there in general. Throughout Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, there are a series of friend relationships that are introduced. Each one has the others back and both mean something to each other. From keeping a friend on his feet to keeping a friend from being killed, each relationship has a meaning to it. A general lesson in Frankenstein is friends should care for each other.
One of these relationships is Victor and Henry. Henry is always there for Victor when needed most. For example, “As it drew nearer I observed that it was
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the Swiss diligence: it stopped just where i was standing; and, on the door being opened, I perceived Henry Clerval, who, on seeing me, instantly sprung out. ‘My dear Frankenstein,’ exclaimed he ‘how glad i am to see you!
how fortunate that you should be here at the very moment of my alighting!’” (37) Before Henry showed up, Victor had just created the creature, who is supposedly hideous and a shocking sight. Victor then runs into the streets horrified and in need of some company and care. It was significant that Henry showed up when he did, because it was at the time Victor needed someone the most. At that moment Henry reminded Victor about his life with his family and all the good memories he had with them. Victor was filled with relief and joy after seeing Henry. Like Victor and Henry, this relationship also shows a friend being there for another in a time of need. The relationship of Alphonse and Beaufort. Alphonse is Victor’s father who has a merchant as a very close friend named Beaufort. Beaufort was a man known for his tank and magnificence, but fell through numerous mischances and was in debt. He then did not want to be in a town where he was looked up to, but was in poverty, so he ran away with his daughter and kept himself concealed for a great amount of time. As stated from the book, “My father loved Beaufort with the truest friendship, and was deeply …show more content…
grieved by his retreat in these unfortunate circumstances. He bitterly deplored the false pride which led his friend to a conduct so little worthy of the affection that united them. He lost no time in endeavouring to seek him out, with the hope of persuading him to begin the world again through his credit and assistance. Beaufort had taken effectual measures to conceal himself and it was ten months before my father discovered his abode.” (15) Alphonse was a tremendous friend who care greatly for Beaufort. Enough to search for ten months to find Beaufort, a man who needed help and direction. This is significant, because Beaufort was lost and Alphonse was the friend who could put him back on his feet. Luckily these friends were able to be there for one another, but Elizabeth wasn’t so fortunate. Elizabeth and Justine had a relationship where one had to help the other save her life.
Justin was convicted for the murder of Victor’s brother William, and was going to be sentenced to death. In the books it says “We stayed several hours with Justine; and it was with great difficulty that Elizabeth could tear herself away. ‘I wish,’ cried she, ‘that i were to die with you; I cannot live in this world of misery.’” (60) During this time, Justine was already in a position where all the accusations got to her, but even after she gave up Elizabeth still had faith in her innocence. This is significant, because even after all the evidence that point to Justine being guilty, Elizabeth still believed that she was innocent. Still after all of Elizabeth’s care for Justine, Justine had gave in, to the pressure and pleaded guilty when she was innocent. This left Elizabeth in shame, because she tried her hardest to be the great friend who could save her life, but failed. Similar to this relationship where a friend tries to save another’s life, there is the relationship of Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. Robert is a captain of a ship who is sailing, but on his way he finds Victor weak and on a piece of ice. He then takes in Victor and cares for his health. During the book it says “Yesterday the stranger said to me, ‘You may easily perceive, Captain Walton, that I have suffered great and unparalleled misfortunes. I had determined, at one time, that the memory of these evils should
die with me, but you have won me to alter my determination, You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as i once did; and i ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been.” (13) In this situation, Victor has gone through a lot of trouble and has lost many loved ones. The significance is that Victor is trying to warn Robert to take caution in life and that he doesn’t want him to make the same mistakes as he did. The new friendship that these two have is strong, because one is trying to save another from having a life filled with misery and regret. Ultimately, friends should always be there for one another and care for each other. The relationships of Victor and Henry, Alphonse, and Beaufort, Elizabeth and Justine, and Victor and Robert are great examples of a prominent friendship. Each one has a friend a friend who wants to protect the other and show that they concern oneself for the other. From Alphonse trying to guide Beaufort in the right direction, to Elizabeth trying to save Justine from losing her life. These relationships that they all have are unable to be broken even by life itself, because after one friend is lost, their love as friends is still alive. While the book Frankenstein, has many friends who care for each other, the real world does too. Mary Shelley tries to teach a lesson to her readers, where friends need to have one another’s back.
Victor's gradual descent towards the dark side of the human psyche is clearly portrayed through Shelley's writing. As stated in previous discussions, Victor's original motivation in pursuing a career in the science field was purely out of love for the world of science and a true passion for acquiring knowledge. However, as the novel continues, we witness his motives go from authentic to impure. As such, we delve into the dark side. His pursuit of knowledge and his creation of the monster are all on the purer or perhaps lighter side of the psyche. It isn't until he abandons him that we begin to see him cross over. His choices to abandon the creature, to let someone else to die for its crimes, to create it a companion only to kill her, to allow the ones he loved to die at its hand, and to still refuse to claim it in the end are all acts
Mary Shelley’s idea of friendship is very important throughout the novel because it is the goal of Walton throughout the beginning, as well as the monster Frankenstein created throughout his narration period. In chapters fourteen through sixteen the creature learns that he is the only man of his kind, the only monster created on this Earth and he himself is much like Satan and Adam. He stumbled across three novels in which he reads and interprets differently. Paradise Lost having the most impact on the creature made him realize that he is utterly alone, and wretched. Adam was created from God, and was protected, whereas the creature who was created by Victor, was the complete opposite. He was dragged into this earth. The creature states, “But
Mary Shelley refers to her most famous work, “Frankenstein,” as her “hideous progeny” (Shelley, 169). Her creation—the novel—mirrors Victor’s since they are both considered “hideous.” Shelley’s terming of the novel reveals her insecurities about her creation, much like Victor about his. Shelley calls the novel hideous like a form of self-deprecation. She let this novel “loose” like Victor let his creature “loose” on society, unsure of how it would be perceived. Her insecurities lie in the fact that she is a female author. Female authors were criticized and considered inferior to their male counterparts. This also displays her insecurities about childbirth, due to the death of her own mother through childbirth and having experienced a miscarriage
Do you think that “Frankenstein” would end differently if Victor had created a companion for the monster? In the book Frankenstein Victor created a monster because he wanted to created something that loved more then father loves son. After Victor created the monster he abandoned him leaving the monster to live on his own and learn the lessons of life himself. The monster was very hurt by Victor and mad that he left him. As a result the monster started to kill the people closest to Victor. The monster made a deal with victor that if Victor made him a companion then he would go far away with her and not hurt anybody else. The monster also said something would happen on Victor's wedding night. If Victor had built a companion for the monster
Victor and Manfred share an important similarity: the desire for radical autonomy. The paths the two characters embark on to follow this desire differ, causing Manfred to be seen a as an admirable protagonist, while Victor’s continuing attempts to attain a defiant autonomy prove to be self-defeating, and he is unable to attain a complete independence because of his responsibility for the monster, which grows and transforms into a dependency of the monster. Although the shared drive of being defiant in their independence is a key factor for the outcomes of both stories, Victor’s inability to be accountable for the responsibility he holds presents a critique of the Byronic hero in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein demonstrating that without the ability
Can you imagine losing all of your loved ones to an evil beast? Or being abandoned by everyone you came in contact with? Mary Shelley portrays numerous emotions in Frankenstein. Sympathy and hatred are two that are constantly shown throughout novel. Mary Shelley enlists sympathy and hatred towards Victor and the monster by presenting them in different viewpoints. The views of sympathy and hatred towards the main characters change as the narration changes in the novel Frankenstein.
Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is book about the importance of human relationships and treating everyone with dignity and respect. The main character of the book is Victor Frankenstein who is a very intelligent man with a desire to create life in another being. After he completes his creation, he is horrified to find that what he has created is a monster. The monster is the ugliest, most disgusting creature that he has ever seen. Victor being sickened by his creation allows the monster to run off and become all alone in the world. Throughout Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses the theme of human relationships to illustrate the bond that man has with other beings and the need for love and affection. The importance of human relationships is shown throughout the book in many ways. Victor’s mother says to him, “I have a pretty present for my Victor—tomorrow he shall have it”(18).Victor is very excited that he has such a precious gift that will always be his. They become very close and refer to each other as cousins. However, there is a deeper a relationship between the two, and Victor vows to always protect and take of the girl whose name is Elizabeth. Mary Shelley uses this quote to explain how special Elizabeth is to Victor and that she is gift sent to him. Victor’s mother reinforces this again when she says to Victor and Elizabeth, “My children, my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union. This expectation will now be the consolation of your father. Elizabeth, my love, you must supply my place to my younger children. Alas! I regret that I am taken from you; and, happy and beloved as I have been, is it not hard to quit you all? But these are not thoughts befitting me; I will endeavour to resign...
The creature later went on a journey looking for his creator, he wanted partner to be with him since he was the only one of his kind plus the people hated him. He wanted a partner whom he could live with and not feel alone in this world. When they first encounter themselves victor was amazed by his creation but once again victor did not wanted to see.” Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence, which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants
Can friendship be a curative force for an individual living with depression and anxiety? This seems to be the case showcased in chapters five through six of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. After months of arduous and incessant labor, Victor has finally completed his creation. But in the process, his entire way of being had changed due to his profound immersion in the sciences. He had scarcely written his family and he seldom left his apartment. His once cheerful demeanor was gone and only his work occupied space in his life. After finally infusing life to his creation, its awful appearance horrified Victor. Victor left his apartment because his anxiety had overcome him; he even felt he was being persecuted by his creation. He had reached his lowest point in his life, up until then, and by chance he met with his lifelong best friend, Henry Clerval, who had just moved into town. His presence was a curative factor for Victor and this will be shown further on.
The element of loneliness and the need for companionship is an important topic in the characters’ lives in Frankenstein. The characters want to have one person they can go to for anything and everything, during the good and the bad times. In the novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Robert Walton, The Creature, and Victor share the sense of loneliness and all long for companionship. Robert Walton is lonely at the beginning of the story and develops a companionship throughout the novel. The creature is Victor’s companion, but soon develops a desire for a friend. Victor is the most lonely because, Victor longs for the love that a companion could bring to his life. The want for a companion throughout the novel affects the three characters negatively and positively.
Frankenstein is actually about the friendship of the soul. Without this basic need the body either withers away and dies or turns to another source, like murder or drink, to fill the hole. Both fatalities can be seen in the story, with Victor's friendship and the monster's anger. Neither one fills the gap in their soul, but eventually consumes them until they die.
Justine was killed because Victor Frankenstein’s younger brother, William, was murdered. An item that William was wearing during the night of the murder was found on Justine leading everyone to believe that Justine is the murderer. When Victor arrives back to Geneva and hears that Justine has been accused of the murder his reaction was, “Justine Mortiz! Poor, poor girl, is she accused? But it is wrongfully; everyone knows that; no one believes it, surely…”. Victor knew the Monster killed William and probably framed Justine. He knew Justine was innocent, but no one believed him. Justine was also forced to give a false confession, and was hanged. People dislike being insecure, like having a murderer loose among them, so they punish a scapegoat, like Justine, to ease their minds.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein and the monster that he creates are very similar. For example, Victor creates the monster to be like himself. Another similarity is that the anger of both Victor and the monster is brought about by society. One more parallel between Victor and the monster is that they both became recluses. These traits that Victor and the monster possess show that they are very similar.
Victor and his creature are similar in a number of ways. Both started out innocent, with nothing but good intentions. They both did evil things, and they both feel bad about it. In fact, they both describe their fall from grace using a similar comparison. Victor said, "...like the archangel who aspired to omnipotence, I am chained in eternal hell," and the Creature said,"... the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil."
Monsters can come in various physical forms, but all monsters share the same evil mentality. A Monster is a being that harms and puts fear within people. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a prime example of how appearance does not determine whether a creature is a monster or not. In the story, Victor Frankenstein tries to change nature by creating a super human being. The being appears to be a monster. Victor becomes so obsessed with his creation and then rejects it. Victor is the real monster because of his desire for power, lack of respect for nature, and his stubbornness.