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Frankenstein literary analysis
Lit analysis of Frankenstein
Character analysis of the monster in Frankenstein
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I have empathy for the monster because he was not created to be evil. His creator Victor D. Frankenstein and the people he encountered after he was created, were the ones who were being hateful towards him. The monster was happy and had a kind heart towards the people he met , but his kind heart and pleasant demeanor was short lived. People started talking about him in a bad way and that made the monster angry and also it made him a product of his environment. This is how he became who he was. In one example, when the monster was good he recanted a story about his life after he was created, he left his place of home and went on a journey. He was scared and lost until he met people along the way. They were nice to the monster and made him …show more content…
He learned a lot about daily activities by watching people from a distance. When he met the peasants they were the ones who told him he was ugly and told him to go away. Soon he realized after looking into the pond at his reflection he was indeed ugly. In another incident, he saved a girl who was drowning in a pond then a passerby-er thought that he was attacking the girl and then misjudged his heroic deed and suddenly shot him in the back of his shoulder. These are prime examples of his appearance getting in the way of attempting to be a normal human …show more content…
Also, the people thought that everything should be perfect and natural within the world and not ugly. Even though the monster was considered ugly, he was also smart, sensitive, and compassionate. In other words, you should never judge a book by its cover. Meaning that the people he met has judged the surface of his face instead of learning about him more. In conclusion, having empathy for the monster has proven that the monster was good and was not created to be evil. The people he encountered and his creator has influenced him to change his behavior to do evil intentions. The outcome would have been different if Victor created the monster in the image of a better person that is acceptable and can easily blend in with
As human nature, we tend to judge too much. We judge others by the color of their skin, their weight, if they have acne or not, and how they dress The Creature, from Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, is judged throughout the entire novel. He looks different,
...being so ugly. He cannot hide from the reality. He doesn’t realize what a catastrophe he has created and so he pays the price of death to William and Justine.
I think this is how Mary Shelley wanted to achieve ‘thrilling horror’, she created a monster that was so different to us on the outside but on the inside was very much alike, and it is frightening that we never really notice what he is like on the inside until the end. We now realise that from judging someone, it can have long lasting and damaging effects on them, and this is something that we can learn from Mary Shelley.
Throughout most of her novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley establishes a them stating no one can be born evil but the life a person lives turns them evil. The creature becomes a monster everyone believes him to be after continuous rejection and abuse. This is the reason why readers become more sympathetic towards Frankenstein's creation than any other character in the novel.
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
The initial perception of the monster may certainly be one of horror and perfidy, but it is clearly seen that this daemon initially has truly pure intentions. For instance, the monster is confident that he will “win the love” of the gentle family he has been observing and learning from for so long—so much so that the thought of this newfound love makes him euphoric. “’My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy,’” (Shelly, Frankenstein, 96). Furthermore, the monster is aware of his deceptive mien. He is mindful that it can and will cloud one’s judgment, but he insures that he is a kind-hearted being with magnanimous intentions. “’I have good dispositions, my life has been hitherto harmless and in some degree beneficial; but a fatal prejudice clouds their eyes, and where they ought to see a feeling and kind friend, they behold only a detestable monster,’” (114). Because of the being’s countenance, the barrier to happiness forever stands. ...
The Frankenstein monster really is no more then a scared, confused child who feels as if his father has rejected him. Because of this he is driven to violent behavior and that is when everyone notices the differences. When he was by the shore of the lake with the little girl he was excepted, she did not see him as a monster but someone to play with. When he became excited and threw her into the lake he didn't do this to hurt her he just wanted to see her float like the flowers. But, this act doomed him to a tragic end. Had the people of the village been able to see him as the scared child he really was and not as a monster they would have understood he never intended to hurt anyone. It was much the same with Dr. Frankenstein, if he could have understood the monster felt rejected by him then he would not have been harmed. In the end you can't help but feel sorry for the monster as he is trapped with fire all around him and you can see the fear he feels and you know that this is the end for the monster.
By the end of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley wanted the reader to discover that it was not Frankenstein’s creature that was the monster, but Victor Frankenstein himself. She was able to accomplish this fully by highlighting the absence of a single trait in Frankenstein; he has no empathy. Empathy, the ability to feel with another creature, is an integral part of what makes us human, what separates us from inanimate objects and animals. It is possible for a person to register another creature’s emotions without truly being empathetic. True empathy requires an individual to merge identities and act upon both their own and the others’ emotions.
middle of paper ... ... Generally in the novel, most readers tend to sympathize with Frankenstein because of the way in which he is mentally and physically harmed by his creation. However, one must also realize that while Frankenstein is a victim in the novel, he also exhibits features that make him a monster. These monstrous qualities, however, stem from his passion for science and his desire to create life. Not only does the reader criticize and pity Frankenstein, but the reader also empathizes with Frankenstein’s creation.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a truly famous novel that has been revisited by many, as well as revised by the author in the many years since its original publication. Within this novel Shelley conveys the tragic fictional story of Victor Frankenstein and his monster that he thoughtlessly brought to life, as well as the lives of those affected by his hideous creation. Throughout the novel it is made quite apparent that the monster was not inherently evil, in fact the monster was quite benign, however through its interactions with society the monster is slowly shaped into a being that can truly be called just that, a monster. All of the aforementioned change to the monster are brought about in part by the societal standards of the time period
At first, The Monster is very kind and sympathetic. He has a good heart, as shown when he collected firewood for the family on the brink of poverty. Like every other human creation, he was not born a murderer. All the Monster wanted was to be accepted and loved by Victor Frankenstein and the other humans but instead he was judged by his appearance and considered to be dangerous. The Monster says, “like Adam, I was created apparently united by no link to any other being in existence…many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me” (page 105). This line is an important part of the novel because the Monster lets it be known how like Adam he was created into this world completely abandoned and like Satan he is angry with those people who have found contentment and satisfaction in their lives. The rejection and unwelcome feeling he is faced with, is the main reason the Monster becomes a killer. Watching another family show love towards each other made the Monster realize how alienated he truly was. He did not know how to deal with his pain and emotions so he murders as
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.
At first glance, the monster in Frankenstein is a symbol of evil, whose only desire is to ruin lives. He has been called "A creature that wreaks havoc by destroying innocent lives often without remorse. He can be viewed as the antagonist, the element Victor must overcome to restore balance and tranquility to the world." But after the novel is looked at on different levels, one becomes aware that the creature wasn't responsible for his actions, and was just a victim of circumstance. The real villain of Frankenstein isn't the creature, but rather his creator, Victor.
In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature's only need is for a female companion, which he asks Victor Frankenstein his maker to create. Shelley shows the argument between the creature and Frankenstein. The creature says: "I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself " (Shelley 139). Shelley shows what the creature wants from Frankenstein and what his needs are. Shelley gives us an idea of the sympathy that Frankenstein might feel for the creature even though he neglects him. The creature confronts Victor demanding his attention and expressing his needs. I feel a lot of sympathy for the creature based on him being able to forgive Victor for abandoning him and being able to communicate with him.
Do not judge a book by its cover. A famous American proverb that says a person’s character cannot by judged by their appearance. A prime example of this is the monster from Frankenstein. On the outside, he has a terrible appearance but he is a kind soul simply looking for a little compassion. He is a victim however due to his monstrous appearance and is left in bitter misery in the story. Both the book and the play present him as a sufferer in a cruel world but ultimately the book does a better job portraying his pain and creating compassion for him. The monster in the book details his suffering in greater detail, is more eloquent and persuasive and also experiences a more tragic ending and as a result a reader feels more sympathy towards him than an audience member would feel towards the monster in the play.