“There is one pain, I often feel, which you will never know. It’s caused by the absence of you” (Ashleigh Brilliant) In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the readers follow Victor Frankenstein as he recounts the horrors he endured following the creature's creation. In the novel, the readers are able to understand the suffering and loneliness of the creature, as he strives to be accepted by a ruthless society. From the novel Frankenstein, the readers learn the devastating truth about humanity. The creature, created to begin a life of loneliness, anger, and hatred. He himself is a paradox; the eloquence of his speech contrasts with his morbid physics. Soon, the creature learns the unforgiving and vain nature of humans, permanently changing the course of his and Frankenstein's fate. The paradoxical characterization of the creature in Frankenstein shows the negative effects of change, loneliness and the dark nature of society. Change, whether the consequences be positive or negative, change is inevitable. In the case of the creature, the impact of change is negative. The creature …show more content…
“‘... I look around, and I have no relation or friend upon earth, These amiable people to whom I go have never seen me, and know little of me. I am full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world forever.’” (Shelley, 120) The creature admits his anxieties surrounding socialization and the old man sympathizes with him “‘Do not despair. To be friendless is indeed to be unfortunate; but the hearts of men, when unprejudiced by any obvious self-interest, are full of brotherly love and charity. Rely, therefore, on your hopes; and if these friends are good and amiable, do not despair” (Shelly, 120) Yet, when Felix returns and sees Frankenstein with the old man, the creature is quickly attacked for his appearance. The creature is never given a chance, only to be judged by his gruesome
In Volume 1 and 3 of Frankenstein, Victor’s reason for creating the “monster” changes drastically; however, ultimately leading to the same consequence of suffering and depression. Through this change in Victor, Shelley argues that all humans have an instinctive notation of right from wrong and learn from their mistakes. Victor left his friends and family to go to college; when there, he had no friends and social life. His top and only priority was his schoolwork; he read all he can about the sciences, especially chemistry and anatomy. When finished with his studies, Victor is ready to start his creation when he confirms his proceedings aloud, “Winter, spring, and summer, passed away during my labours; but I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves-sights which before always yielded me supreme delight, so deeply was I engrossed in my occupation. The leaves of that year had withered before my work drew near to a close; and now every day shewed me more plainly how well I had succeeded.
A first impression of Walton would be to say that he is extremely ambitious. He desires to go to the North Pole to "accomplish some great purpose". He has his own theories on what should be there, and will not rest until he has proved them. This is somewhat a 'Godlike' ambition, in that he wishes to be praised for discovering something new which will benefit everyone else in the world. The language used is also very much like Old Testament, Biblical; "Heaven shower down blessings on you". The image of Walton being 'Godlike' is enhanced by this.
In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature executes extreme and irreversible acts due to his isolation from society. Although the Creature displays kindness, his isolation drives him to act inhumanely. The Creature, pushed away from his creator because he is an abomination, and indicates his isolation as the only one of his species. As the Creature gets more comfortable with the De Lacey ’s, he approaches the old man as his children are gone but before he can explain himself, the children come home and see the Creature, “Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me?
The book “Frankenstein” was written based on significant, historical events that changed the way people thought about the usage of science to end death and to help improve resurrection. Mary Shelley went against the norms of writing styles by writing about science and technology, and not about romantic themes and main ideas. The start of Science and technology topics was a new topic for the readers which they enjoyed and therefore, Frankenstein became the best selling book during the 19th century. The way Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, is that she used influential scientist and invention to create the idea of how the monster was made, and what inspired Victor Frankenstein
In Mary Shelly's novel Frankenstein, The Creature's sad fate is a representation of what it means to be different. Because of this unfortunate destiny, The Creature remains hidden and secluded. He feels the isolation forced upon him and wicked appearance.
Few human experiences are as wretched as facing the fact that one is alone; perhaps because isolation is so easily recognized and dwelled upon when one is without friends to distract from life’s woes. Now consider isolation at its most extreme and ponder what such abject loneliness would do to man. This is the fate of Dr. Frankenstein and the Monster in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Frankenstein is the story of how one man’s experiment has the unintended consequence of making Frankenstein and his creation, the Monster, completely isolated from the rest of humanity: the creator of the unnatural monster dares not relate his tale lest due to his punishing guilt, and the hideous being himself shares neither kinship nor experience with anyone.
It is commonly known that humans desire human interaction in order to remain linked to society. Lack of connection to the outside world, or even rejection by a loved one, can cause someone to become depressed and want to isolate themselves from everything. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley creates a character who embodies all of the human reactions to rejection, isolation, and learning. The journey it goes through is difficult and is full of hardships. Being abandoned and lacking companionships affects his life so greatly, and although not technically human, he still possesses human qualities that allow him to feel this disappointment. The creature desires to love and be loved, but his forced isolation and desertion by his creator
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, loneliness is a key theme. There comes a point in the novel where Dr. Frankenstein has to make a decision: to either make his creature an equal woman companion or to refuse his protégé and face the dire consequences. At this point, Frankenstein is knowledgeable that his creation is the murderer of his brother (and indirectly caused the execution of his family friend Justine). He sees just exactly the problems that his creation has caused and how much pain his family is suffering from these losses. On the other hand, the monster offers peace and a ceasefire to Frankenstein’s family if he obtains what he most desires.
The Creature becomes more than just a villain who commits monstrous acts, but rather a human-like creature who possesses sensibility and profoundly suffers due to consequences outside of his control. His sensibility reinforces the invitation of sympathy, first shown as he pleads for his creator 's understanding: “ Remember, that I am thy creature: I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Every where I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.” (93) The Creature recognizes his misery, ...Frankenstein, as what has caused him to become “a fiend,” yet he wishes to become better and not succumb to the monstrosity he is capable of. He acknowledges his own malevolence but also expresses his demise as a response to humanity’s maltreatment of him. Before beginning his tale, the Creature directly invites the compassion of Frankenstein: “Still thou canst listen to me, and grant me thy compassion” (94). The compassion he asked from Frankenstein would also apply to the reader, and thus his audience is prepared to allow themselves to feel sympathy for this “monster.” The Creature’s story to Frankenstein offers a rationale for his monstrosity in a way that also attempts to
Throughout Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, nature is a major theme that flows and effects the world she creates. Shelley utilizes this in order to influence the characters within her story. Everyone within this book is subject to the forces of nature. It holds the strength to manipulate their thoughts and emotions in both a negative and positive manner. This theme embraces the idea of romanticism which becomes an unrestrained emotional experience for the characters.
A Monster and His Creator as One. The major character’s in Frankenstein desperately seek but never find ideal sympathetic companionship, and as a result the novels plot repeatedly dramatizes the failure of social sympathy. As said by Jeanne M. Britton “Frankenstein offers a version of sympathy that is constituted by the production and transmission of narrative as compensation for failures of face-to-face sympathetic experience.” To clarify, Victor Frankenstein’s sympathy comes from the feeling of harming the human race. An example of this is displayed when Victor first creates the Creature, and then again when the monster asks him to build a female version.
In the 1980’s classic The Breakfast Club, John Hughes wrote it best, “We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all.” Societal normalcy is more of a false notion and facade rather than an fact. Who dictates what normal is? With every person on Earth being different, how is there a norm? The idea of what is “normal” in society is what plagues the monster in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Wanting to be a functioning member of society, the creation of Doctor Frankenstein is judged based on his physical differences rather than given a chance to show his true nature. However, society is not always to blame for a person or creatures’ adversity with society.
Throughout history, many have debated whether an individual's behavior is a result of DNA inheritance or developed through the environment they have grown to experience. One side believes that an individual inherits their behavior through nature which is DNA just like how it determines the child’s eye color, type of hair and the possibility of diseases. The other side argued behavior is developed through the environment in which they have experienced through the years. John Locke explains that at birth, a child is born with a blank slate and as they grow their mind is filled with experiences. The question arises whether the creatures’ horrendous behavior was a result being born a monster or his experience of being abandoned constantly.
Throughout Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the reader is lead to sympathize with the monstrous creature, which was created by Victor Frankenstein. Despite any internal contradictions, the creature has the indisputable outward appearance of a monster, one repulsive to even his own creator. Inevitably, the appearance becomes the creature’s most significant quality, which eliminates any recognition of other, more human, qualities. As a result, any possibility of acceptance within human society are completely destroyed. The creature himself even recognizes this fact. Expressing many human qualities, such rejection and the consequential loneliness has a tremendous impact on the creature, especially in the impressionable years after his initial animation. With the psychological effects caused by these factors, the creature is sent on a rampage, causing tragedy throughout the course of the novel. Many may question Victor’s culpability and lack of responsibility over his creation; however, the ultimate blame for the events must be placed while considering the situation on a larger scale. Without a structured beginning to life, the creature is subjected to the harsh society around him, whose reactions only lead the creature to exile and psychological torment, justifying his wrongful actions.
Many people know that Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, was part of a family of famed Romantic era writers. Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, was one of the first leaders of the feminist movement, her father, William Godwin, was a famous social philosopher, and her husband, Percy Shelley, was one of the leading Romantic poets of the time ("Frankenstein: Mary Shelley Biography."). What most people do not know, however, is that Mary Shelley dealt with issues of abandonment her whole life and fear of giving birth (Duncan, Greg. "Frankenstein: The Historical Context."). When she wrote Frankenstein, she revealed her hidden fears and desires through the story of Victor Frankenstein’s creation, putting him symbolically in her place (Murfin, Ross. "Psychoanalytic Criticism and Frankenstein.”). Her purpose, though possibly unconsciously, in writing the novel was to resolve both her feelings of abandonment by her parents, and fears of her own childbirth.