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How is power/ conflict presented in frankenstein
Frankenstein desire for power
How is power presented in frankenstein
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The monster and his creator, Victor Frankenstein, in Frankenstein are not characters to be confined into one trope and, by playing on the complexities of their nature and the readers’ impression of these characters, Shelley creates palpable tension and foreshadowing throughout the pages. Playing upon perceptions of what is right and wrong and the characters’ dynamics, the author has illustrated a key shift in the narrative.
By taking advantage of the monster’s ill reputation, Shelley uses his voice and power to threaten Victor by not only questioning ‘what is it that you [Victor] intend?’ but also asking whether or not he ‘dare[s] to break [his] promise?’ The monster himself has killed, has maimed, has the stature of a beast and has let Victor
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live on the condition that another like himself should be made but Victor went against this and now, by having him questioned at the one he is obeying, Shelley immediately creates tension. There is an underlying malice in that the monster asks how does Victor ‘dare’ to break his promise for is someone breaks a promise, there would be consequences; should someone dare to do something, they’re most likely going to do something undesirable, something that they’d need a push to do or would not consider doing otherwise. Establishing that Victor is daring to go back on such a promise highlights the severity of his actions and the tone of the monster’s speech, almost as if he’s passing judgement upon him like a malevolent god about to impose judgement. This creates some powerful imagery and also makes the reader wonder what in the world could drive him away from the prospect of safety from the monster, creating further anticipation for the narrative. The monster’s further imposing and powerful language highlights the direction that the narrative could take – a dangerous one.
He exclaims that Victor is a ‘slave!’ which completely shifts the dynamics established prior to the conversation. As the novel has come along, there has been a gradual imbalance in the power that both the characters held, Victor giving life but now the monster is taking and insinuates he owns that of his creator. The dichotomy of good and evil, alongside the master-slave morality issue has been blurred for these two characters through this passage and use of the noun, thus allowing Shelley to introduce a significant shift to the tone and structure of the novel; Shelley has shifted ideas that readers may have set in their minds concerning the dynamics of the characters in one exclamation. Whereas Victor would have been the master and the monster the slave, Victor has become a slave to his spoils (the creation of life) but still a master of his fate in this minute action (getting rid of the work) while the monster becomes the master demanding his slave to work for him (creating a companion for him) but is a slave to his loneliness and own evils. Regarding the dichotomy of good and evil, it seems that both the terms are blurred from the beginning of the journey, both characters having their own faults and virtues at play. Shelley has shifted ideas that readers may have set in their minds concerning the dynamics of the characters in one
exclamation. It is through the exchange of dialogue and the accusations within them that Shelley has created the shift present throughout the pages. This shift highlights the change in the direction of the narrative, of the characters’ intentions and determination to fight for what they believe and the tension created by their threats and accusations creates tension that the reader feels is palpable and could foreshadow events to come. Shelley’s use of the dichotomy of good versus evil and the master-slave morality (all things that may have been imposed in the readers’ minds beforehand, making it easier to manipulate their thinking) allows for her to break the mould that the reader may have placed the characters in and question the events that may come later. Regardless of what the reader may have originally thought of the monster and why he did what he did and Victor’s own reasons for destroying the companion, the reader has witnessed a scene that would be instrumental in deciding the direction the characters will take for the latter half of the novel.
First, Before the monster is created Victor says that he hopes this creation would bless him as his creator, and that the creature would be excellent nature and would be beautiful. After the creature is created Shelley creates sympathy for him by Victor’s description of him in a unique yet horrific way, “he’s ‘gigantic,” “deformed,” “yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath” this makes the creature abhorrent to typical humans. When thinking of the descriptions together, Shelley has created a vivid, unnatural image of the monster in the mind’s eyes. The language Shelley uses is powerful and emotive “shall I create another like yourself, whose joints wickedness
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
Shelley characterizes Victor in a way that he acts on his impulses and not with rationality. As a result, Victor does not take the time to teach or talk to his creation. This action leads to his downfall as his loved one’s are killed by the Creature taking revenge on Victor for leaving him to fend for himself. Victor’s actions have consequences, hence why all his loved one’s are murdered because of his instinct to leave out of fear and safety. Shelley proves that our id demands immediate gratification of needs and thus, is in control of our actions.
This renunciation later comes to haunt Victor, and hurts his creation more than Victor can ever imagine. When Victor leaves the monster, Shelley is exploring abandonment by the parent. Later in the novel, when the monster tries to confront Victor and Victor shows that he does not want any part of the Monster by saying?gBegone, vile insect! Or rather, stay, that I may trample you to dust!? (74).
Shelley 94). Victor’s various thoughts of rage and hatred that had at first deprive him of utterance, but he recovers only to overwhelm the creature with words expressive of furious detestation and contempt, as he recalled creature’s misdoings to his loved ones. However, Victor pauses to “conceive,” to “feel,” and to “reason” with monster (M. Shelley 94). As Victor follows his creation, he notices the “air [to be full] of exultation” and “the rain” beginning “to descend,” showcasing Victor’s consent to change his view. (M. Shelley 98). Chapter 10 is exemplary of the Romantic Period where story becomes an allegory for real emotions and struggles. Victor’s
Victor’s lack of compassion and sympathy towards the monster causes him to become angry instead of guilty. His cruelness to his creation made the monster kill and hurt the people he did but “when [he] reflected on [the monster’s] crimes and malice, [Victor’s] hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation,”(Shelley 325). Without compassion Victor thinks that the only way to stop the monster is to get revenge on him, instead of just giving him the empathy and kindness that monster craved. Victor realizes that "if he were vanquished, [he] should be a free man...balanced by those horrors of remorse and guilt which would pursue [him] until death. ”(Shelley 731).
Victor had created the creature with the vision from his dreams of a strong, tall perfect being with no flaws. His years of study with the unnatural and science had come to this final conclusion and masterful idea that he was determined to finish. To his surprise, he had created the opposite, “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” (Shelley 35) Victor is saddened by what he thinks of as a failure. He leaves his own apartment to go sleep in his court yard outside following his creation. He begins to isolate himself from the creature because of his fear of the creature’s outward appearance. He loses all hope for the creature without even learning anything about him. The fact that Shelley begins to refer to the being that Victor created as a “creature” shows Victor’s ignorance and lack of acceptance. It is Victor’s prejudice that blinds him of the creature’s true potential due to the unwanted preconception that follows the creature as he finds meaning in
The fact that Frankenstein’s creation turns on him and murders innocent people is never overlooked; it has been the subject of virtually every popularization of the novel. What is not often acknowledged is the fact that Frankenstein himself embodies some of the worst traits of humankind. He is self-centered, with little real love for those who care about him; he is prejudiced, inflexible and cannot forgive, even in death. While some of these traits could be forgivable, to own and flaunt them all should be enough to remind a careful reader that there are two "monsters" in Frankenstein.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is impressive, entertaining, and fascinating so is it no surprise there have been so many films and artworks influenced by her novel. Many of which have put their own spin to the horror novel, especially the character of the creature that remains one of the most recognized icons in horror fiction. However, there have been critics whom argue modern versions and variations have lost the horror and passion that is an essential to the creature. The start of the Creature is bound to one book. However, public impression of the Creature has changed severely since the publication of the original novel, leading to diverse styles and plot lines in its diverse film adaptations. People’s impression of the Creature have become so twisted and turned by time and decades of false film posters and article titles that most use the name “Frankenstein” to refer to the Creature itself, rather than the scientist who created him! It’s a shame! An understanding of literary history is a necessity to comprehend the truth of the Creature’s tragic history and how decades of film adaptations changed him into the hulking beast most people know him as today.
Shelley also connects various points about the monster by saying that in most cases committing such cruel acts can only mean that it’s a cry for attention because the monster is desperate for attention that Victor can’t give. However, it’s easy to point the finger at the monster for all of the crimes that he’s committed towards Victor and his family. However, it can be reversed because the monster does suffer injustice in his own
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a nineteenth century literary work that delves into the world of science and the plausible outcomes of morally insensitive technological research. Although the novel brings to the forefront several issues about knowledge and sublime nature, the novel mostly explores the psychological and physical journey of two complex characters. While each character exhibits several interesting traits that range from passive and contemplative to rash and impulsive, their most attractive quality is their monstrosity. Their monstrosities, however, differ in the way each of the character’s act and respond to their environment. Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise.
In Frankenstein, Shelley creates two very complex characters. They embody the moral dilemmas that arise from the corruption and disturbance of the natural order of the world. When Victor Frankenstein is attending school, he becomes infatuated with creating a living being and starts stealing body parts from morgues around the university. After many months of hard work, he finishes one stormy night bringing his creation to life. However, “now that [Victor] had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (Chambers). Right after Victor realizes what he has done, he falls into deep depression and must be nursed back to health by his friend. Victor spends the rest of the story facing consequences and moral problems from creating unnatural life. When he realizes that the ‘monster’ has killed his brother, even though no one believes him, he feels responsible for his brother’s murder because he was responsible for the existence of the ‘monster’. Also feeling responsible, Victor...
Shelley provides numerical examples in which we see that the creature learns to hate Victor. Victor and the creature did not get along because Victor sees the creature as “the other” therefore the creature begins to view himself as such and begins to hate. The creature was born into the world and he was thankful for that and his creator. Victor sees the creature as an ugly monster. Therefore, the monster is the other in Victors eyes and feels superior to him.
Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein is a novel narrated by Robert Walton about Victor Frankenstein and the Monster that he creates. Frankenstein grew up surrounding himself with what he loved most, science. He attended Ingolstadt University where he studied chemistry and natural philosophy, but being involved in academics was not enough for him. Frankenstein wanted to discover things, but did not think about the potential outcomes that could come with this decision. Frankenstein was astonished by the human frame and all living creatures, so he built the Monster out of various human and animal parts (Shelley, 52). At the time Frankenstein thought this creation was a great discovery, but as time went on the Monster turned out to be terrifying to anyone he came in contact with. So, taking his anger out on Frankenstein, the Monster causes chaos in a lot of people’s lives and the continuing battle goes on between the Monster and Frankenstein. Throughout this novel, it is hard to perceive who is pursuing whom as well as who ends up worse off until the book comes to a close.
I believe that Victor and the creature are both right about what they want and yet monstrous in their reactions. Victor is right about what he wants; one reason is because he is very committed to his work and in creating life for his creature. On the other hand he is evil because he abandoned the creature and left him on his own: "I escaped and rushed downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited" (Shelley 57). Shelley shows Victor's monstrous reaction to the creature in the way that he abandoned the creature to his own luck and he shows no responsibility for him.