Anxiety has been documented throughout history and was recognized as a medical condition in the 19th century. In the novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, it is mainly about a man named Victor, who decides to study anatomy. He assembles a monster out of human pieces from a cemetery. He makes it come to life, and later ruins his life. The monster kills his loved ones, and he cannot stop him. At the end of the book, the monster commits suicide due to the guilt he felt after murdering Victor's family/friends. This story reflects a real-life threat. Furthermore, Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is an expression of how the Industrial Revolution caused anxiety and fear. In addition, literature reflects the environment in which it is written. …show more content…
and in a moment he lay dead at my feet” (Shelley 79). This quote explains a time when the monster was scary. This scene was him choking William to death. This relates to the quote stated above, which talks about death and devastation in the Nineteenth century. During the Industrial Revolution, many events were described as intimidating or scary. In conclusion, the monster in the novel represents the real-life threats made by the Industrial Revolution. In Frankenstein, Victor confronts the monster, after he ruined his life by killing multiple people. Throughout the novel, Victor tried to stop the monster from the crimes he was committing. He was too powerful, but towards the end he finally had enough of his mistakes and confronted him. The story states, “Let the cursed and hellish monster drink deep of agony; let him feel the despair that now torments me! I pursued him; and for many months this has been my task” (Shelley 116). This quote explains when Victor finally goes to confront the monster. The monster causes many problems throughout the novel, and he is trying to stop him before anything else …show more content…
In the end, the monster chooses to die because he has nothing left to live for. He stated he regretted the murders he had committed, and he wanted to commit suicide to stop the guilt he was feeling. At the end of the story, he was not defeated by Victor, but ultimately defeated by himself. He was full of regrets and decided to end his life. In conclusion, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is a novel that reflects a view of anxiety and fear caused by the time it was written. Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is an expression of how the Industrial Revolution caused anxiety and fear in the early 1800’s. At the end of the novel, the monster was defeated by himself, due to the guilt of him killing Victor's loved ones, and Victor died. Similar to the real-world event, the Industrial Revolution was defeated by the start of World War II. It ended around 1840, but the Revolution is still responsible for an increase in population, increase in standard living, and the emergence of capitalist economy. Since the Industrial Revolution still affects us to this day, so do the emotions of the people who lost William, Justine, Henry, and
The monster tells Frankenstein of the wretchedness of the world and how it was not meant for a being such as himself. At the end of his insightful tale the creature demands a companion of the same hideous features but of the opposite gender to become his. Victor only has the choice to make the monster or suffer a lifetime of horror his creation would bring upon him. Which the creator ultimately agrees to make the female monster to save the lives of his family but gains a conscious that fills with guilt of all the destruction he has created and creating. When the monster comes to collect the female he tears her apart and the monster vows to destroy all Victor holds dear. The monster’s emotional sense is consumed with rage against Victor, murdering Frankenstein’s best friend. Though when the monster’s framing ways do not work to lead to Victor being executed, he then murders Frankenstein’s wife on their wedding night. This tragedy is the last for Victor’s father who becomes ill with grief and quickly passes within a few days, leaving Victor with nothing but his own regret. Shelley doesn’t give the audience the monsters side of the story but hints that the remainder of his journey consisted of being a shadow to that of his creator. It is at the graves of the Frankenstein family when the creature makes an appearance in the solemn and
The first appearance of Victor Frankenstein in the novel is when he boards Robert Walton’s ship after Victor being stranded on the ice. The story then turns to Frankenstein as he tells his story of how he creates the monster, including in great detail how the monster murdered his brother William, subsequently caused the death of his maid/family friend Justine, murdered his friend Henry Clerval, and killed Victor’s wife Elizabeth, and ended up chasing the monster, which is how he got stranded on the ice. Victor vowed revenge after the death of his brother, promising to tirelessly pursue the monster until one of them dies. At the end of the novel, Victor dies on the ship after he tells the story, and Robert Walton meets the monster as he weeps at Victor’s funeral, begging for Victor to forgive him.
As a tragic hero, Victor’s tragedies begin with his overly obsessive thirst for knowledge. Throughout his life, Victor has always been looking for new things to learn in the areas of science and philosophy. He goes so far with his knowledge that he ends up creating a living creature. Victor has extremely high expectations for his creation but is highly disappointed with the outcome. He says, “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). Frankenstein neglects the creature because of his horrifying looks, which spark the beginning of numerous conflicts and tragedies. At this point, the creature becomes a monster because of Victor’s neglect and irresponsibility. The monster is forced to learn to survive on his own, without anyone or anything to guide him along the way. Plus, the monster’s ugly looks cause society to turn against him, ad...
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. Throughout the novel, Shelley investigates the idea of monstrosity. She makes the point that a monster does not have to be genuinely evil in order to be considered monstrous.
The creator of the monster, Victor Frankenstein is a man full of knowledge and has a strong passion for science. He pushes the boundary of science and creates a monster. Knowledge can be a threat when used for evil purposes. Though Victor did not intend for the being to be evil, society’s judgement on the monster greatly affects him. As a result he develops hatred for his creator as well as all man-kind. Victor’s anguish for the loss of his family facilitates his plan for revenge to the monster whom is the murderer. While traveling on Robert Walton’s ship he and Victor continue their pursuit of the monster. As Victor’s death nears he says, “…or must I die, and he yet live? If I do, swear to me Walton, that he shall not escape, that you will seek him and satisfy my vengeance in his death…Yet, when I am dead if he should appear, if the ministers of vengeance should conduct him to you, swear that he shall not live-swear that he shall not triumph over my accumulated woes and survive to add to the list of his dark crimes” (pg.199). Victor grieves the death of William, Justine, Clerval, Elizabeth and his father. Throughout the novel he experiences the five stages of grief, denial/ isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. Victor denies ...
“Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch” (Shelley 57). This statement is how Mary Shelley successfully portrayed the overall negative consensus of the industrialization of Europe in the 1800s in her novel Frankenstein. This story parallels the world’s transition from nature and emotion to reason and truth which was the primary cause for the industrial revolution. Though the revolution brought new technology and knowledge, people felt as though they were enslaved by this sudden change. This is clear through Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein and the ‘wretched monster’ that would forever change the world.
In gothic novels tragic figures are symbols of pain to the characters. Victor Frankenstein brings misfortune to his loved ones, which concludes to his overall tragedy. Ironically the monster in this novel is Frankenstein the creator not the creature. He has seven victims including himself and his fall is due to his ambition to be superior.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, explores the monstrous and destructive affects of obsession, guilt, fate, and man’s attempt to control nature. Victor Frankenstein, the novel’s protagonist and antihero, attempts to transcend the barriers of scientific knowledge and application in creating a life. His determination in bringing to life a dead body consequently renders him ill, both mentally and physically. His endeavors alone consume all his time and effort until he becomes fixated on his success. The reason for his success is perhaps to be considered the greatest scientist ever known, but in his obsessive toil, he loses sight of the ethical motivation of science. His production would ultimately grieve him throughout his life, and the consequences of his undertaking would prove disastrous and deadly. Frankenstein illustrates the creation of a monster both literally and figuratively, and sheds light on the dangers of man’s desire to play God.
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.
The most prevalent theme in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is that of obsession. Throughout the novel there are constant reminders of the struggles that Victor Frankenstein and his monster have endured. Many of their problems are brought upon by themselves by an obsessive drive for knowledge, secrecy, fear, and ultimately revenge.
He believes the monster will turn out to be a good thing and bring people back to life, however, it does the opposite, and he fears the monster. This is seen immediately after the monster's creation, “I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me (Shelley 59).” Victor can barely look at Frankenstein, he realizes his intentions have gotten the best of himself, and he cannot face that his evil half had been revealed. Throughout the novel, Victor struggles to admit that Frankenstein is his responsibility and instead lets his family members and friends die, one by one.
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.
Victor’s drive to create life from has died compelled him to create an unnamed creature. The creature was eventually Victor’s demise, destroying almost every piece of joy Victor had once held close. Although the creature commits horrible acts against Victor and many innocent civilians, multiple signs point to the idea the creature is not the true monster of this novel. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explores what makes one monstrous through the ideas desire for knowledge, neglect, and irresponsibility.
Frankenstein: A Different Perspective Going into Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the first thought that comes to the reader’s mind are the several misconceptions that exist about this literary work. The first is the idea that the monster goes by the particular name of Frankenstein. Another misleading aspect is the depiction of him: a scary creature whose only purpose is to serve evil intentions. However, upon reading the story we learn that the “monster” goes unnamed throughout the entire book, initially unaware of his capabilities. He learns to read, and stumbles upon papers that reveal his creator, Victor.
Victor doesn't have vengeance for the Creature until it starts killing his loved ones, ending with his wife. Making Victor want to go out and hunt for the Creature. Until Victor finally hits his death bed, dying from sickness and old age. On his death bed, he says, “If I do, Walton, satisfy my vengeance in his death.” Grimly's adaptation of Frankenstein captures the dark and brooding nature of the original story while adding his unique artistic style and interpretation.