Many people have problems with the world they live in, but most do not have the means to express their grievances with society. Authors, however, have the ability to reach millions and present their opinions through their works of art. Throughout known history, authors have placed ideals humanity should strive towards, or presented a darker critique of society through the stories they tell. Mary Shelley, the author of the gothic novel Frankenstein, was no different. Frankenstein is filled with murder and treachery, but a theme that stands out is the loss of innocence; the ruining of an individual so that they are no longer pure. Through this theme, Shelley is able to give her opinions on her society. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, …show more content…
the characters lose their innocence as a result of the harsh realities of society; this subsequent loss of innocence conveys Shelley’s message: That humanity cannot support a truly innocent being. Frankenstein’s monster is one of the major characters who loses his innocence due to society. The monster is born a truly innocent being. He has no influences upon him when he is born, yet had the comprehension of an adult, rather than a baby. However, this innocence is soon shattered. It starts off when the monster naively enters a town and is rejected immediately due to his hideous appearance: “The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped to the open country and fearfully took refuge…” (Shelley 108-109). With this attack upon him, the Monster realizes that humanity will not be kind to him. He understands that he will be treated differently due to his appearance. This notion is demonstrated by the fact that the monster “fearfully took refuge” from the villagers. However, this scene is not where the Monster’s innocence is truly stripped from him. As the monster matures due to the presence of the De Lacey family, he finally makes an attempt to again connect with other intelligent beings. This act highlights that monster is still innocent. Although he understands that he is an ugly being: “I [the Monster] had sagacity enough to discover that the unnatural hideousness of my person was the chief object of horror…” (134), the Monster does not realize that he will undoubtedly be cast away regardless of how he acts. Thus, he attempts to talk the old man, and although he is not immediately rejected as the old man is blind, the De Lacey family soon discovers him and attacks: “Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father…” (137). This sequence of events depicts the Monster’s loss of innocence. He realizes that humanity is terrified of difference. They will cast away anyone who is different without a second thought. This harsh reality is why the Monster’s innocence is stripped from him. This loss of innocence can be seen as the monster experiences the thought of revenge: “did I [the Monster] feel the spirit of revenge enkindled in my heart” (142). The feeling of revenge hints at the fact that the Monster’s innocence is gone as a truly innocent being has no need for revenge. Overall, due to humanity’s fear of difference, the Monster loses his innocence. William, Victor’s young brother, is also seen to have lost his innocence.
Despite being a young boy, William is terrified of the Monster upon seeing him, William says, “‘Ugly wretch! You wish to eat me and tear me to pieces”’ (144). Even with the Monster saying, “‘Child, what is the meaning of this? I do not intend to hurt you; listen to me”’ (144), William still is terrified of the Monster. While many would argue children are innocent, this quote disproves that theory. William epitomizes the previous point: That humanity is scared of difference. Therefore, William, despite being young, has already lost his innocence, as he judges the Monster immediately based on his looks. He assumes that monster is evil and “wishes to eat him and tear him to pieces” simply because the monster is an “ugly wretch”. With William, Shelley once again brings forth a harsh reality: The indoctrination of youth. William is not yet ten, yet he has already been impersonalized with the morals of the older people. Hence, Shelley not only uses William as a tool to dispel innocence but also to show that the youth of society are unconsciously given the ideals of adults stripping the children of their innocence. To conclude, William’s already non-innocent nature highlights that Shelley believes that children are given the harsh ideas of their elders, depriving them of their
innocence. The protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, also is shown to have lost his innocence. As Victor strives towards his goal of creating life, he is seemingly innocent. His remarks regarding the Monster highlight he believes that Monster will be perfect: “Beautiful - Great God!” (58). However, as soon as the Monster is created Victor rejects it: “breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (58). At this moment, realizing that his creation is not actually perfect, Victor loses his innocence. The almost childlike regard in which Victor viewed his creation is gone as Victor fully comprehends what he has done and is filled with disgust. Hence, here is where Victor truly loses his innocence. He innocently believed that his creation would be perfect and that he himself could create nothing less than perfection, yet the Monster is a crushing blow to his psyche as he believes it to be just that, a monster. Shelley uses this sentiment to highlight that the romanticized idea of a perfect world, or in this case creation, is false. Even if one puts all their effort, time, even deprives themselves of basic necessities as Victor did, their goal will not always be achieved; hard work does not always pay off. Ultimately, Shelley is able to convey that she believes the notion of hard work pays off is misconceived, as it is the major reason as to why Victor loses his innocence. Lastly, Shelley uses Justine to bring forth a somewhat different idea than the other three characters; Justine does not demonstrate a loss of innocence, but rather a loss of innocents. Justine is presented in the background and the reader does not get a good scope of her. However, this was likely intentional by Shelley, as through the seldom use of Justine she is able to bring forth an innocent being. After Justine is accused of murder which she did not commit, she stands trial, yet is unworried: “She [Justine] appeared confident in innocence and did not tremble…” (83). Justine naively thinks that she will be acquitted because she did not commit the crime. This highlights her innocence as she has complete faith in the law. Furthermore, throughout the passage regarding Justine’s trial, numerous people including Victor and Elizabeth state something along the lines of “Justine is innocent”. With these lines, Shelley subtly presents a double meaning. Not only is Justine innocent of the crime, but she is also innocent as in pure. Yet, despite her innocence Justine is found guilty and killed: “And on the morrow Justine died” (90). Justine’s death is the death of an innocent, therefore, innocence within the world has been lost. This death stems from humanity’s need to understand everything. The trial must have a verdict, and Justine is seemingly the only possible solution; thus she must be guilty. This idea is encapsulated by something Justine says regarding her interrogator: “‘my confessor has besieged me; he threatened and menaced until I almost began to think that I was the monster that he said I was”’ (88). Justine’s confessor must have an answer, so he uses unsavory tactics to solicit this answer even if it is false. Although this situation is likely larger scale than the situations in which Shelley is referencing, it serves as a vessel for Shelley to critique humanities attempts to quantify everything, rather than to simply let things go. In summary, Shelley is able to use Justine’s death, the death of an innocent, to chastise humanities arrogant ideology. These four cases within the novel help to fixtate on one point that Shelley is reinforcing throughout the novel: Humanity cannot support innocents. With each case of an innocent arising, or a supposed innocent in William, these character’s innocence is gone by the end of the novel. All of these cases stem from a major flaw Shelley see’s in society. The unfair judgment, indoctrination of youth, blind hope, and arrogant persona all create a society that cannot support innocents. This feeling is likely a result of Shelley’s life. After suffering through the death of two of her babies and numerous suicides, she likely had a bleak view of society. Added on to this she was made a widow at the age of 24 forcing her to support her surviving son. Shelley must have felt that she did lose innocents especially in the form of her babies who died, and also her own innocence as she suffered through heart-wrenching deaths. Thus, through Frankenstein, she is able to convey her bleak view. As innocence is repeatedly lost within the novel, one idea remains firm: Shelley, through her work, is berating society for its inability to foster and maintain innocent beings.
Victor Frankenstein’s recollects his past before his mind in youth was plagued by his self destructive passions later on in his life. By reflecting on his past, he becomes keenly aware of the poor choices he has made which inevitably lead to the decimation of the innocence he used to possess in the past. The simile in this text compares the beginning of when he discovers his passions for natural philosophy, and his eventual demise caused by it, to the flow of a river which source was in the mountains. The serene nature of the mountain and river foreshadows the purity of Frankenstein’s being before the discovery of his passions, and the peak of that mountain symbolizes the height of this innocence. The many sources of water at the peak represents
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
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley indicts man for his determination to master nature, suggesting that human arrogance will inevitably result in destruction and death. Using rich imagery, permeating symbolism, and consistent foreshadowing, Shelley has written a cautionary tale of man’s collision with the natural world that eradicates beauty and corrupts the human spirit.
In the novel "Frankenstein," Victor Frankenstein is the creator of a "monster." Because of his thirst for knowledge, he goes too far and creates a huge monster, which he immediately rejects. This rejection plays a major part in the monster's hatred for humans. The author, Mary Shelley, supports the theme, loss of innocence, through plot, setting and characterization. This paper will explain the many ways that the characters lost their innocence throughout the novel.
In the beginning of the novel the monster is an infant, incapable of understanding the way humans act. As an infant, the wretch commits numerous misdeeds, showing his initial lack of maturity. The argument can be made that the monster was created with a sense virtue, a benevolent and gentle creature. “I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy and I again shall be virtuous” (Shelley 100). This is Perhaps Godwin’s philosophy of “man’s innate goodness”, considering much of the ideas in this novel are inspired by him (qtd. in Swingle 51). Marshall Brown notes:
Using gothic conventions Frankenstein explores Mary Shelley’s personal views on the scientific developments, moral and economical issues that occurred during the 19th century and Shelley’s personal emotions and questions regarding her life. As an educated person, Mary Shelley had an interest in the development of the world such as political and moral issues and she challenged these issues in the novel.
Only through words and literature can people truly build their thoughts, emotions, and perspectives on things they can’t control. Mary Shelley manipulates diction and syntax in a way that allows readers to develop their own unique perspective of the characters in her books. The monster in her book, be it Frankenstein or the reanimated corpse, is built on her words. It’s very important to pay attention to the smaller details for the authors ideas truly become a story that others can spectate vividly. Sculpting others’ perspective relies on wording and well-formed sentences to capture the attention and emotions of readers all
Tragedy shows no discrimination and often strikes down on those undeserving of such turmoil. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a creature more repulsive than one can imagine is brought to life by a young scientist. Although this creature is horrifying in sight, he is gentle by nature. Unfortunately, the softer side of the creature is repeatedly overlooked and the so called “monster” is driven to a breaking point. Even though the Creature committed many crimes, Mary Shelley’s Creature was the tragic hero of this story because of his efforts rescue the life of a young girl and helping destitute cottagers.
Mary Shelley’s world renowned book, “Frankenstein”, is a narrative of how Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant chemist, succeeds in creating a living being. Although Frankenstein’s creation is benevolent to begin with, he soon turns murderous after being mistreated by humans. His anger turns towards Frankenstein, as he was the one who brought him into the world that shuns him. The Monster then spends the rest of the story trying to make his creator’s life as miserable as his own. This novel is an excellent example of the Gothic Romantic style of literature, as it features some core Gothic Romantic elements such as remote and desolate settings, a metonymy of gloom and horror, and women in distress.
Romantic writer Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein does indeed do a lot more than simply tell story, and in this case, horrify and frighten the reader. Through her careful and deliberate construction of characters as representations of certain dominant beliefs, Shelley supports a value system and way of life that challenges those that prevailed in the late eighteenth century during the ‘Age of Reason’. Thus the novel can be said to be challenging prevailant ideologies, of which the dominant society was constructed, and endorsing many of the alternative views and thoughts of the society. Shelley can be said to be influenced by her mothers early feminist views, her father’s radical challenges to society’s structure and her own, and indeed her husband’s views as Romantics. By considering these vital influences on the text, we can see that in Shelley’s construction of the meaning in Frankenstein she encourages a life led as a challenge to dominant views.
Since its publication in 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has grown to become a name associated with horror and science fiction. To fully understand the importance and origin of this novel, we must look at both the tragedies of Mary Shelley's background and her own origins. Only then can we begin to examine what the icon "Frankenstein" has become in today's society.
Mary Shelley, with her brilliant tale of mankind's obsession with two opposing forces: creation and science, continues to draw readers with Frankenstein's many meanings and effect on society. Frankenstein has had a major influence across literature and pop culture and was one of the major contributors to a completely new genre of horror. Frankenstein is most famous for being arguably considered the first fully-realized science fiction novel. In Frankenstein, some of the main concepts behind the literary movement of Romanticism can be found. Mary Shelley was a colleague of many Romantic poets such as her husband Percy Shelley, and their friends William Wordsworth and Samuel Coleridge, even though the themes within Frankenstein are darker than their brighter subjects and poems. Still, she was very influenced by Romantics and the Romantic Period, and readers can find many examples of Romanticism in this book. Some people actually argue that Frankenstein “initiates a rethinking of romantic rhetoric”1, or is a more cultured novel than the writings of other Romantics. Shelley questions and interacts with the classic Romantic tropes, causing this rethink of a novel that goes deeper into societal history than it appears. For example, the introduction of Gothic ideas to Frankenstein challenges the typical stereotyped assumptions of Romanticism, giving new meaning and context to the novel. Mary Shelley challenges Romanticism by highlighting certain aspects of the movement while questioning and interacting with the Romantic movement through her writing.
The role of the imagination in Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein is a vital when defining the work as Romantic. Though Shelley incorporates aspects that resemble the Enlightenment period, she relies on the imagination. The power of the imagination is exemplified in the novel through both Victor and the Creature as each embarks to accomplish their separate goals of scientific fame and accomplishing human relationships. The origin of the tale also emphasizes the role of the imagination as Shelley describes it in her “Introduction to Frankenstein, Third Edition (1831)”. Imagination in the text is also relatable to other iconic works of the Romantic Period such as S. T. Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria in which he defines Primary and Secondary imagination. The story as a whole is completely Romantic in that it is filled with impossibilities that seem to have come from a fairy tale. The imaginative quality of the plot itself is a far cry from the stiff subject matter of the Enlightenment period. Frankenstein is wholly a work of Romanticism both from the outside of the tale and within the plot. Shelley created the story in a moment of Primary imagination filling it with impossibilities that can only be called fantastical. Imagining notoriety leads Victor to forge the creature; the creature imagines the joy of having human relationships. The driving factor of the tale is the imagination: imagining fame, imagining relationships and imagining the satisfaction of revenge. Shelley’s use of the imagination is a direct contradiction to the themes of logic and reason that ruled the Enlightenment Period.
This act of violence sets the events for the rest of the novel, but also shows the differences between humans and the monster. It shows how the monster’s reactions and ways of thinking are so different from those of ordinary humans. The monster acts rashly, solely on his first thoughts and feelings; “ ‘Urged by this impulse, I seized on the boy as he passed and drew him towards me’ “ (Shelley 282). A human would not be as quick to act, if they decided to act at all. This act of violence shows the monster’s desperation and irrationality. The violence used by the monster in William’s death scene is necessary to show the contrasts between the monster and
Mary Shelley in her book Frankenstein addresses numerous themes relevant to the current trends in society during that period. However, the novel has received criticism from numerous authors. This paper discusses Walter Scott’s critical analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in his Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine Review of Frankenstein (1818).