The full title of Mary Shelley's most recognized novel is Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus. A fitting parallel, the Titan Prometheus is credited with the formation and enlightenment of man and was harshly punished, being doomed to eternal anguish for his actions. Prometheus, whose name stems from the Greek word for forethought, is representative of the consequences of overreaching and the many dangers of seeking knowledge. Victor Frankenstein's own search for enlightenment is strikingly similar to that of Prometheus and likewise results in seemingly endless torment. Warning others of the dangers resulting from awareness, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein argues that the blind pursuit of discovery overcomes one's code of ethics and that the …show more content…
Victor Frankenstein, reflecting on his obsession with his creature, states that "a human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind, and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquility...If this rule were always observed; if no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquility of his domestic affections, Greece had not been enslaved, Caesar would have spared his country; America would have been discovered more gradually; and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed" (34). Although Caesar, the Spanish conquistadors, and other similar figures are now credited with bringing destruction upon vulnerable populations, they believed themselves to be innovators who would shepherd in a new era of history. While the consequences of their actions were not, in some cases, realized until a much later date, the unbridled ambition that ''[interferes] with the tranquility of [man's] domestic affections" leads to disastrous and unexpected consequences. In the case of Frankenstein himself, upon completion of his monster, "the beauty of the dream [vanishes], and breathless horror and disgust [fills his] heart" (36). Since, during his labors, Frankenstein's judgment is clouded by his own ambition, the horrifying reality of what he has created comes as a surprise. Victor, who once thought he would become a god, becomes the unwilling creator of a demon. The same demon, Frankenstein's monster, succumbs to ambition due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his creation, stating that "[his] heart…, when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture" (158). Illustrated through various attempts to bring misery to Victor, the monster, who was initially disdainful of the violence wrought by man, degrades
In conclusion, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein shows readers how irresponsibility and the excessive need for knowledge can cause suffering among others as well as oneself. Victor never intends to cause such harm; however, he is not cautious and observant with his actions, which ultimately leads to his classification as a tragic hero. The desire to learn is most definitely a wonderful trait to have, as long as one’s knowledge doesn’t reach the extent that Victor Frankenstein’s unfortunately does.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992
“How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?” (Shelley, 42) In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein, who has spent two long years laboring in Ingolstadt to create this scientific marvel known only as “the monster,” wrongly assumes that his creation is pure evil. Frankenstein reaches this conclusion without even allowing the monster to demonstrate his kind heart. Eventually, the monster goes on a mass killing spree because of Victor’s detrimental psychological neglect. Victor’s neglect is caused by his hatred of anyone who is unlike himself. Victor also disregards the monster’s right to a true name, only referring to him using despicable names, such as “wretch,” “thing,” and “catastrophe.” Thus, the monster’s humane qualities, including compassion, loyalty, and intelligence contrast to the wretched traits of his creator, making the horrible references much more suitable for Victor. Unlike Victor, the monster shows great compassion despite his appalling appearance.
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.
Victor Frankenstein was eager to learn and discover new things. Ever since early childhood he had a strong desire to further his knowledge. Self-taught knowledge in science lead him to want to become well known like the great scientists that he had studied. This longing to become one of the greats lead him to the creation of “the monster” that he believed would earn him fame and glory.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Longman York Press, 1998.
...Frankenstein and the creature. The situations that each character experience are lessons about how seeking prohibited intelligence comes with extreme consequences. Frankenstein is a Gothic novel which means it involves the supernatural; however, because it contains religious qualities it is more appealing to the common people’s idea of knowledge. Mary Shelley achieves her goal of informing the audience that man should not seek or possess the level of knowledge that God acquires. One should learn from the situations present in the novel because life comes with an enormous amount of knowledge; going after the unknown is an act of rebellion against God.
Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, is written by Mary Shelly in 1818. It is a science fiction describing a brilliant scientist intends to create life as human but a monster is created instead. Themes such as ugliness of the Creature, wrong attitude towards science of Victor Frankenstein, and the support of feminism will be discussed in the essay.
The monster was thrown blindly into the world with no one to look to for support. He was left to fend for himself, wandering the countryside. The entire time his hatred for Victor, who is responsible for his miserable existence, grew. The monster was continuously rejected by society due to his horrifying appearance and the way he reacted to such rejections. He was not created evil; he was shaped into the monster society sees him as. The monster has a personality that cares for others and longs for acceptance and a family. His personality really showed when he stayed in hiding near a small cottage owned by the De Lacy family. The monster observed the family for a long period of time, growing attached to their lives. He was able to learn how to read and speak as well as how to act properly. The monster began to feel like the he could trust the family. The monster confronted the family and, as expected, the family reacts negatively. The monster felt that he had been created out of hatred and, believing that the entire human race believes the same, swears vengeance on Victor Frankenstein. All he wanted was for someone to accept him, and his only chance of getting someone to make him happy was destroyed in front of his eyes. The monster was able to threaten Victor, forcing him to create a female companion, but before she was complete, Victor changed his mind and destroyed the second creature.
Frankenstein is a novel written by Mary Shelley in the year 1818. The main concern with Shelley is to demonstrate how knowledge can be used for evil and good purposes, how uneducated are treated and the influence of technology into the modern life. Moreover, this novel demonstrates how nature can be restorative in encounters with unnatural events. Shelley succeeds in addressing each and every concern in this novel ranging from education, nature, science, to family (Shelly, 150). Education is the most significant theme addressed by Mary Shelley in her Frankenstein’s work.
When Victor Frankenstein gives life to his monster, Mary Shelley shows the reader how disappointed Frankenstein is with the outcome of the monster, "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe"(Shelley 55), these descriptive words show how Frankenstein is disgusted with the monster that he has created. He is disappointed because he wanted his creation to be something beautiful, instead, he creates an ugly monster. The monster enters the world and is immediately unloved by his creator. Frankenstein does not take responsibility for his creation instead he abandons him, leaving him to fend for himself. The monster did not start out more evil than anyone else, “He does acts of evil, yes, but they can be equated to tantrums from a lonely
The Modern Prometheus or Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley is arguably one of the most memorable classical novels to emerge from the 1800s. A dark tale full of betrayal, horror, and fatal flaws mixed with scientific miracles has captured readers for centuries. It follows the story of Victor Frankenstein a viciously determined scientist on his quest to create life. After years of work he finds himself victorious creating a creature out of human body parts and electricity. Although at what price?
The same applies to Victor Frankenstein as the story progresses. The reader first sympathizes with Victor as he explains how difficult his life became after creating a human that is the cause of the guilt that eats away at him. Shortly thereafter, one begins to feel irritated by Frankenstein’s personality and his attitude towards his creation. The first instance where one may question his or her opinion of Victor is when he describes his immediate regret of producing life. He states, “…breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room…” (35). The reader’s initial response is “If he was going to regret creating a human, why did he not think this through completely?”. The second time is when his creation kills a child and frames another for the murder. Victor does nothing to help the child, such as explaining the truth of the matter, and lets her get executed for a murder she did not commit in order to keep himself from being shamed by the public for his previous doing. One then has to agree that Victor is not the sort of person a reader would want the main character to be. Finally, when the monster reaches out to Victor Frankenstein and asks to help him live a comfortable life, this is Victor’s response: “’Devil, cease; and do not poison the air with these sounds of malice. I have