Portrayal of the Characters in Frankenstein

Portrayal of the Characters in Frankenstein

In the novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, the characters have been portrayed effectively. Much of the interactions between characters, and characteristics of the characters have been based on events which have occurred in Shelley's own life, or they represent what she believes is important. For example, Victor is portrayed as having a strong passion for science, and a poor understanding of relationships. Elizabeth is shown as a stereotypical woman of the time, who is also very powerless. The monster is depicted as being both beautiful and ugly, and someone who the reader feels sympathetic towards. Through the portrayal of her characters, Shelley has created a very effective novel.

Shelley portrays Victor Frankenstein as a person who has become enrapt in the strong scientific movement of the time. She created him in response to what she saw happening around her - science was becoming a religion to some people, as it provided answers to their questions about the world, and started a fascination that humans could create anything that they wanted to. In her novel, Victor is one of these people, and wants to be the supreme creator or scientist, and therefore take over the role of God. To do this, he creates a being, thinking that 'a new species would bless me as its creator and source ...No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.' (pages 52-53). Victor then abandons this creature which he has made, and this is one of his main crimes. After Victor has done this, his monster murders all those who were close to him, and this represents Shelley's beliefs on how dangerous the worshipping of science could become, and th...

... middle of paper ...

...along with the monster's struggle for acceptance due to his repulsive looks. Shelley has created a novel which will be remembered for many more generations to come due to the excellent character portrayals that it contains.

Works Cited and Consulted

Bloom, Harold. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. New York: Chelsea, 1987.

Botting, Fred. Making monstrous. Frankenstein, criticism, theory. Manchester University Press, 1991.

Boyd, Stephen. York Notes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Longman York Press, 1992.

Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley. Her Life, her Fiction, her Monsters. Methuen. New York, London, 1988.

Patterson, Arthur Paul. A Frankenstein Study. http://www.watershed.winnipeg.mb.ca/Frankenstein.html

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Longman York Press, 1998.