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The Literary Importance of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Romantic themes in frankenstein
Romantic themes in frankenstein
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“Do you know what the definition of insane is? Yes. It’s the inability to relate to another human being. It’s the inability to love” (Richard Yates). Everyone has a different perspective on life and therefore all have different opinions on what a human is. Is it the qualities someone possesses? Is being a human about what is inside or outside? ”Humans are self-aware social mammals generally possessing the ability to reason, speak, and use complex tools.” (Santi Tafarella). Frankenstein is also known as A Modern Prometheus. Prometheus was the creator of mankind in Greek Mythology, which relates to Victors character in Frankenstein. Between Victor and the monster, the creature has more human qualities; considering he has a desire to be accepted …show more content…
The creature saw what love looked like and when he did not have it he got sad and felt very lonely. ‘“Felix seemed ravished with delight when he saw her, every trait of sorrow vanished from his face, and it instantly expressed a degree of ecstatic joy”’ (Shelley 97-98). If the creature would not have watched to cottagers he would not have known what he was missing; by not knowing what he was missing he would not have felt alone and sad and may not have acted out the way he did. At one point in the book the monster gets very angry and wants to take revenge on all humans. ‘“My protectors had departed and had broken the only link that held me to the world. For the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom, and I did not strive to control them, but allowing myself to be born away by the stream,”’ (Shelley 118). At that very moment is when the monster had first felt angry and was out for humanity. This was almost like the last straw for the monster because he had already being abandoned by his creator and now being abandoned by the cottagers is what really broke him. Every human gets mad and wants to take it out on someone and knowing that not being accepted got to him that much shows he does have feelings and a heart. The creature got to the point where he stopped trying to be good and get accepted; so he just let himself go and let anger take over. Emotion can make people do crazy things that they could regret later on, the monster gets to see that when his anger paralyzes his rational
This is one of the first times the monster feels the way he does. Thus leading to the desperation for friendship from De Lacey and his family, which doesn’t work. As humans we judge books by their cover a lot, this is what happened in the creatures’ case. He was judged by his hideous appearance before they knew he was compassionate, and affectionate. The family was terrified, and moved away never to be seen again by the monster. This builds up an unstoppable rage within him, leading for the desire of friendship grow stronger. The monster is desperate for friend ship, for the love and attention that other humans have. The creature states, “…my heart yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures; to see their sweet looks directed towards me with affection was the utmost limit of my ambition” (94). This quote shows how the monster yearns, or craves the affection of a human being. No one else understands what it is like to be on this side of the story because he is so alone, and the only of his kind. The monster cannot talk to anyone, he is of no relation to anyone, or anything on the planet he was forced into and
Did you ever notice that human nature revolves around needs, desires, and wants? There are different types of needs, such as safety, social, basic needs. These desires and impulses gives us our survival and the ability to function in the environment we live in. Our subconscious mind is responsible for the decisions we make, and such impulses makes us commit actions we have no control of. In literature, we are able to understand and judge the character’s behavior more so than our own.
“I do know that for the sympathy of one living being, I would make peace with all. I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.”
Isolation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, has several themes imbedded in the text. One major theme is of isolation. Many of the characters experience some time of isolation. The decisions and actions of some of these characters are the root cause of their isolation. They make choices that isolate themselves from everyone else.
Throughout the history of mankind, the question of what it means to be a human being has been contemplated for centuries. Numerous philosophers have read and debated this significant question and it is still reflected upon today. Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley plumbs the depth of this question with the example of a creature who is spurned by humanity despite being human in character. The discernment of creature from man is still misconstrued as shown in this tale, but its importance lies in the message Frankenstein that appearances matter very little when it comes to being human. The creature’s human qualities of its emotions, desire for companionship, and intelligence set it apart as uniquely human from simply a base and barbaric monster
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly explores the concept of the body, life, ‘the self’ and most of importantly humanity, which is repeatedly questioned throughout the novel. The definition of humanity is the quality of being humane or in other words someone that can feel or possess compassion. Despite all the facts against the “monster” in “Frankenstein” he is indeed what one would consider being human. Humanity isn’t just about ones physical appearance but also includes intellect and emotion. Some people argue that the “monster” is not a human for he was not a creature that was born from “God” or from a human body. That being said, the “monster” is not only able to speak different languages, he can also show empathy - one of many distinct traits that set humans apart from the animals. Both the “monster” and his creator, Victor, hold anger and feel a sense of suffering throughout the novel. Victor is a good person with good intentions just like most individuals, but makes the mistake of getting swept up into his passion of science and without thinking of the consequences he creates a “monster”. After completing his science project, he attempts to move forward with his life, however his past – i.e., the “monster” continues to follow and someone haunt him. While one shouldn’t fault or place blame on Frankenstein for his mistakes, you also can’t help but feel somewhat sympathetic for the creature. Frankenstein just wants to feel accepted and loved, he can’t help the way he treats people for he’s only mimicking how people have treated him, which in most cases solely based on his appearance. Unlike most of the monsters we are exposed to in films past and present, the character of the “monster” ...
What is a monster, really? Is it really a Creature that has three eyes instead of two, with pus seeping out of every crevice in his face and an abnormally large form? Or is it someone with a mind so corrupt it rivals that of Satan? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a story within a story that centers on the tale of a man with an immense thirst of knowledge and a fetish to imitate the Creator. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a lot like the Greek mythological tale of the Greek God, Prometheus, and his brother, Epimetheus, who were assigned the task of creating man. The story captivates the theme of monstrosity. Mary Shelley wrote the novel in a form so the reader’s opinions never stray far from sympathy for the monster and apathy for Victor Frankenstein. The novel looks at “Monstrosity” and “Humanity” in a deeply analytical way.
When early civilization needed an explanation for something found in earth, they created a story to explain it. Prometheus, the creator of man in Greek Mythology, was used as a tool to show how man was created. His story demonstrates the consequences that come along with such a task, also. In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the main character Victor is portrayed as the creator. The myth of Prometheus and the book Frankenstein, contain evident similarities. Both men create a being, and in turn, they suffer immense repercussions for their actions. When comparing these two pieces of literature, however, one can see there are many differences. In both Frankenstein and the myth of Prometheus, the views toward the creations, the price each creator pays for their actions, and the way they receive their punishments are complete opposites.
In the novel Frankenstein, the author, Mary Shelley writes about a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who brings to life a human- like creature. Viewing this book through a psychoanalytic lens uncovers the many layers that make up this text and the characters. The psychoanalytic theory deals with a person’s underlying desire, most famously, the oedipal complex. The oedipal complex is the belief that all people possess the desire to partake in affectionate relations with a parent of the opposite sex. In Frankenstein, Shelley uses Victors conscious and subconscious to suggest that Victor possesses the oedipal complex, and that he feels intense guilt for the monster that he has brought to life.
A monster is usually viewed to be a supernatural creature that humans judge based on looks and not necessarily on personality. In the novel, Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, the monster is a creature Victor creates but abandons immediately because he is horrified by his own creation. Due to the monster’s appearance, society does not give the creature a chance to show his true self. Therefore, the monster faces an external conflict because of Frankenstein’s and society's rejection, making it difficult for him to blend into his new life. Victor creates the monster because of his unusual compulsion of aspiring to be like God. However, Victor does not know how to treat or be responsible for his creature. Victor Frankenstein is the true monster
The literary critic Harold Bloom, in his Afterward in the Signet Edition of Frankenstein states that, “The monster is at once more intellectual and more emotional than his creator.” Bloom continues to say that the creature is more human, more lovable, and more to be pitied than Doctor Frankenstein (292). Throughout the novel Frankenstein, the monster portrays more human qualities than his creator Dr. Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein appears less human than his creation because he rejects his own creation and he fails to plan for the results of his experiment. As the monster wanders through the novel searching for companionship and acceptance, Dr. Frankenstein refuses to provide the support expected of a parent or creator. While the monster appears human in his attempts to socialize with his peers, Dr. Frankenstein represents the monstrosity that occurs when humans tamper with life.
Shelley also shows us, in Frankenstein, that although juxtaposing terms, the monstrous being everything human is not, they are also intertwined, in that you can not have one without the other. There is also an overwhelming desire to know the monstrous, if only temporarily, and this calls into question the influence the monstrous has on the human definition. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) describes ‘human’ as being ‘Of, belonging to, or characteristic of mankind, distinguished from animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright posture.’ (OED). The term ‘monstrous’ is described as ‘The condition or fact of being abnormally developed or grossly malformed.’
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s Frankenstein (sometimes also known as The Modern Prometheus) is the classic gothic novel of her time. In this eerie tale, Dr. Victor Frankenstein – suffering from quite an extreme superiority complex – brings to life a creature made from body parts of deceased individuals from nearby cemeteries. Rather than to embrace the Creature as his own, Frankenstein alienates him because of his unpleasant appearance. Throughout the novel, the Creature is ostracized not only by Frankenstein but by society as a whole. Initially a kind and gentle being, the Creature becomes violent and eventually seeks revenge for his creator’s betrayal. Rather than to merely focus on the exclusion of the Creature from society, Shelley depicts the progression of Dr. Frankenstein’s seclusion from other humans as well, until he and the Creature ultimately become equals – alone in the world with no one to love, and no one to love them back. Frankenstein serves as more than simply a legendary tale of horror, but also as a representation of how isolation and prejudice can result in the demise of the individual.
He wants other human beings to like him and to be his friends. The Creature feels lonely and isolated all the time because he has no one who accepts him for who he is. After months of watching the cottagers and seeing how nice and caring they are towards each other he wants to be a part of that. He wants to be accepted by them and for them to be his friends (164). Another example of him being hurt by humans instead of being praised and accepted was when he saved the life of a young girl and everyone thought he was attacking her. The young girl was running in the woods from someone and lost her footing. This caused her to fall into the rapid stream, where she was almost swept away. The Creature pulled her out and was in turn shot by the boy the girl was with
As soon as he went back to the cottage he realized the family had moved out, and that he would never see the family again. The creature felt fury in him and would destroy the objects around him. Soon his fury made him burn the cottage “ The wind fanned the fire, and the cottage was quickly enveloped by the flames” (Shelley 60). All the creature wanted was to be accepted by the family but the rejection of the family and the way they treated him turned into madness and fury. In the story it is also mentioned how he wants to educate a child he saw, and become his friend, so he won't be lonely throughout his life. “If, therefore, I could seize him and educate him as my companion and friend, I should not be so desolate in this peopled earth” ( Shelley 61). His attempt to convincing the child to go with him failed. His idea was of no harm he was trying to live happily with the child, but as soon as the kid rejected and named who his father was the creature killed three child. “The child still struggled and loaded me with epithets which carried despair to my heart; I grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet” (Shelley