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The Different Meanings of Monstrous in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
In the 19th century, Mary Shelley wrote the text ‘Frankenstein’. Many
different themes are explored in this text; one of the main themes was
‘Monstrous’. In this book a doctor named ‘Victor Frankenstein’ makes a
being out of different body parts he had stolen from graveyards. Mary
Shelly came up with the basic idea of the book from a dream, but this
was then developed into a story when she was challenged by ‘lord
Byran’ to write a ghost story while she had gone to visit Lord Byran’s
villa. The outline of the story was parallel to her own life, as in
her own life, Mary Shelley has seen a lot of deaths; Mary Shelley’s
Mother died giving birth to her; Mary Shelley lost two of her children
after being born; she also lost her husband ‘Percy Shelley’ who was a
poet, and the book ‘Frankenstein was originally published under his
name as women were not allowed to publish books, this is because this
didn’t go along with the women’s role, women were expected to stay at
home and work., also because if it was published in her name, as most
women didn’t under the philosophy of science, she would’ve been though
of as a witch, so all these precious lives taken away from her
could’ve given her the idea of bringing back the dead. Mary Shelley
uses embedded narrative, this means a story inside another story; at
first we se that Robert Walton is the one telling the story and then
another story about Victor Frankenstein is started. In this text, it
is not clear as to who the actual monster is; there are many monsters
e.g. the creator created by Victor Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein
himself; the society of Geneva. Therefore Mary Shelley explores the
mean...
... middle of paper ...
...he was from the inside. I believe that Victor
Frankenstein is the real monster as, if he hadn’t abandoned his
responsibility, ay of this wouldn’t have happened, but I don’t blame
him for curiosity and ambition to find out about science, he was doing
everything right but for the wrong purpose; he should have been
finding a way to bring back life to tissues to help mankind develop,
he cannot be called monstrous for that, as just recently the doctors
had carried out a face transplant to a woman whose face had been
bitten by a dog, these doctors had also brought the tissues back to
life to replace it, the only reason Victor Frankenstein could be
called Monstrous is for using it for the wrong intentions. Overall
Mary Shelley uses a lot of different ways to explore the meaning of
‘Monstrous’ but the main way in which she does this is though Victor
Frankenstein.
The prediction to the ending of the novel is that the story, he is telling, is a dream. On page 11 he says, "I called in Dr. Pillsbury. H...
Basically the book seems like an out line of the whole story and the book gets
abandoned; this made him feel as if he was the only person with out no
When we are created into this world it’s not by the choice of our own. However, we are created most times out of love from our creator. Like a baby just newly born into this world needs to feel its mothers touch, scent, and security. The bonding makes you feel a connection to your maker of the world and without it a person may feel lost, abandoned, and unloved. From the beginning we hope to build our self-esteem through the love of our creator. Sadly, most people are not loved or accepted by their creator. This leads to a person lashing out in a number of ways that society views unconventional due to the lack of understanding that person suffers through abandonment alone. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley illustrates the theme of monstrosity
within the fact that this book has no immediate plot. It is more of a
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.
Examine the Concept of Monsters and the Monstrous in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Miss Hutton “Frankenstein” has a variety of monsters and monstrous things/incidents within it, however I am jus going to focus on some main aspects of the monsters and monstrous. Shelley got the idea for “Frankenstein” whilst she was on holiday. AS well as being challenged by Lord Byron to produce a horror novel, she was also influenced death many times; she was abandoned and had a literacy upbringing. Shelley relates her story to fears which were carried by many humans at that time.
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 Frankenstein or; The Modern Prometheus, published in 1818, is a product of its time. Written in a world of social, political, scientific and economic upheaval it highlights human desire to uncover the scientific secrets of our universe, yet also confirms the importance of emotions and individual relationships that define us as human, in contrast to the monstrous. Here we question what is meant by the terms ‘human’ and ‘monstrous’ as defined by the novel. Yet to fully understand how Frankenstein defines these terms we must look to the etymology of them. The novel however, defines the terms through its main characters, through the themes of language, nature versus nurture, forbidden knowledge, and the doppelganger motif. 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.
Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein, deals with the major dilemma of the creation of man. Rousseau deals with the topic of abandonment in Emile, which stemmed the thoughts of creation for Shelley in 1816 upon reading Rousseau's opinions. Rousseau blames the problems that children inhibit solely upon the parents shoulders (Mellor). Mary Shelley is able to relate to this statement on a personal level due to the parenting (or lack of) within her life. This in turn leads to a broader question concerning Shelley's Frankenstein; is the monster really the sole person to blame for his murderous actions? According to Rousseau's theory, the monster is not the sole problem. Victor Frankenstein is his creator or "father" figure thus giving him the responsibility of his monster.
A true monster is evil, inhumane, and lacks remorse or caring for other things that a normal, emotional human being should care for” (Chandler). A monster can be perceived in many ways depending on a person’s opinion of what a monster is, anyone can be a monster. Shakespeare's Macbeth and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein both allow the characters of the Monster, Victor, Macbeth and Witches to show their Monstrosity. Victor and Macbeth pursue their ambitions with hopes and dreams. Victor’s first scientific invention is a horrible mistake and Macbeth’s Kingship is very short while being plagued with atrocities. The Monster and the Witches are characters who do not interact with society. The Witches isolate themselves while the Monster has a horrible
that the novel is a log of events and a tale of what might be in the
Monstrosity lives within people and it can be as ugly as a monster. The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has this theme. The theme of monstrosity is portrayed through many acts of hideousness that the characters in the novel portrayed. Monstrosity is present throughout the physical journey of the monster, when the monster was made in Ingolstadt and is abandoned. When the monster watches the De Lacey’s in Germany and is ridiculed for the way he looks. Also when Victor destroys the monster’s one true hope at happiness in Orkneys.
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses the motif of monstrosity to convey the theme that a person’s outward appearance is not what makes them a monster but rather their actions or inactions that classify true monstrosity. Despite the fact that the monster Victor Frankenstein creates is a literal example of monstrosity in the novel there are many parts that give meaning to monstrosity within character’s actions. Although Victor appears normal, since he is human his ambitions, secrets, selfishness, and inaction makes him a monster himself. Along with monstrous characters the pursuit of knowledge that is seen in Victor, his monster, and Walton in Frankenstein prove that knowledge can be a monstrosity. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is created using the life stories of different characters in the novel. The novel itself could be seen as a monster created similarly to Victor’s monster.
A monstrosity can be defined as a malevolent, inhuman entity. A key trait of monsters is their lack of humanity, or the lack of empathetic emotional projection. Monsters have permeated culture for as long as stories have been told. The concept of monsters reveals several traits within human nature, including a penchant for order and organization, fearfulness, and imagination.