Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

At first, Victor had incredible excitement for his project, “His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful” until it was brought to life, “Now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room…” (Shelley 47). This rejection is why the Monster was so turned away from Victor, his creator, “ I expected this reception. All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things” (Shelley 83). The more Victor pushed the Monster away, the more isolated and unwanted he felt. This could be another reason the Monster compared himself to satan, “Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me”, because internalized homophobia often exhibits itself as jealousy towards “normal” (heterosexual) relationships (Shelley 111). Victor pushed away what he thought was his own “perfect man” and desires, but that just twisted itself into a painful personification that harmed more than help. The Monster was a highly intelligent being, and at first he killed randomly. However, after meeting with Victor and beginning their toxic communications, the Monster killed to send a message. This began when he killed Henry and let Victor stumble onto the murder in the worst way, as a suspect. It’s after he kills Henry that the Monster tell Victor that they will see each other on Victor’s wedding night.. The Monster doesn’t want to see Elizabeth, and this could have been his message to Henry, that he still existed, even after a “normal” wedding to a lady his parents had set aside for

What purpose does it serve to have multiple narrators telling a story? In Mary Shelley’s gothic novel, Frankenstein, three main narrators tell the story about the creation of a monster and the events that follow. The job of narrator shifts between Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the monster that Victor creates. As each narrator shares his own recollection of the events that occurred, new facts are introduced to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Although Frankenstein uses multiple narrators to tell the story, it is important to look at the effects it might have on the stories accuracy. In this essay, I will closely examine the motives, differences, and similarities of each narrator to see what influences, if any, they have on the narrative.

When Victor created the monster, he did not care, did not feed it, did not provide a home, or teach the things the monster needed to know in life so Victor eventually abandons him. Because of this, the monster becomes lonely and has no one to keep him company so the creature is trying to survive on its own becoming stronger. Victor isolates himself from the world trying to forget he made the monster because he had an obsession for creating life resulting to him becoming ill. Then, Victor tries to sustain himself attempting to live a normal life after William’s death. “No one can conceive the anguish I suffered during the remainder of the night, which I spent, cold and wet, in the open air” (74). This action has left Victor stuck between his family and being able to live on his own. Finally, Victor tells Robert about a lonely monster he created who ends up being judged by appearance causing Victor himself to feel

As the monster continues with his story it’s as he seeks for remorse from Victor. The Monster wants Victor to take responsibility of his creation. The monsters main goal is to make Victor feel guilty for what he created. Also The Monster is confused on his purpose in the world and plans to get all the answers from Victor. This part of the novel, reveals that the monster may be more human than victor himself. The Monster craves for attention and companionship while Victor has it all and takes it all for granted.

The fabulous author Mary Shelley finished writing the book Frankenstein in May 1817 and officially published it in January of 1818. This book is science fiction. Some say it’s fiction because the monster is a robot-like human that someone created, but others say it’s non fiction because of the idea that the monster was made from artificial life or a re-animated dead body that someone created. Because this book was written in the 1800’s, it was a little challenging to read and fully understand at times because they talked a different, way back then, than we do now. In my opinion, this book is based off of what was happening in the author’s life around the time it was written. I think

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein depicts the turbulent lives of Victor and his creation. Victor Frankenstein, who is a dedicated man of the science world and the creature, who is brought to the world because of Victor’s ability to animate become victims to themselves. Their irrational thinking and actions is a consistent reminder of their state of mind. They often times are regarded as “mad” or as a “mad man.” There is always confusion to whether or not they are truly insane. Although there isn’t a set answer, Shelley dives deep in this concept and gives us her interpretation of it. Throughout the novel, both characters undergo a series of experiences that build on each other, which consequently leads them to their insanity. Shelley’s use of the characters’ personal experiences in her novel Frankenstein, explicate the triggers of insanity.

In Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein published in 1818, Victor Frankenstein made a monster for what he thought would be better for the population. He stitched together body parts that were stolen from grave yards and used a fresh brain from a newly hanged criminal. When he finished making his human, he became afraid of what he had created and shunned him. Frankenstein was denied by everyone who seen him. People did not realize that Frankenstein had a good heart that eventually became hateful because he was ostracized. He met an old blind man who accepted him, but when the blind man’s kids came home and realized what a monster he was, they beat him and swept him away. When there was no more hope for humanity, he became resentful and killed his creator’s brother as revenge then later tried to go after his creator’s wife.

In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, dreams, nightmares, goals, and aspirations of the the scientist, Victor Frankenstein, and his creation, give insight to events that will occur later in the novel. The dreams and aspirations of Victor Frankenstein and the creature he creates contrast to the harsh realities that they are faced with. Frankenstein’s first dream foreshadows the death of his beloved wife and several others whom he is close to. His second dream foretells a potentially fatal encounter with his creature. His aspiration to become a renowned scientist by creating life from death consequently leads to the demise of Frankenstein’s life and reputation. The creature Frankenstein creates aspires to learn compassion, and how to fit into society. Though the creature learns human behaviors, he suffers from the rejection of his creator, and all people who see him.

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is a tale of a scientist that would go to any extreme to get what he desires- knowledge. Prior to reading, it was assumed that the creature created by Victor Frankenstein is the real monster of the story- the vicious, ugly, and senseless being. Based on the creatures actions in the book, it can be inferred that the creature is a monster, but only on the outer surface. He shows compassion towards humans at first and thirst for knowledge and acceptance. This tenderness changes when he begins to resent humankind due to the judgments from others. The creature did directly kill three people, which many consider that to classify as a monster, but what drove him to that path? Was he born that way, or was it the constant isolation he received throughout his life? In Mary’s perspective, the creature is thought to be a monster because he doesn’t classify as a human. But if you think about it, what is the definition of being human or humane? Does it mean we shun what we create or look down upon those less fortunate than the human itself? If so, then Victor Frankenstein and the rest of humanity are as ‘human’ as you can get. By treating a being with abhor and automatically viewing him as less because he doesn’t fit the standard- humanity, including Victor- are the ones to blame and are also monsters of the story, but in a different way than the creature, they can be inferred to be the psychological monsters - the root cause of the destruction of the

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a mishmash of stories within stories within a story, and several other texts are referenced within this amalgamation of literature. The intertextual links made in Frankenstein help to provide the reader with a greater insight into the mind of Mary Shelley and her most famous work. References to the text Paradise lost and Greek mythology in the development of characters adds depth to a tale of creation and destruction, causing the questions Shelley asks about humanity to resonate far more poignantly with the reader.

The story of Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley,starts off with Robert Walton, one of the main characters in the book, on his mission to explore the North Pole. Walton is the captain of a ship heading to the North Pole. He writes to his sister who lives in England the dangers of the mission. Suddenly the mission is interrupted by impervious ice. While trapped in the ice Walton and his crew spot a strange figure in a dog-drawn-sledge. The following day they encounter another figure but this time it is Victor Frankenstein. He has also been travelling by dog-drawn-sledge but has been weakened by the cold. Walton brings Victor onboard. As soon as Victor Frankenstein starts to recover he starts describing to Walton his early

“Who is the true antagonist” is a question that a reader may mull upon during the reading of certain novels. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, although thought to be a victim, is in fact the villain of the novel Frankenstein. The plot of the novel consists of Victor Frankenstein causing tragedies and deaths as a result of his irresponsibility and yearning for fame. Victor also creates an antagonizing creature that has absolutely no knowledge of the basic ways of life and leaves him companionless. This, ultimately, catalyzes the monster’s hard, corrupt life.

Although the structure of the novel Frankenstein is focused around male protagonists, Victor Frankenstein and his "progeny," the core ideals of the novel play with the way society views the female sex. Female traces in Frankenstein uncover Mary Shelley’s views of struggles with femininity and sexuality that she perceives from society. The creature of Frankenstein altered into a "monster" because of the absence of a motherhood role in his life. The transformation that makes the creature a “monster” is how Shelley aims to point out the significance of the female role. Frankenstein acts as an analysis of the fears and anxieties of the nineteenth-century woman, which focuses on the misogynist ideals of social structures that give the male sex influence and power. Shelley uses the novel to alert society about the dangers of a maternally absent life, a life that opposes the idea of maternal support in both the home and in society.

Throughout the novel, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature developed many similarities. Frankenstein and the creature relate in their relationship with nature, desires for family, desire to learn more, and a sense of pain. Throughout the book they became closer to one another although the challenges of the world around them change their relationship with one another dramatically. The differences in between the creator and creature along with similarities show how contrasting can be a positive and negative thing.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is considered and debated as a Gothic Fiction, Tragedy, and Science Fiction Novel. I chose Frankenstein because people all over the world believe Frankenstein is the monster not knowing it is actually the scientist’s last name. I was fascinated by that and I wanted to know more about the origin of the monster. It is also one of Mary Shelly’s best known works of literature and felt like it I should read it because after looking at the history of it, the book alludes off several elements that make it unique thus giving it the unique three genres.