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Frankenstein Research Paper

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Norah Tucker Ms. Graham English Honors II: Frankenstein Final Research Paper 28 March 2024 Belongingness in Frankenstein and Things Fall Apart Belongingness is not just a state or a feeling, but a heartfelt connection to a place and its people. In Frankenstein, a monster that scientist Victor Frankenstein created is rejected by society, leading him to experience loneliness and isolation. The monster longs for companionship with others, but is met with rejection. The novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells the story of Okonkwo, a respected African warrior in a small village who struggles to adapt to changes brought by European colonization. He desires to maintain his cultural identity and sense of belonging while facing the fact that …show more content…

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Shelly uses figurative language, simile, and diction to display the theme of belongingness. After being abandoned, the monster states, “I am malicious because I am miserable” (Shelley 94). The type of figurative language being used here is diction. The diction shows that the monster feels horrible because of how lonely he is. The monster’s loneliness and urge to belong make him violent. The author chose this type of figurative language to tell us directly how the monster is feeling. The monster can state his feelings clearly. This is figurative language because it is diction, and the monster is speaking. The author writes about this to show that being abandoned is a reason for someone to turn violent. The author is trying to bring awareness that people don’t usually start violent, and they usually have deeper reasons. One shouldn’t automatically assume someone is a bad person, because usually there is a path that leads them to where they …show more content…

The author writes about this theme to show that abandoning someone leaves them feeling lonely and wanting to belong somewhere. When one abandons others, it leaves them feeling lost and unguided. Through the theme of belonging, the author sheds light on the consequences of human neglect. Mary Shelley argues that belongingness is lost when one looks up to abandon them, while similarly, nonfiction writers state that belongingness is found in caring for your offspring or kin. In the article “Frankenstein and the Monster of Representation” by Daniel Cottom and the article “Family, Humanity, Polity: Theorizing the Basis and Boundaries of Political Community in Frankenstein” by Colene Bentley, the authors Cottom and Bentley use the figurative language, characterization and diction to display the theme of belongingness. In an article analyzing Frankenstein, the reviewer shares the quote from the novel where the creation states, “Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, yet so vicious and base?" Shelley 119. The figurative language used in this quote is

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