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
Frankenstein explores multiple ideas of the world, such as abandonment and betrayal. Abandonment and betrayal is shown in the book, Frankenstein as Dr Victor Frankenstein abandons the monster which is also a form of betrayal as Frankenstein was his creator. This means that because Frankenstein abandoned him, the monster had to survive and learn about different aspects of life. Mary Shelley quotes in the book, Frankenstein, “No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses.” This implies that Dr. Victor Frankenstein abandoned him, leaving no one to take care of him.
Maranda Paul 5th Hour 2/29/24 Frankenstein Allusion Essay. In the novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, there are many allusions used throughout, which help the reader to understand what the creature was feeling and the complex relationship he had with his creator. In the novel, the Creature was an unnatural being, as he was brought from the dead, back to life by another human. The Creature, however, was nearly immediately abandoned by his creator, Frankenstein, as he realized how ugly his creation was, referring to him as “catastrophe”, “wretch”, and “demoniacal corpse”.
Hamaily Espinoza Mrs. Schroder English IV Honors March 6th, 2024 Frankenstein Essay Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a world wide masterpiece that dives into the complicated way that science and morality affect one another while also showing how being too curious and ambitious can cause greater problems. The symbols of fire, lightning, and ice help tell the story by showing the good and bad sides of using knowledge, the consequences of trying to be more powerful than nature, and the loneliness and isolation that follows behind. The use of symbolism adds depth to the narrative, which contributes to the exploration of themes. These symbols are recurrent throughout the novel, showing different aspects of other experiences and what happens when scientists
Initially, Frankenstein’s intentions are positive and elevated. Shelley uses simile to communicate Frankenstein’s energy and power, like the force of a hurricane, as he hopes to create life with the ultimate goal of restoring life. He alludes to the creative power of God when he describes his desire to “pour light into the dark (dead) world.” Here, Shelley juxtaposes Frankenstein’s naïve desire to create life against the stark horror of torturing and killing animals and dismembering the dead. A positively intentioned megalomaniac, he, striving to be like god, overreaches, attempting to control life and death. Shelley uses frightening imagery, painting a picture of Frankenstein’s physical metamorphosis as he grows pale, limbs trembling, eyes
Thesis Statement: In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the creature’s identity as a monster is due to societal rejection, isolation, and misinterpretation.
In Frankenstein, the conflict between the monster and Frankenstein reveals both of their desires to find a place of meaning and belonging. Throughout the novel, the monster’s search for a place of meaning and belonging
In Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein family and abandonment become the driving forces behind the characters’ actions. We see Victor Frankenstein, The Creator, seek refuge from his failures in the company of family and friends, all of whom support and drive him on. The creature who was created at the hands of Victor seeks only to be accepted and loved as part of that which was denied to him. Abandoned and lost the creature comes into contact with a family in the woods, the De Lacys, whom he cares for as if they were his own blood. Upon sight of him they are revolted and cast him out, severing the final thread of hope within the creature. Feeling unwanted for no reason the creature sets out to make his creator feel the pain he has felt for so long, being without family. After the deaths of all those dear to him Victor sets out to hunt his creation unable to bear the loss of those dear to him. Family, abandonment and loss become the sole forces that drive both creator and creation to their ends.
The desire to belong is natural in most humans. Even though we understand the struggle of belonging, we, as humans still persecute others who are different. This exclusion is, in itself, a form of bullying. In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley exemplifies this phenomenon of human behavior when she shows the maltreatment Frankenstein’s monster receives for his unattractive physical features and how he attempts to communicate with others in order to put an end to his isolation. Despite the monster’s benevolent nature, he is still alienated because he is different. Through the use of the monster and his discrimination, Mary Shelley shows that humans are not that different from the monster in the way we seek others; and those that persecute others are the real monsters.
Alienation and isolation have been apparent in society since the beginning of man. When an individual stumbles outside the realm of social normality they are viewed as degradation to society or a threat to normal society.(“Truthmove” 2012) In the gothic tale of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley frequently displays the many different forms of alienation. Victor Frankenstein and his creation were two of the characters in this book that went through alienation and isolation.
Thaiz Hernandez Mrs.Sheplor Advanced English 2, Period 2 12 March 2018 “The True Monster” The optimistic and vengeful tones in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein demonstrates the creature’s evolution from a character who is eager and hopeful about living a great life, to a creature who wanted to harm human beings to get revenge for not showing sympathy towards him. The creature was initially curious of the outside world and how he would connect, but became destructive and dangerous when people declined him for his grisly physical features. Some might state Frankenstein is the true monster after his creation of the horrific creature; however, the creature is the general villain considering he was very destructive throughout the book.
Have you ever felt like you don’t fit in or your ambitions set you apart from others? How can we learn the importance of accepting others even if they are different and form connections with them? Frankenstein is an 18th century novel written by Mary Shelley that deals with themes of ambition, responsibility, alienation, and the consequences of scientific exploration. Alienation is the feeling of being an outsider, or never feeling accepted, then becoming isolated as a result of this. This theme is relevant to the story because we see alienation in the two main characters, Victor and the Creature.
Most people in the world spend their lives searching for connections with others. There is a constant need that humans seem to have for interaction and companionship. Being alone makes people miserable, leads them to do things they wouldn't if they had someone to share the burdens of life with. Being alone has never seemed beneficial to society, and being alone too long can push them off the edge. This ideal can be related back to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Throughout this story, repeatedly seen are the terrible effects that confinement, loneliness and abandonment can have on a person. Mary Shelley conveys the theme that isolation from society can lead to misery through her use of literary devices, such as romanticism, allusion, diction, and point of view.
Mary Shelley intensifies the novel through her use of powerful diction in order to instill suspense and fear on the reader. Her diction makes her story vivid and so realistic as if she were painting images in the readers’ minds. She also changes the point of view from which the story is told several times to create depth and describe the different emotions of certain characters. She uses different perspectives in order to make the story more interesting and to illustrate the emotions of Victor Frankenstein and the monster. These techniques connect with what she was trying to address in her book about the time she lived in because it gives the reader the fear that all of the social attitudes that Shelley worried about, and wanted to change, might become a
Mary Shelley’s 1818 romantic classic, Frankenstein, presents many questions in regards to the nature of humanity, such as what it means to be alive, and what makes a monster. Many people address these questions, but overlook a thread interwoven throughout the whole piece: language. This novel continually proves the power of language, in many different facets. Shelley’s father, William Godwin, to whom the novel is dedicated, states in his essay, “Of an Early Taste for Reading,” that, “Literature, taken in all its bearings, forms the grand line of demarcation between the human and the animal kingdoms” (Godwin). Shelley furthers this point throughout the novel through differences in the Creature’s interactions with other people, their opinions
Throughout the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, the creature is subjected to countless acts of violence and rejection. For a monster to develop, one must have been formerly exploited either by an individual or their society. The creature is not only a physical product of science, but his atrocious behavior is also an explicit result of Victor’s actions toward him. The creature was not born a monster, but slowly morphed into one as he experiences violence and rejection from his society.