Comparing and Contrasting Famous Literature Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and Taylor Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” are both accredited works exhibiting the romanticism style. Shelley’s Frankenstein is a renowned tale of a scientist named Victor Frankenstein. Victor’s desperate need for fame and glory leads him to create life out of dead matter in the form of a hideous creature. Victor and the creature’s relationship sends him into a terrible ruin and has everlasting effects on his life and the lives of those around him. In comparison, in Coleridge’s poem, the Mariner tells his tale to guests at a wedding of when he, set out at sea, took advantage of a good omen and killed an innocent Albatross. The sequential events …show more content…
In Shelley’s Frankenstein, Frankenstein broke the laws of nature by creating life from dead matter. In regards the goal of his project Frankenstein states, “…I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death” (Shelley 39). This quote signifies a violation of nature by Frankenstein. Mother nature had not intended man to be indestructible for a reason. By going against the intentions of nature, Frankenstein showed a lack of respect for the natural cycle of the creation and destruction of life. Frankenstein selfishly acted and chose to overstep the laws of nature because he could, he never thought to think of the consequences and debate whether or not he should. Similarly, the Mariner in “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” disrespected life and Gods gifts to mankind. In the poem the Mariner states, “with my crossbow I shot the Albatross” (lines 81-82). The Albatross was symbolized by the Mariner’s shipmates as a good omen, bringing along luck, hope, and pleasant weather. The Mariner chose to shoot and kill the Albatross for no apparent reason. The Mariner killed an innocent, natural life, consequently breaking the laws of nature. The bird had done no harm and the Mariner chose selfishly to kill the Albatross with his crossbow because he could and he felt like it; even though he had no acceptable reason to. Although …show more content…
However, the authors chose to show that guilt and the way the character handles it in disparate ways. Shelley choses to have her main character, Frankenstein, possess an overwhelming guilt, making him begin to appear to readers as mad or insane. Frankenstein acquired guilt by being the selfish creator of the horrible monster who murdered his beloved family and friends. Frankenstein’s guilt grows and intensifies throughout the course of the story because he refuses to tell anyone and acknowledge his mistake. For instance, Frankenstein argues his refusal to reveal his secret by saying, “How they would, each and all, abhor me and hunt me from the world did they know my unhallowed acts and the crimes which had their source in me” (Shelley 200). He was too ashamed of his egocentric actions to admit to them. Frankenstein figured if he were to confess, all would hate him as the source of the murders and tragedy. By dismissing the idea of taking ownership for his actions and confessing his mistakes, Frankenstein lost control of the situation and his sanity, letting the guilt overcome him. On the other hand, Coleridge choses to have the main character—the Mariner—deal with guilt in a responsible and mature way. The Mariner confesses, “I had done a hellish thing…I had killed the bird that made the breeze to blow” (lines 91-94). This quote represents the Mariner taking ownership for the dreadful events of the story.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein concludes with a series of speeches from Victor Frankenstein and the Creature to Captain Walton, including one where Frankenstein expends his physical strength to persuade Walton’s crew to complete their mission. This speech is striking considering Frankenstein’s previous dangerously ambitious and irresponsible actions. His speech is one of heroics and sublimity, two major values of the Romantic poet. Reading Frankenstein as a reflection of the Romantic poets who surrounded Mary Shelley while she wrote the novel, Frankenstein’s speech is one of a failed Romantic poet – one who takes Shelley’s contemporaries’ ideals too far. Shelley highlights the irony of Frankenstein’s speech through his uncharacteristic use of
Mary Shelley, in her novel Frankenstein mentions Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in several instances, undoubtedly connecting her character, Victor Frankenstein, to the character of the Ancient Mariner. There are several critics, such as Michelle Levy and Sarah Goodwin, who support the idea that Frankenstein and the Mariner share a common background. Enough so, that Shelley’s mention of the Mariner in her novel is acceptable. This is true in some ways regarding their tragic backgrounds and how both characters end up confessing their actions to others. However, Frankenstein and the Mariner have many differences when it comes down to how they ended up in their tragic situations and even what means to an end they hope to achieve by sharing their tragic stories. The biggest differences being, knowledge of what could come from their actions, and how they accept the responsibility of the deaths they caused. Shelley was undoubtedly influenced by Coleridge’s poem and while her use of the poem in her novel is interesting, and the notion of comparing the action of confession and equal lack of social “belongingness” between Frankenstein and the Mariner are comparable, the two characters run the risk of being too different to compare when thought about in depth.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll both have similarities with The Odyssey by Homer. All three books tell the story through a journey archetype where the characters go though different events and face many challenges as the story progresses. One of the problems which the characters face is integration into another society with different inner workings and rules being in conflict with the character alongside with how human nature rejecting the any unnatural things.
Ever since the earliest scientists, including the likes of Aristotle and Plato, the question of the morality of man's meddling in nature has been a prevalent issue. While science can provide boundless amounts of invaluable contributions to mankind, ultimately some scientific endeavors should never have been pursued. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelly explores the ethics involved in this query through the creation of a wonder of science, and its inevitable consequences.
One of the most famous pieces of Gothic literature is none other than the story of Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus authored by Mary Shelley and published in the year 1818 in England. The novel deals with Victor Frankenstein, a Genevan scientist who creates a hideous creatures through an experiment, but soon regrets his actions and suffers consequences from his creature. Categorized also as a Romantic novel and a horror novel, the story deals with emotion and imagination, nature, and the haunted mind and soul. Throughout the first half of the Frankenstein novel, Shelley hints at the dangers of nature of mankind through the aspirations and actions of Victor Frankenstein and through the effects mankind has on Frankenstein's monster.
Although fictional, the story Frankenstein makes frightening parallels to modern day science and simultaneously questions the morality of its usage within present society. Mankind’s infamy for desiring power and dominance has seeped into every aspect of civilization. Frankenstein illustrates this phenomena in an extreme manner: controlling life and death. Playing with faculties that are incomprehensible results in peril and involves warping morals that are held dearly.
The creature’s moral ambiguity characteristic was a vile ingredient to the construction of this novel Frankenstein because it made the reader 's sympathies with him even after the audience knows he had committed murder because the readers had seen the truth this creature had to face. That he had tried everything within his power to peacefully live with them, to interact, communicate, and befriend them “these thoughts exhilarated me and led me to apply with fresh ardour to the acquiring the art of language”, that even though he was seen as a monster because of the looks he was created with, something he had no control over, he still had hope to be seen as equals, ”My organs were indeed harsh, but supple; and although my voice was very unlike the soft music of their tones, yet I pronounced such words as I understood with tolerable ease. It was as the ass and the lap-dog; yet surely the gentle ass whose intentions were affectionate, although his manners were rude, deserved better treatment than blows and execration;” this hope of his was utterly crushed, and can only set him up for utter disappointment(12.18). Because in the end he only received hates, scorns, violence, and prejudice from his good will. So in the end of the story, Mary Shelley’s forces the readers to see within the creature’s heart and for
While immersed in its beauty, Victor and his creation escaped worldly problems and entered a supernatural bliss. In short, Shelley presents nature as very powerful. It has the power to put the humanity back into man when the unnatural world has stripped him of his moral fiber. In comparison to the pure beauty of nature, the unnatural acts of man are far more emphasized; therefore, the reader is clearly aware of man’s faults and their repercussions. Unfortunately, not even the power of nature could balance the work of man: “the cup of life was poisoned forever.”
The setting of “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” takes place on a boat which experiences and sees many different forms of nature such as the drought, extreme heat, and the rain that follows. There was “water, water, every where, / Nor any drop to drink” for the mariner and the members on board following the shooting of the Albatross (Coleridge 121-122). In Frankenstein, Shelley portrays many scenes of nature as Victor travels around Europe following and avoiding the monster. Following the first murder of Justine committed by the monster, Victor travels back home and sees the “Dear mountains! [his] own beautiful lake! how do you welcome your wanderer? Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid. Is this to prognosticate peace, or to mock at my unhappiness” (Frankenstein Chapters 7-9 Text 5). Overall, the nature emphasis in both writings dictate the significance of the tie between nature and english writing as well as portray the sensory interaction of weather and
middle of paper ... ... Generally in the novel, most readers tend to sympathize with Frankenstein because of the way in which he is mentally and physically harmed by his creation. However, one must also realize that while Frankenstein is a victim in the novel, he also exhibits features that make him a monster. These monstrous qualities, however, stem from his passion for science and his desire to create life. Not only does the reader criticize and pity Frankenstein, but the reader also empathizes with Frankenstein’s creation.
Since the original novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, to the multiple movie adaptations, the monster is almost always predicted as the monster of the story. It may be his physical appearance, from his tall, broad frame, to the signature screws in his neck. It may also be his unnatural upbringing and interpreted evil characteristics. We have grown to fear the monster, which ultimately, has masked the true monster, Dr. Frankenstein. With each coming movie, the good side of the monster is brought to light, while the real monster shows his true colors.
Mary Shelley’s life is filled with ups and downs. Through those times Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein. Although Frankenstein is a fiction novel, it is similar to Mary Shelley’s real life.
In 1818, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein was published. Mary Shelley has been compared to her characters since her book was published. While reading Frankenstein, multiple similarities between Mary Shelley and numerous characters in her story can be made. Similarities such as the way she grew up, her interactions with people in her life, and people she lost in her life. All of the similarities she included are negative occurrences.
Frankenstein faced numerous consequences as he used his power of knowledge to bring the dead to life. Frankenstein used science to play the role of God and tossed his creation aside as if he was no use, just as how God had abandoned Adam. He created life without the need of women, mistreated the dead, and played the role of nature. Frankenstein not only used science to take the role of nature but also stole God’s part when he performed the unnatural. He also failed to take proper responsibility and care for the creature he had put into this world (Belt). The creature’s rejection from humanity including his creator proves that Frankenstein has failed in creating a creature with human-like qualities which has caused harm to the creature’s life. The first consequence of his actions is the murder of his relatives. Frankenstein’s act of disregarding his creation allows for the creature to take the life of his loved ones, despite the creature’s initial goodness. He acts as if he is God and makes the decision to remain quiet about the death of William, even though he knew the culprit. After the death of his loved ones, Frankenstein realizes the consequences that one has to face for playing Gods role which would have been avoidable if he had not built a “devil.”
Often times an author’s background shapes their writing thus instilling a sense of curiosity in the audience. In her work, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley exposes the grotesque aspects of life as it resonates with her past. Considered a Gothic novel, and one of the first Science Fictions, Frankenstein also contains several components of the Romantic Movement. The Romantic Movement was a period in British history when people felt a deep connection to nature, science, and their emotions. Shelley uses the foundation of a Romantic novel to construct a work unlike any other of its time period. Several factors including tone, setting, and mood validate Frankenstein as a Gothic horror novel. Even though Frankenstein is frequently considered