The Use Of Foil Characters In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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In her time, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein stood as a rejection against science and its principles, and an appraisal in favor of the Romantic Movement, but looking deeper into Shelley's characters her views might have been different from those who used her literature to support their own beliefs. Victor Frankenstein, the Creature, and Robert Walton are more than one toned characters, but are three dimensional, and give insight as to Mary Shelley's true opinions toward her characters. In her novel, Frankenstein Shelley makes a moral judgment of her characters, Frankenstein, the Creature, and Walton, through her use of biblical allusion, mythological allusion, and foil characters. Mary Shelley refers to Frankenstein as the modern day Prometheus. This mythological allusion compares Frankenstein to a titan who defies the gods, creating mankind and stealing fire from Mount Olympus to give to them. Victor's declaration that "a new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me (54)" is similar to Prometheus's desire to enlighten and give life to human beings. In the same way …show more content…

Both characters have explorative traits and seek knowledge, but where one is blindly obsessive, letting his ambition lead towards his ultimate downfall, the other is balanced, comprehending the dangers of his pursuits, and obtaining a better fate. Walton proclaims, "the die is cast; I have consented to return if we are not destroyed... it requires more philosophy than I possess to bear this injustice with patience (Shelley 267)." Through Shelley's foil of these two characters, she presents both sides to one coin. The foil reiterates Shelley's judgment of Frankenstein's failed morality, by presenting Walton's character, who unlike Frankenstein does not face devastating consequences for his actions due to his intact

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