The thought of experiencing all the aspects of life in the stretch of just a few years shudders all who dare to ponder it, thus regretting they had ever did. The preceding statement need not apply to readers whom were created in an apartment in the area of Ingolstadt. Akin to the age-old riddle of the man with different appendages at different times of day, Mary Shelley created a character with a similar rate of change. Frankenstein’s monster was portrayed by Mary Shelley as travelling through an accelerated path through the stages of life. The monster began as an infant, then acquired the conflict of an adolescent, and finally took upon the regretful nature of an old man.
The monster was created, and it began its path as a baby would. Infants
He desires to fit in. He is an outsider and his wish is simply to be accepted by the cottagers he loves, if not by society (95). The monster watches the cottage family for months and wishes greatly to be part of their group, a common theme with many teenagers. He despairs about his loneliness and cannot bear being so close, yet so far from them (93). His solitude becomes too much to bear, so he risks both his life, and his happy hovel, to become one with them (95). These actions are fruitless, and he doesn’t realize that grand, singular motions do not often end in perfections.
Frankenstein’s monster takes upon himself the need to solve problems, as many youth do. He accomplishes that through foraging the forest and providing the family with food to feed their hungry stomachs, and chopped wood to supplant their weak supply. The monster learns of the family’s troubles and is frustrated that such a wholesome group can be afflicted with such pain, so he attempts all that he can to remedy their issues.
The monster matures further through his discovery of the intellectual and educated elements of life. He finds a few literary works (90) and develops through it. The monster acquires an eloquent and educated manner of speech, suggesting he was indeed intelligent. In addition to the learnedness of the monster, he also appreciated the beauty and wonder of nature, yet did not comprehend how such a horrid creature
This is consistent of a post-adolescent whom is still full of passion to solve his issues, yet has more realism in his demeanor. This realism adds to the despair and pushes the monster further. He delivers magnificent ultimatums (106) backed with lethal threats. His rationalization comes into play as he attempts to compromise with Frankenstein, offering to “quit the neighbourhood of man” (106).
After Frankenstein is dead, and all purpose is lost, the monster has a sort of mid-life crisis, and holds great regret. The monster’s true moment of truth came not during his “adolescent” years, but in the final moments of the novel. He did not realize the error of his ways and of his murders until it was too late, and his one true companion was sitting dead in front of him (163). Again he curses being ever created, but now he knows it would be to save mankind from his horrors, not to protect himself.
The monster is an old man: he attempts to run away from the entire world, yet he doesn’t wish to be alone. He accepts his fate as an outcast, and wastes his existence leading the vengeful Frankenstein about the world. He escapes as much as possible from humanity, and finally relents and allows his creator to pursue
At first, The Monster is very kind and sympathetic. He has a good heart, as shown when he collected firewood for the family on the brink of poverty. Like every other human creation, he was not born a murderer. All the Monster wanted was to be accepted and loved by Victor Frankenstein and the other humans but instead he was judged by his appearance and considered to be dangerous. The Monster says, “like Adam, I was created apparently united by no link to any other being in existence…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” (page 105). This line is an important part of the novel because the Monster lets it be known how like Adam he was created into this world completely abandoned and like Satan he is angry with those people who have found contentment and satisfaction in their lives. The rejection and unwelcome feeling he is faced with, is the main reason the Monster becomes a killer. Watching another family show love towards each other made the Monster realize how alienated he truly was. He did not know how to deal with his pain and emotions so he murders as
Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein is a novel narrated by Robert Walton about Victor Frankenstein and the Monster that he creates. Frankenstein grew up surrounding himself with what he loved most, science. He attended Ingolstadt University where he studied chemistry and natural philosophy, but being involved in academics was not enough for him. Frankenstein wanted to discover things, but did not think about the potential outcomes that could come with this decision. Frankenstein was astonished by the human frame and all living creatures, so he built the Monster out of various human and animal parts (Shelley, 52). At the time Frankenstein thought this creation was a great discovery, but as time went on the Monster turned out to be terrifying to anyone he came in contact with. So, taking his anger out on Frankenstein, the Monster causes chaos in a lot of people’s lives and the continuing battle goes on between the Monster and Frankenstein. Throughout this novel, it is hard to perceive who is pursuing whom as well as who ends up worse off until the book comes to a close.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, explores the monstrous and destructive affects of obsession, guilt, fate, and man’s attempt to control nature. Victor Frankenstein, the novel’s protagonist and antihero, attempts to transcend the barriers of scientific knowledge and application in creating a life. His determination in bringing to life a dead body consequently renders him ill, both mentally and physically. His endeavors alone consume all his time and effort until he becomes fixated on his success. The reason for his success is perhaps to be considered the greatest scientist ever known, but in his obsessive toil, he loses sight of the ethical motivation of science. His production would ultimately grieve him throughout his life, and the consequences of his undertaking would prove disastrous and deadly. Frankenstein illustrates the creation of a monster both literally and figuratively, and sheds light on the dangers of man’s desire to play God.
The monster portrays more humanistic qualities than his creator as he portrays his compassion, intelligence and feelings throughout the novel. Instead of wreaking havoc on his neighbors, ambushing them for food and shelter, the monster decides to live in secrecy in the De Laceys’ shadow to observe their ways. The monster demonstrates compassion as he refrains from stealing the De Lacey’s food when he realizes that the family suffers from poverty. In this sense, he sacrifices an easy dinner to scavenge for himself. He also expresses intellectual thought in his strategy to advance his knowledge of the English language by observing Felix’s lessons to his Arabian lover, Safie. The monster recalls to Dr. Frankenstein that, “… I found, by the frequent recurrence of some sound which the stranger repeated after them, th...
Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is a story about the dangers of knowledge and the consequences of overstepping moral and ethical boundaries. By examining Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein through a psychoanalytic lens, it can be interpreted that the creature is a mirror of Victor Frankenstein’s personality. Psychoanalysis argues that the conscious and unconscious mind are made up of the id, superego and ego. In order to self-actualize the conscious and unconscious mind must be in equilibrium. The creature and Victor both strive for self-actualization through their yearning to understand the world. They share the experience of lower-level emotions like the need for revenge. Ultimately, the destruction in the novel is rooted in Victor’s and the creature’s experience of parental abandonment,
After being continually rejected by not only his creator, but countless other humans based only on his gruesome appearance, the Monster decides to exact revenge on humankind and especially on Frankenstein for giving life to such a horrible creature as himself. Upon deciding this, the Monster decides to go to his hometown and l...
When the monster was created, he was born in the world with innocence, as a defenseless being in the world. Even when Victor rejects him, the monster still seeks love from society and performs unselfish acts. He seeks the love of others. Longing for company, the monster stays in the cottage without revealing himself and watches the family that lives there. By watching them, he learned how to speak and read.
Frankenstein is a horror novel by Mary Shelley which explores the repercussions of Victor Frankenstein’s decision to reanimate a dead body and ultimately creating a “monster.” However, throughout the course of the novel, the “monster” is influenced by its surrounding that the monstrous things that occur to the characters are indirectly caused by another, true monster. Through Pieces’ interactions with the human world, his inability to live to society’s expectations, and the treatment he receives from his human creator, it is evident that the bigger monster is humans themselves since they transformed Pieces into who he is. The social neglect and rejection Pieces receives from interacting with humans illustrates how society can be more monstrous than
Locked in a perpetual struggle for dominance, both struggle to gain internal peace. Victor Frankenstein feels obligated to destroy his creation for the good of society, and the Monster wishes to come to terms with his abandonment – both are unable to find happiness. Here there is a contrast of power: Frankenstein’s intellectual power contrary to the Monster’s physical power (this is however, not to say the Monster lacked intellectual power, only that Frankenstein possesses greater fear of the physical aspects of the Monster). The first instance of this battle for power can be seen when the Monster demands of Frankenstein to “create a female…with whom [he] can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for [his] being.” (p174) – here Frankenstein is in control. He is the only one that has the knowledge to create another being like the Monster, and thus, when the Monster asks this favour of Frankenstein he places his happiness in the hands of another. The Monster is dependent on the actions of another. However, there is a power reversal when Frankenstein denies the monster his ‘female’ (p174). Frankenstein dashes the Monster’s last hope at happiness, so the Monster threatens the life of his loved ones. Here, Frankenstein is at the mercy of his creation. For though “[Frankenstein is the] creator… [the Monster is his master” (p205) – here the Monster establishes his dominance over Frankenstein by outwardly stating his power over his creator. This power struggle is most effectively culminated in the chase around the globe. Yet it must be seen that neither Frankenstein and his Monster are in control. The Monster leaves clues for Frankenstein, demonstrating his need for Frankenstein to follow him, for without Frankenstein the Monster has no purpose in life. On the other hand, Frankenstein is following his creation all over the world, through desert, sea, and cold. Thus, it is clear that as a
Although the immediate rejection of the creature serves as the basis for his dehumanization process, the creature’s alienation from society is confirmed when it is constantly referred to by the pronoun “it”, and called “monster” and “wretch” by his creator. These words immediately marks the creature as inhuman. In truth, the creature is rejected by his creator for no other reason that his unnatural features, which causes the creature to become void of any real human emotions from another human being. Because of this, the creature begins to learn on his own, and like Victor finds solace in nature. For the monster, nature is his only place of acceptance. Because of his grotesque outward appearance, he is shunned by towns and villages and must escape to the mountains for protection. Nature serves to humanize him. While the cold temperatures of the Alps serve Victor as solace, the monster finds comfort in the forest during spring. The creature states: “Half surprised by the novelty of these sensations, I allowed myself to be borne away by them; and, forgetting my solitude and deformity, dared to be happy.” In nature, the creature begins to educate himself; one crucial turning point for the monster’s pursuit of new knowledge is when he finds the book “Paradise Lost” while in the forest. The monster compares himself to that of Adam and Eve and
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a nineteenth century literary work that delves into the world of science and the plausible outcomes of morally insensitive technological research. Although the novel brings to the forefront several issues about knowledge and sublime nature, the novel mostly explores the psychological and physical journey of two complex characters. While each character exhibits several interesting traits that range from passive and contemplative to rash and impulsive, their most attractive quality is their monstrosity. Their monstrosities, however, differ in the way each of the character’s act and respond to their environment. Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise.
The fact that Frankenstein’s monster kills out of revenge and anger is a form evil but one can understand and to a certain extent sympathise with his inability to reason right from wrong. Many examples of this inability are shown, for example, the creature strangles Frankenstein’s innocent young brother because he cannot under...
At the moment of his birth, the creature is entirely innocent; he affectionately reaches out to Frankenstein, which is interpreted as a hostile movement, only to have the latter violently abandon him. Despite his appalling appearance, his “wrinkled” grin is as guiltless as a newly-born child which, in a sense, is precisely what he is to Frankenstein (61). With the rejection of his monster based solely on a personal appearance that epitomizes everything Frankenstein fears in his life, the reader begins to recognize the profoundly unethical character of Frankenstein's experiment and of Frankenstein himself.
Victor Frankenstein, the monster’s creator, is the victim of his own pride. An ego unchecked is a dangerous thing. But in truth, it really just shows Victor’s humanity. He is privileged, educated, talented, loved, adored, but he is not perfect. His flaw is his own ego and pride. Without doubt, this is the result of a childhood where he was overindulged. Overindulged to the extent he was given a little girl “Elizabeth” as a “present”, whom he considered from childhood “mine only” (Shelley 21). Little wonder the twenty year old Victor would think he could create, control and command life. But Victor as with any indulged child did not take the time to learn much from his parents about parenting and fath...
The Monster’s confusion about the world and his inability to understand why he cannot simply be accepted in society drives his actions. Dutoit elaborates on the not so apparent truth that The Monster goes to great lengths to assimilate by acquiring language, understanding mannerisms and participating in customs. The Monster grows fond of a family, at first he watches them carefully, paying close attention to the details of their life and even steals food, unaware of their poverty. Supporting evidence which allows for the conclusion that he is innately good and simply longing for domesticity is shown by The Monsters willingness to help the family with chores, in secret of course. Nevertheless, he is universally shunned by everyone he encounters, except for the old blind man who was willing to have a social connection with him, until his family returned home and in fear rebelled against The Monster. This constant exile only leads to a greater alienation from the social world he deeply longs to be a part of. Unfortunately, due to his outward appearance, his good intentions are ill received by the people he