Spencer Wyatt
Mrs. Pierson
English III
3/25/15
Companionship in Frankenstein
Human companionship is one of the most basic needs of humans that can be seen in the Creation story. It is tricky for any human to find the perfect companion especially if one is one of a kind. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein two characters exemplify this need Dr. Victor Frankenstein and The Creature are in search of the same thing a companionship. Acording to Victor in chapter two of the book he said This shows that Victor Frankenstein came from a well rounded family that was always there for him . SO he grew up with a lot of positive relationships with his family. However as he grow in to a adult victor has very few relationship. Only really with Elizabeth and the
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Like when Mrs. Frankenstein risks her life to save Elizabeth. Mrs. Frankenstein died because she contracted the same illness that Elizabeth for cured of. This part shows that family is so important that people would risk being killed just to help Elizabeth to feel more comfortable and better. Another time in Frankenstein where Robert Walton writes letters to his sister. Telling his sister all about his life and what is going on right then in his journey. There are many other examples of companionship in this Novel but the one that is right at the center of this story. The friend enemy kind of relationship that Victor Frankenstein shares with the monster that he creates him. This relationship has been looked at as a Father son relationship since Victor made him, and the disagreement they have a resemblance of the arguments that a son would forge with his father. This is also viewed as a father son relationship would be that victor is the only one of the two that is properly educated and is intelligent. So this book looks like a parent to child conversation. After the monster is educated a little more he asks victor to make him a mate. After Victor is asked this he find s himself in a dilemma. To make another monster and ruin his own life due to the stress and how much creating something takes out of you. To now have two monsters and might be able to have …show more content…
Frankenstein explains that, as the monster sees the being that Frankenstein is creatingThe monster looks at the new creature with a smile because he knows that this thing will eventually become his companion. Once she is created, the monster will finally be able to reach a form of happiness and will no longer have to live in complete solitude. However, when Frankenstein destroys this half-finished creature, the monster exclaims, Frankenstein has extinguished the monster’s hope of companionship, so the monster vows to destroy Frankenstein’s life. He no longer has anything to live for, so the monster’s only motivation in life becomes revenge against his creator. This quote from Shelly’s book shows how much the monster valued companionship and how much all other beings value it to. Frankenstein feels that he has nothing left to live for when the monster kills his loved ones. He explains that while his companions are dead and he is still alive, Frankenstein has no reason to live, because his life is meaningless without his friends and family that were killed by the
The monster tells Frankenstein of the wretchedness of the world and how it was not meant for a being such as himself. At the end of his insightful tale the creature demands a companion of the same hideous features but of the opposite gender to become his. Victor only has the choice to make the monster or suffer a lifetime of horror his creation would bring upon him. Which the creator ultimately agrees to make the female monster to save the lives of his family but gains a conscious that fills with guilt of all the destruction he has created and creating. When the monster comes to collect the female he tears her apart and the monster vows to destroy all Victor holds dear. The monster’s emotional sense is consumed with rage against Victor, murdering Frankenstein’s best friend. Though when the monster’s framing ways do not work to lead to Victor being executed, he then murders Frankenstein’s wife on their wedding night. This tragedy is the last for Victor’s father who becomes ill with grief and quickly passes within a few days, leaving Victor with nothing but his own regret. Shelley doesn’t give the audience the monsters side of the story but hints that the remainder of his journey consisted of being a shadow to that of his creator. It is at the graves of the Frankenstein family when the creature makes an appearance in the solemn and
Victor refuses to create a companion for the monster, he says “their joint wickedness would be enough to destroy the world” (Shelley 104) Frankenstein saw the justness in the creature’s argument but he still neglected to allow him to have a true companion. Frankenstein became afraid of the end results, he didn’t want the world to suffer for his mistakes. By denying this monster a companion he has denied his creation happiness; Frankenstein would allow a human being to live in happiness without degrading them on their appearance or their standards but he could not do the same with the monster. This reason in itself has caused a disconnection between him and the thing that he created, by rejecting his creation he rejected a part of himself as well. Frankenstein created a thing, a monster with such a horrid form, overlooking that this monster may have a will of its own. One example of how he was neglected because of who he became, his origin, the way he was created, such a horrid way to bring life into the world. “Another circumstance strengthened and confirmed these feelings. Soon after my arrival in the hovel I discovered some papers in the pocket of the dress which I had taken from your laboratory. At first I had neglected them, but now that I was able to decipher the characters in
In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature's only need is for a female companion, which he asks Victor Frankenstein his maker to create. Shelley shows the argument between the creature and Frankenstein. The creature says: "I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself " (Shelley 139). Shelley shows what the creature wants from Frankenstein and what his needs are. Shelley gives us an idea of the sympathy that Frankenstein might feel for the creature even though he neglects him. The creature confronts Victor demanding his attention and expressing his needs. I feel a lot of sympathy for the creature based on him being able to forgive Victor for abandoning him and being able to communicate with him.
Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is a thought provoking story to read because the subject matter speaks to me. Dark, supernatural and gothic is exactly the style of reading I would choose in my own reading choices. It was only one step from my Victorian Vampire reading to Frankenstein therefore my choice to read the novel was almost a given to me. Several areas that I as a human can relate to are the human nature of each character, the unrelenting revenge the monster feels, and betrayal in the pursuit of self-preservation Victor bestows on his monster, his family, and mankind. The story speaks of betrayal, a strong an intense emotion that hurt the monster to the core so deeply he commits unspeakable acts. Frankenstein outlines Victor’s betrayal of his son, the monster. Victor literally created a child, a rebirth of flesh in his own design but he felt no love or sense of responsibility for the monsters well-being. This betrayal of the preverbal parent over their “child” is felt greatly by the monster and Frankenstein suffers at his own cost, unwilling and incapable to see he was his own destructor. A notable act of betrayal is when Victor can but does not save Justine from death. His own brother was dead and he was
Throughout Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein pursues, with a passion lacking in other aspects of his life, his individual quest for knowledge and glory. He accepts the friendships and affections given him without reciprocating. The "creature," on the other hand, seems willing to return affections, bringing wood and clearing snow for the DeLaceys and desiring the love of others, but is unable to form human attachments. Neither the creature nor Victor fully understands the complex relationships between people and the expectations and responsibilities that accompany any relationship. The two "monsters" in this book, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, are the only characters without strong family ties; the creature because Frankenstein runs from him, and Victor because he runs from his family.
Throughout the history of mankind, the question of what it means to be a human being has been contemplated for centuries. Numerous philosophers have read and debated this significant question and it is still reflected upon today. Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley plumbs the depth of this question with the example of a creature who is spurned by humanity despite being human in character. The discernment of creature from man is still misconstrued as shown in this tale, but its importance lies in the message Frankenstein that appearances matter very little when it comes to being human. The creature’s human qualities of its emotions, desire for companionship, and intelligence set it apart as uniquely human from simply a base and barbaric monster
...male companion in order to be content and accepted. “I am alone and miserable, man will not associate with me, but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me." This clearly shows the monsters idea of hope. When Frankenstein rips the female creation apart, he’s also ripping the monsters glimmering chance of him experiencing happiness to pieces.
Frankenstein is actually about the friendship of the soul. Without this basic need the body either withers away and dies or turns to another source, like murder or drink, to fill the hole. Both fatalities can be seen in the story, with Victor's friendship and the monster's anger. Neither one fills the gap in their soul, but eventually consumes them until they die.
Loneliness and distance is one of the fundamental topics of the novel. It is outstanding that every fundamental character of the novel experience emotions of loneliness and estrangement. The Monster, Victor and Walton experience these sentiments. Victor Frankenstein, does not have great relations with his crew. He doesn 't stay in contact with his
Through the exploration of value attached to friendship in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein';, it is found that Victor, Walton, and the monster each desire a companion to either fall back on during times of misery, to console with, or to learn from. During various periods throughout the novel, it is found that Victor depends heavily on friendship when tragedy occurs to keep him from going insane. Walton desires the friendship of a man to have someone who he can sympathize with. The sole purpose of the monster is to find a companion to learn from and not be a total outcast to society. None of these characters desire to be isolated and when any of them become so, they lose the ability to function properly and are driven insane.
Mary Shelley’s idea of friendship is very important throughout the novel because it is the goal of Walton throughout the beginning, as well as the monster Frankenstein created throughout his narration period. In chapters fourteen through sixteen the creature learns that he is the only man of his kind, the only monster created on this Earth and he himself is much like Satan and Adam. He stumbled across three novels in which he reads and interprets differently. Paradise Lost having the most impact on the creature made him realize that he is utterly alone, and wretched. Adam was created from God, and was protected, whereas the creature who was created by Victor, was the complete opposite. He was dragged into this earth. The creature states, “But
After hearing the monster’s side of the story Frankenstein started to show some compassion for the being and agreed to it’s desire for a mate. Now that Frankenstein has learned the full story of his creation he feels the need to take responsibility for it now with the line, “did [he] not as his maker owe him all portions of happiness” (Shelley 125), less the monster start to attack humanity out of
The element of loneliness and the need for companionship is an important topic in the characters’ lives in Frankenstein. The characters want to have one person they can go to for anything and everything, during the good and the bad times. In the novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Robert Walton, The Creature, and Victor share the sense of loneliness and all long for companionship. Robert Walton is lonely at the beginning of the story and develops a companionship throughout the novel. The creature is Victor’s companion, but soon develops a desire for a friend. Victor is the most lonely because, Victor longs for the love that a companion could bring to his life. The want for a companion throughout the novel affects the three characters negatively and positively.
Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is book about the importance of human relationships and treating everyone with dignity and respect. The main character of the book is Victor Frankenstein who is a very intelligent man with a desire to create life in another being. After he completes his creation, he is horrified to find that what he has created is a monster. The monster is the ugliest, most disgusting creature that he has ever seen. Victor being sickened by his creation allows the monster to run off and become all alone in the world. Throughout Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses the theme of human relationships to illustrate the bond that man has with other beings and the need for love and affection. The importance of human relationships is shown throughout the book in many ways. Victor’s mother says to him, “I have a pretty present for my Victor—tomorrow he shall have it”(18).Victor is very excited that he has such a precious gift that will always be his. They become very close and refer to each other as cousins. However, there is a deeper a relationship between the two, and Victor vows to always protect and take of the girl whose name is Elizabeth. Mary Shelley uses this quote to explain how special Elizabeth is to Victor and that she is gift sent to him. Victor’s mother reinforces this again when she says to Victor and Elizabeth, “My children, my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union. This expectation will now be the consolation of your father. Elizabeth, my love, you must supply my place to my younger children. Alas! I regret that I am taken from you; and, happy and beloved as I have been, is it not hard to quit you all? But these are not thoughts befitting me; I will endeavour to resign...
Over the course of the novel, Frankenstein’s monster was often lonely due to his rejection from society. Because of his rejection, the monster began to persuade Frankenstein into creating a female companion, specifically for the monster. The monster explained that a female companion “with whom [he] can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for [his] being” (174) is his only way of experiencing love and acceptance by at least one person (or in this case, monster) around him. However, Frankenstein did not create another monster due to the problems it can potentially pose on society. These feelings of loneliness drove the monster insane and made him realize that he was “malicious because [he was] miserable… [and] shunned and hated by all mankind” (174) which eventually led to his demise after the death of his creator. What life could the monster live with a constant cloud of rejection over his head? What life could the monster live with the marinade of alienation and solitude soaking into his brain? With nobody or anything to live for, the monster made the decision to take his own life, due to these burdens and their effect on him and his