Frankenstein Ambition Essay

987 Words2 Pages

Authored against the backdrop of the emerging Enlightenment movement, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein shows how having ambition is a strong asset to have. At first glance, Shelley contends the benefits of having something to strive towards, and the joy it can have when a desired accomplishment becomes reality. Despite this, Shelley uses the development of Victor Frankenstein to show how ambition comes with the added sense of responsibility. Essentially, she warns of the dangers inherent to fanatically pursuing scientific endeavours, at the expense of living in harmony. She additionally reinforces how ambition contributes to his downfall to the extent that it affects his connection with family and his own self. Ultimately, Shelley uses Victor’s …show more content…

By this, Shelley foreshadows a link to potential destruction occurring as a result, and forces the reader to understand how science can push humanity in the wrong direction. Expectantly, this potential scientific destruction can jeopardize the “cosmic harmony” between humans and nature working together. As the text progresses, Victor finds strength in pushing the limits of not only science and natural philosophy, but humanity through an “ardent curiosity” of the natural world. Resultantly, he creates life himself, and his creation is evidently known as a “wretched” Creature to the reader. By Shelley describing his creation in this way, she further informs the reader of the Enlightenment era, and how it motivated individuals to push the boundaries of life notwithstanding the consequence. Despite this, Shelley displays the Creature requiring responsibility that Victor neglects. Through this, Victor lacks the responsibility needed for nurturing his creation, therefore sparking his spiralling ruin. Essentially, Shelley warns the pushing of scientific boundaries can wreak “terrible destruction” upon humanity and can cause one’s own …show more content…

Thereupon, Victor is unaware of how his actions have sparked the feeling of helplessness in a world which to him is “replete with wretchedness”. Further to the point, Victor is seen blaming his creation by letting the Monster “drink of his pain” and feel the “despair that torments him.” Through this, Shelley positons the reader so they can know the implications regarding what a lack of initial responsibility can lead to. Furthermore, this viewpoint outlines Mary Shelley’s dominant message throughout Frankenstein: the obligation to one’s own creation and how one’s downfall can be embarked from a compelling

Show More
Related

  • Frankenstein Romanticism Essay

    1864 Words  | 4 Pages

    By attempting to create life and messing with the natural order of the world, Victor loses his connection to the earth and eventually ends up as a shell of what he once was. No matter how hard he tried to redeem himself, he could no longer be one with nature. The creature that Victor creates by using the malicious techniques of science actually starts out to nature than Victor himself. The Creature recognizes the wonders of nature and finds temporary happiness in his closeness to the world. He turns away the peace given to him by nature just to satisfy his desire for revenge, and becomes a broken being. Mary Shelley demonstrates in Frankenstein what happens if someone strays too far from nature. Shelley purposely shows the destructive nature of science in her novel to highlight the strife that her society was going through. Her society, disillusioned by war and the devastation that new technologies caused, wanted to go back to their roots in nature, and her novel pushes at that idea. Shelley’s example of Victor’s and the Creature’s downfall warns us of the dangers and temptations of science. Even now, people are constantly enraptured by the possibilities that science and technology offer, while neglecting their duties towards nature and the

    Read More

  • Impulsive Behavior In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shelley characterizes Victor in a way that he acts on his impulses and not with rationality. As a result, Victor does not take the time to teach or talk to his creation. This action leads to his downfall as his loved one’s are killed by the Creature taking revenge on Victor for leaving him to fend for himself. Victor’s actions have consequences, hence why all his loved one’s are murdered because of his instinct to leave out of fear and safety. Shelley proves that our id demands immediate gratification of needs and thus, is in control of our actions.

    Read More

  • Accountability of Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1514 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although humans have the tendency to set idealistic goals to better future generations, often the results can prove disastrous, even deadly. The tale of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, focuses on the outcome of one man's idealistic motives and desires of dabbling with nature, which result in the creation of horrific creature. Victor Frankenstein was not doomed to failure from his initial desire to overstep the natural bounds of human knowledge. Rather, it was his poor parenting of his progeny that lead to his creation's thirst for the vindication of his unjust life. In his idealism, Victor is blinded, and so the creation accuses him for delivering him into a world where he could not ever be entirely received by the people who inhabit it. Not only failing to foresee his faulty idealism, nearing the end of the tale, he embarks upon a final journey, consciously choosing to pursue his creation in vengeance, while admitting he himself that it may result in his own doom. The creation of an unloved being and the quest for the elixir of life holds Victor Frankenstein more accountable for his own death than the creation himself.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Out of Class Essay

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    In conclusion, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein shows readers how irresponsibility and the excessive need for knowledge can cause suffering among others as well as oneself. Victor never intends to cause such harm; however, he is not cautious and observant with his actions, which ultimately leads to his classification as a tragic hero. The desire to learn is most definitely a wonderful trait to have, as long as one’s knowledge doesn’t reach the extent that Victor Frankenstein’s unfortunately does.

    Read More

  • Monstrosity in Frankenstein

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Abuse Of Power And Knowledge In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    523 Words  | 2 Pages

    Victor Frankenstein, blinded by pride, remained unaware of how his experiment would affect not only him, but the world around him as he formed his new discovery. His secret to creating life only caused more life to be lost. Because of Victor’s reckless behavior, he caused the depressed and lonely world around his own creation, one who, in the end, Victor did not want to take responsibility for making, no matter how remarkable. The Creation, a being of unfortunate circumstance, exemplifies how knowledge has dangerous and everlasting effects if not used safely or for good intentions. Unfortunately, The Creation leaves his own damage behind as well, again showing how knowledge is harmful, by killing Elizabeth, Victor’s wife, Henry Clerval, his dearest friend, and other members a part of Victor’s family and friends. This demonstrates how knowledge, if not used wisely, can lead to death and suffering. The power of knowledge, in Mary Shelley’s writing, is a gift bestowed on those who can handle the power responsibly, as opposed to using it for selfish boasting. In contrast, she uses these two characters to show the importance of being knowledgeable in both science and responsibility and the unforgivable mutilation that comes if you fail to overcome

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Vs. Bladerunner

    1815 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Shelley?s Frankenstein, Victor brings a monster to life, only to abandon it out of fear and horror. ? gThe beauty of the dream had vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart? (Shelley, 35). The reader must question the ethics of Victor. After all, he did bring this creature upon himself.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Conformity In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    Victor had created the creature with the vision from his dreams of a strong, tall perfect being with no flaws. His years of study with the unnatural and science had come to this final conclusion and masterful idea that he was determined to finish. To his surprise, he had created the opposite, “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” (Shelley 35) Victor is saddened by what he thinks of as a failure. He leaves his own apartment to go sleep in his court yard outside following his creation. He begins to isolate himself from the creature because of his fear of the creature’s outward appearance. He loses all hope for the creature without even learning anything about him. The fact that Shelley begins to refer to the being that Victor created as a “creature” shows Victor’s ignorance and lack of acceptance. It is Victor’s prejudice that blinds him of the creature’s true potential due to the unwanted preconception that follows the creature as he finds meaning in

    Read More

  • Examples Of Parallelism In Frankenstein

    614 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marys Shelley’s context portrays a society that is being industrially revolutionised in her novel ‘Frankenstein’. The character victor is consumed in science, and seeks to obtain more knowledge. This enlightenment thinking hinders his ability to make wise decisions when creating life. Shelley incorporates parallelism “my cheeks had grown pale with study, and my person had become emaciated with confinement” critically compares victor, who seems as though he is dying to create life, with a pregnant woman giving birth. Shelley suggests that victor is losing his humanity in his attempt to create it. The novel illustrates allusion, “How dare you sport thus with life” suggesting that victor treats life as a game, and the monster is questioning what gives victor the right to do so. Victors desire for enlightenment blinds his humanity leading him to forget what truly makes him human.

    Read More

  • The Values Of Society In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    431 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, values of society are clearly expressed. In this particular society and culture, a great value is placed on ideologies of individuals and their contribution to society. In order to highlight these values, Shelley utilizes the character of Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein is the main character of the novel, and with his alienation, he plays a significant role that reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and moral values of individualism and use in society. This is done through Victor’s actions of self-inflicted isolation.

    Read More

  • What sort of man is Walton? 1) Does he serve any thematic function in the novel or is he included largely as a ‘storyteller’.  That is, is he inc...

    723 Words  | 2 Pages

    ‘Frankenstein’ or ‘The Modern Prometheus‘ is a 19th century gothic novel written by Mary Shelley. Shelley’s interest in the physical sciences had led her to writing a novel that is based on creating human life in an unnatural way. Victor is one if the narrators who has an unnatural obsession with the sciences led him to discover the secret of life; creating the abomination that is his monster. Walton serves as the neutral narrator that has no personal impact on Victor’s and the monster’s tales. It is through Walton that the monster was able to express his feelings at the death of his creator.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein, Community, and the Individual

    1689 Words  | 4 Pages

    To begin our analysis, I will look to how Mary Shelley positions Victor Frankenstein's motivations to create life against natural laws within the ideas of individualism, as Victor can correlate directly to the educated human at the center of Enlightenment, Industrialism, and Romanticism values. With the burgeoning interest in scientific discovery during the Industrial Revolution "transform[ing] British culture" and "changing the world"(Lipking 2065), many concepts of society were also changed, which Shelley looked to explore through Victor's actions. Rooted in the scientifically curious spirit of Industrial England, Victor's attempt to create life can show many examples of how an importance of the individual acquisition of knowledge and accomplishment can disrupt society. Victor's...

    Read More

  • Blind Ambition in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    770 Words  | 2 Pages

    After Frankenstein discovered the source of human life, he became wholly absorbed in his experimental creation of a human being. Victor's unlimited ambition, his desire to succeed in his efforts to create life, led him to find devastation and misery. "...now that I have finished, the beauty of the dream had vanished..." (Shelley 51). Victor's ambition blinded him to see the real dangers of his project. This is because ambition is like a madness, which blinds one self to see the dangers of his actions. The monster after realizing what a horror he was demanded that victor create him a partner. "I now also began to collect the materials necessary for my new creation, and this was like torture..." (Shelley 169). Victor's raw ambition, his search for glory, has left him. His eyes have been opened to see his horrible actions, and what have and could become of his creations. As a result, Victor has realized that he is creating a monster, which could lead to the downfall of mankind. His choice is simple, save his own life or save man.

    Read More

  • Prejudice and Pride Illustrated in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Dangers of Technology Exposed in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1592 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Frankenstein, Shelley creates two very complex characters. They embody the moral dilemmas that arise from the corruption and disturbance of the natural order of the world. When Victor Frankenstein is attending school, he becomes infatuated with creating a living being and starts stealing body parts from morgues around the university. After many months of hard work, he finishes one stormy night bringing his creation to life. However, “now that [Victor] had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (Chambers). Right after Victor realizes what he has done, he falls into deep depression and must be nursed back to health by his friend. Victor spends the rest of the story facing consequences and moral problems from creating unnatural life. When he realizes that the ‘monster’ has killed his brother, even though no one believes him, he feels responsible for his brother’s murder because he was responsible for the existence of the ‘monster’. Also feeling responsible, Victor...

    Read More

More about Frankenstein Ambition Essay

Open Document