Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Mary Shelley is an author who wrote the novel of Frankenstein. Mary
Shelley herself in her life, experienced many deaths of close friends
and family. When she was first born her mother died, furthermore Mary
had a baby, who died 12 days later and her husband Percy Shelly
drowned. Maybe it was these experiences, which led Mary Shelley to
write such a novel of great horror published in 1818. Frankenstein
itself is called 'the modern Prometheus'. Prometheus in Greek myth
stole fire from Zeus and gives it to humanity but was then eternally
punished by Zeus. In the Latin version Prometheus created man from
clay and water. Victor Frankenstein is seen as a modern Prometheus as
he rebels against nature by making an unnatural man because he would
be of benefit to mankind and he is then punished by his creation.
Frankenstein is an account of the life of Victor Frankenstein as
related to him by the British sailor, Robert Walton, by whom he has
been found on the ice floats of the Antarctic Ocean. Frankenstein,
when first introduced, is weak and worn. 'Only one dog remained alive
on entering the vessel Frankenstein faints'. Walton says he has never
seen a man in such a 'wretched condition'. This description makes us
evoke sympathy for Frankenstein. It shows something bad has happened
in the past and it is this that makes the reader want to read on.
Rubbing Frankenstein with Brandy, Walton manages to revive him and so
they wrapped him up in blankets and put him near the fire. This shows
Frankenstein is in a bad state. When one of the sailor says 'Here is
our captain and he will not allow you to perish on the open sea...
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..., and quicken the beatings of
the heart. The language although complicated at times, enhances the
feeling of involvement in the novel. This novel seemed to foresee a
path in futuristic science. At the time people would be shocked, as
they would not know if this could come true and in 1802 a scientist
found electricity present in human limbs. This is probably what kept
the tale of Frankenstein alive.
We are given the impression that Frankenstein was a guilty party and
victim at the same time. Through the story we feel sorry for him, we
emphasize with him then we come to despise him because of his actions
but Mary Shelley makes Frankenstein come across as a tragic hero who
found himself caught between the grips of discovery and fate and in
all, we begin to understand the feelings and the whole tale of
Frankenstein.
at the time I read this, I still got much from the reading. Haught, in this book, did the
...time, reality becomes unclear, and when unclear, one might look upon the past for answers.
life he talks about 2 years of his life with no rest o concern about
history had taken a huge turn expanding our minds to see this era in a positive perspective. But
than the times of today. Back then, the most important aspect of life for a
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
Compare and Contrast the episodes of the creation of the monster and the creation of the second monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley finished her first edition of 'Frankenstein' in 1816, when she was nineteen years old. Since then her "monster" has become so popular in the twenty-first century that he appears in films, advertisements, comics and even computer games. So how is it that as such a young age she was able to write such a gripping novel, which has become more famous than any other work of 'Romantic' literature, and indeed, her own? It could have been a result of an intellectually stimulating childhood due to having free access to her fathers extensive library and literary connections; or it could have been a result of her being emotionally undernourished as a child. Whichever way, she has succeeded in writing a novel that 'speaks to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror' (p.8 - author's introduction), as she wanted; and she has included many personal ideas about politics and familial relations as well as moral, philosophical and scientific ideas on the creation and 'elixir of life' (p.42).
In Frankenstein, Shelley describes Walton’s perception of Victor’s perilous adventure to eliminate his life-threatening creation. In accounting Frankenstein’s journey, she adds a cautionary message to society by illustrating the devastating consequences of scientific inquiry and the overall acquirement of knowledge. She uses both Victor and Walton as examples of men attempting to exceed human limits. From Victor’s initial “success” with reanimation, his creation ultimately symbolizes the unpredictability of unrestricted experimentation. His creation throws him into multiple depressions and Victor struggles to maintain a stable life. In the end, Walton considers Victor’s demise from a disastrous appetite for “nature’s secrets” as a lesson for his own conquest for glory and knowledge. In this, Shelley uses Frankenstein to warn society about its further audacity in pushing boundaries to uncomfortable limits.
In Marry Shelly’s book Frankenstein, she tells the story of a man named Victor Frankenstein. The character of Frankenstein contains traits that parallel Prometheus from Greek mythology. Through his actions and emotions Victor Frankenstein becomes the modern Prometheus by producing ill-fated actions that carry tragic consequences just as Prometheus’ did.
The characterization of Victor’s creature, the monster, in the movie although somewhat dramatically different from Mary Shelley’s portrayal in the novel Frankenstein also had its similarities. Shelley’s views of the monster were to make him seem like a human being, while the movie made the monster out to be a hideous creation. The creature’s appearance and personality are two aspects that differ between the novel and movie while his intellectual and tender sides were portrayed the same.
fact it was not unusual for the quiet girl named Mary to write such a
Frankenstien Many punishments for crimes are often given to innocent people. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, there are several instances in which the punishment is given to an innocent person. Justine, a maid at the Frankenstein residence, was killed for a crime she did not commit. Felix, a character the Monster encounters, was exiled from his country, for helping an innocent man escape from jail. Lastly, Victor himself was jailed for a murder, which he did not commit.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a very complex book riddled with underlying messages. From the characteristics of each individual to the main storyline Shelley depicts a world of opposites. Victor Frankenstein, a privileged young man, defies nature when his obsession with life and death has him attempting to bring someone/something to life. He succeeds and quickly goes from obsessed over its creation to disgust with its form. He then rejects his creation, which sets the stage for the terrifying events to come. This is the embodiment of a modern novel as it contains alienation, disillusionment, and a critique of science.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, is a book in which men pursue their goals against hopeless odds. Robert Walton’s decision to turn the ship around at the end of the novel is questioned by many. This essay will discuss the interpreted views on Robert Walton’s decision to retreat by Victor Frankenstein, Mary Shelley and myself. Although, some may disagree ultimately Robert Walton made the right choice to turn his ship around at the end of the novel and is therefore not a failure.
message between the two of them. The changing of the time period was a very smart and interesting thing