Paradox In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

481 Words1 Page

A paradox is a statement that contradicts itself and still seems true somehow. In novels paradoxes exist to create a deeper meaning of the literary content. Frankenstein is a book about a madman who creates what he calls a monster. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein paradoxes throughout the monster’s life are shown through humanity, love and appearance. What makes a human, human? Is it having emotions, talking, or simply just how we interact with each other? If those are the basics that makes humans human than the monster that Victor creates in frankenstein is not a monster but in fact a human due to the fact he goes through emotions, conversations and human interaction. Did anyone ever wonder if the monster itself was more human than …show more content…

The monster always says he wants a companion and someone to love him but how can you want love but kill someone else's love? That's quite the contradiction. On page 124 in chapter 17 the monster says to Victor "You must create a female for me.." But then in the beginning of chapter 23 the monster kills Victor's female love, Elizabeth. The monster must learn that just because he kills Victor's love that doesn't mean that Victor will make him a love. Overall the paradox of love is used to show how the monster feels and thinks. Originally when Victor creates the monster he wanted it to come out a beautiful creature but it came out to be an unpleasant looking creature with no pleasing features at all. The monster doesn't realize how horrid he looks until he sees himself and that changes his whole perception of himself and his out look on his the rest of his life. Overall the paradox of appearance is significant because it shows that the way you see yourself on the outside truly does matter and affect how you feel on the inside. In conclusion the paradoxes of love, humanity and appearance together help give Frankenstein a deeper meaning and understanding. The paradox that basically sums up the book is the paradox of humanity which is; Is the monster really a monster or can he be labeled as human?
Throughout the whole book that paradox is being used and the paradoxes of love and appearance are helping contribute to

Show More
Related

  • Thou Didst Say Me Versus Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal

    847 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Waddington’s poem he relates his story in the poem by expressing a paradox, alliteration and irony. The speaker uses the paradox, “the delicate delicate serpent of your lip...

    Read More

  • Frankenstein

    698 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Moore Paradox Essay

    1230 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order to understand the concept of Moore’s Paradox, we must first assess and understand the behavior of logical and performative contradictions. Credited for devising and examining this paradox, George Edward Moore, a British philosopher who taught at the University of Cambridge and studied ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics describes the paradox in its omissive and commissive forms in which we will discuss thoroughly. I will then express my standpoint on which solution is the most optimal choice for Moore’s Paradox in order to analyze and explain why I believe my solution is superior to other solutions. I will also discuss any issues that arise

    Read More

  • Loss Of Humanity In Frankenstein

    1101 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Analysis of Passage in Shelley's Frankenstein

    581 Words  | 2 Pages

    Letters Frankenstein This passage is out of letter three, paragraph three. I chose this paragraph because it sounded interesting and it plays a very important part in this novel. Mary Shelley wrote this novel during the Industrial Revolution. The characters in this passage approached the North Pole, challenging the Northern Sea in July.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein: Who is the victim?

    385 Words  | 1 Pages

    After Victor destroys his work on the female monster meant to ease the monster's solitude, the monster is overcome with suffering and sadness. These feelings affected his state of mind and caused him to do wrong things. He did not deserve to see his one and only mate be destroyed.

    Read More

  • Growing Up Empty by Loretta Schwartz-Nobel

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    According to the notes from class, true paradox is defined as two ideas or principles that seem irreconcilable with each other, but prove on closer scrutiny, simultaneously valid. The theory of paradox is recommended to address and remove the ineffectiveness of opposing viewpoints. The benefit of the theory of paradox is that it seeks to recognize and value all perspectives. It also encourages using the effective aspects of all perspectives.

    Read More

  • Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    How can such disparate characters, that are even resentful towards one another, be so consubstantial? Though Victor and the monster do not share the same physical or social traits, they have many of the same personality traits. Victor and the monster are analogous with their desire for knowledge, relationships with nature, and with desires for family. The author uses complex diction, symbolism, and syntax to emphasize these similarities. Throughout the plot, these similarities become more apparent and as this occurs their relationship worsens.

    Read More

  • Human Connection In Frankenstein

    590 Words  | 2 Pages

    To begin, the monster longed for human connection so badly, he even begged Victor to create his wife: “You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do, and I demand it of you as my right which you must not refuse to concede,” (174). In this quote, the monster asks Victor to make him a companion, which Victor blatantly denies. This eventually leads to

    Read More

  • Mary Shelley's Frankensteing

    1432 Words  | 3 Pages

    Frankenstein is among one of the most iconic novels written during the early 19th Century. This novel was written by a distinguished Mary Shelley and first published in the year 1818. Shelley’s story is considered to written before its time as it challenged many themes and ideas of humanism, natural science, ambition, abortion, etc. The novel itself sparked many controversies and debates as numerous different topics are challenged and discussed throughout the novel. Shelley flawlessly executes the story as she writes in a dramatic gothic drama tone and allows the reader to step into different views of the story by changing perspectives.

    Read More

  • Why The Dark Is Rising Be Banned

    766 Words  | 2 Pages

    This insistence creates two problems. One is a problem of representation, in which the books confirm the strict illusion-reality dualism so characteristic of most contemporary medieval fictions. The second is a problem of interpretation, since they finally appear to undermine the very values of imagination and tradition that Cooper wishes to espouse.

    Read More

  • The Paradox of Discovery in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the concept of "discovery" is paradoxical: initial discovery is joyful and innocent, but ends in misery and corruption. The ambitions of both Walton and Frankenstein (to explore new lands and to cast scientific light on the unknown, respectively) are formed with the noblest of intentions but a fatal disregard for the sanctity of natural boundaries. Though the idea of discovery remains idealized, human fallibility utterly corrupts all pursuit of that ideal. The corruption of discovery parallels the corruption inherent in every human life, in that a child begins as a pure and faultless creature, full of wonder, but hardens into a self-absorbed, grasping, overly ambitious adult. Only by novel's end does Walton recognize that he must abandon his own ambition (the mapping of previously uncharted land), out of concern for the precious lives of his crew.

    Read More

  • Humanity In Frankenstein Essay

    2530 Words  | 6 Pages

    “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly explores the concept of the body, life, ‘the self’ and most of importantly humanity, which is repeatedly questioned throughout the novel. The definition of humanity is the quality of being humane or in other words someone that can feel or possess compassion. Despite all the facts against the “monster” in “Frankenstein” he is indeed what one would consider being human. Humanity isn’t just about ones physical appearance but also includes intellect and emotion. Some people argue that the “monster” is not a human for he was not a creature that was born from “God” or from a human body. That being said, the “monster” is not only able to speak different languages, he can also show empathy - one of many distinct traits that set humans apart from the animals. Both the “monster” and his creator, Victor, hold anger and feel a sense of suffering throughout the novel. Victor is a good person with good intentions just like most individuals, but makes the mistake of getting swept up into his passion of science and without thinking of the consequences he creates a “monster”. After completing his science project, he attempts to move forward with his life, however his past – i.e., the “monster” continues to follow and someone haunt him. While one shouldn’t fault or place blame on Frankenstein for his mistakes, you also can’t help but feel somewhat sympathetic for the creature. Frankenstein just wants to feel accepted and loved, he can’t help the way he treats people for he’s only mimicking how people have treated him, which in most cases solely based on his appearance. Unlike most of the monsters we are exposed to in films past and present, the character of the “monster” ...

    Read More

  • The Importance of Identity Possession in Frankenstein

    2107 Words  | 5 Pages

    The idea of duality permeates the literary world. Certain contradictory commonplace themes exist throughout great works, creation versus destruction, light versus dark, love versus lust, to name a few, and this trend continues in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The pivotal pair in this text however, is monotony versus individuality. The opposing entities of this pairing greatly contrast against each other in Frankenstein, but individuality proves more dominant of the two in this book.

    Read More

  • An Alternate Ending To Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    598 Words  | 2 Pages

    A very long time ago there were 4 romers were walking through the clouds on a very sunny day it was also very hot day, the sun was beating on them as they were looking down on the people in Shay town but, for some very weird reason there were few people out almost like everyone was in one spot because the people that were out were gathered around this place that the cloud romers had never seen like the building had been built overnight but what was even more peculiar is that the building was in a odd shape like a dome or bubble. It was like something brought it in and dropped it on the people of Shay but as the romers began to talk about the strange things that were going on not only was it the dome but, about a month before this happened they noticed some things like loud shrieking noises but they did not pay any attention to the strange incidents but today they put the dome and all the things before it together, it had to be some creature and the people outside the dome must have been soldiers but as they realized what it was, they saw the creature running out of a corner of a alleyway as it reached one of the soldiers it savagely ripped him apart.

    Read More

More about Paradox In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Open Document