The Creation Of Realism In The Modern Prometheus By Mary Shelley

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Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has a subtitle entitled “The Modern Prometheus” referring to the Greek Titan, foreshadows the similarities between this Titan God of Forethought and Victor Frankenstein God of The Monster. The story initiates the ideals of the creation of human kind. The concept also relates to the quote from Paradise Lost a few lines below the subtitle, “Did I request thee, Maker from my clay/ To mould me man? Did I [solicit] thee/ From darkness to promote me? — (4)”. The biblical suggestion goes on as the original creation of the human race, is like Victor, the original creator of the Monster. Shelley points out the deviation subtly, yet often enough that her audience can interpret. In George Levine critical analysis, “Frankenstein and the Tradition of Realism,” he recognizes Shelley’s prose as he writes, “Every story seems a variation on every other (313)”. The essence of Levine’s argument is clear that these kinds of redoubling are characteristic of the whole novel.
In Greek mythology, Prometheus created humankind out of mud and water and then stole fire from the gods to give his creation. Gifting these elements or in some stories cursing these elements to the humans resulted in the Titans tormenting …show more content…

The lessons that were given to Walton towards the end of the novel by Frankenstein were that he must sacrifice his ambition to others but also to reject Frankenstein’s last wish for vengeance. The author writes that because Walton rejects the wish for vengeance, “He is finally freed into a better (and perhaps a lesser) life.” All the major and minor characters are echoes of each other. The author writes that the novel is about one mind and not the landscape even when it travels to all these exotic destinations. Frankenstein failed in his responsibility to his creation. At the end Levine writes that the monster has final peace in his

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