Thesis Statement For Frankenstein

English II Name: Jake Silver

Building the Creatures

Write a paragraph in which you compare and contrast Victor’s feelings about building the two creatures in order to explain what Mary Shelley is arguing through these two scenes. Analyze two quotations in your response, one about the building the creature and one about building the female.

As always, you must provide necessary context, effectively embed, and properly cite your quotations.

Your insightful argument statement must “get outside” of the book (it CANNOT mention character names; must apply to life in general, not just the novel). Avoid the obvious -- move beyond the simplicity of Victor being happy the first time and unhappy the second time.

Find quotes that go beyond plot.

how? so what?

Remember, it is through answering those three questions that you support your argument statement.

Jake Silver

Same Same But Different

In Volume 1 and 3 of Frankenstein, Victor’s reason for creating the “monster” changes drastically; however, ultimately leading to the same consequence of suffering and depression. Through this change in Victor, Shelley argues that all humans have an instinctive notation of right from wrong and learn from their mistakes. Victor left his friends and family to go to college; when there, he had no friends and social life. His top and only priority was his schoolwork; he read all he can about the sciences, especially chemistry and anatomy. When finished with his studies, Victor is ready to start his creation when he confirms his proceedings aloud, “Winter, spring, and summer, passed away during my labours; but I did not watch the blossom or the expanding leaves-sights which before always yielded me supreme delight, so deeply was I engrossed in my occupation. The leaves of that year had withered before my work drew near to a close; and now every day shewed me more plainly how well I had succeeded.

did not watch the blossom.” Shelley illustrates to the reader how beautiful the “blossom” of the flowers are and how much Victor is missing out of by dedicating all of his time to making the “monster”. This is one factor of Victor’s suffering and depression, the act of missing out on the true meanings of life. Shelley wanted to make this a very personal matter to the reader and Victor because most people have a personal connection to seeing the flowers bloom in spring, which then lets the reader connect their own experience and back with Victors. Shelley also uses that same “blossom” reference as a symbol for Victor’s own intellectual blooming and expanding just as the flowers are expanding his horizon. Even though Victor “did not watch the blossom,” this gave him more time to “succeeded” with his making of the “monster”. There is an evident change in Victor's passion to create the “monster” when Victor says, “enthusiasm was check by my anxiety.” Here, Victors animal instinct of sensing fear is present. He knows that making life artificially is very risky and it gives him “anxiety” even though his intentions were originally pure and out of the passion for science. He subconsciously (instinctively) knows that