Tiffany Solorzano
Professor Garrow
LIT232-Sect.03
March 2, 2104
Essay #1: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Mary Shelley states towards the end of Volume 2, Chapter 5, “Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? (83)”. In the context of Volumes 1-2, the narrator is asking this question because the question revolved around Victor Frankenstein and his creation of the monster due to his admiration of the relationship between nature and knowledge. On Volume 2, chapter 2, “Oh, Frankenstein...Remember, that I am thy creature: I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather thy fallen angel...I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous (68)”. Here, the monster is talking to Frankenstein; and that through here, the narrator is speaking generally of man, his question is suggestive of a particular man in the text and that the man is the minster that Frankenstein has created.
What is virtuous of this man is that he is desperate to fit into society and educates himself to the communication of the people around him. What is base of this particular man is that he is not a human being and therefore, he is sad and lonely and knows that he cannot coincide with society; but he feels his happiness near nature itself, just like the birds in the trees or the fish in the pond. With the quote on page 68, the monster is comparing his creator as God and himself as the fall of man, like Adam. The monster says to Frankenstein that he has a good heart deep inside, but the maltreatment of other humans and his own ugliness has made his heart cold and bitter. Victor Frankenstein and the monster both share their love for science, especially when the monster stated, “...
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...ature separates how good and evil are both viewed by society and how much of both have existed in the world. The creature has been admiring and discovering life by experiencing and learning the language, interactions, and overall love; he can’t believe how much evil there has been and how he hates it.
The creature goes on to say that “To be a great and virtuous man appeared the highest honor that can befall a sensitive being; to be base and vicious, as many on record have been, appeared the lowest degradation, a condition more abject than that of the blind mole or harmless worm.”(52) He is speaking of his creator, Victor Frankenstein, as he believes the “virtuous” part of him is the “god-like” way that he had permeated him with life but the “base” part of his creator is the violent way in which he shunned him and left him to fend for himself to the natural world.
After hearing the monster’s side of the story Frankenstein started to show some compassion for the being and agreed to it’s desire for a mate. Now that Frankenstein has learned the full story of his creation he feels the need to take responsibility for it now with the line, “did [he] not as his maker owe him all portions of happiness” (Shelley 125), less the monster start to attack humanity out of
Victor Frankenstein describes his creation as a ‘fiend of unparalleled barbarity.’ The noun ‘barbarity’ connotes cruelty and someone who is monstrous; this shows how Frankenstein sees the creature as the ultimate symbol of a savage. Furthermore the use of the adjective “unparalleled” suggests that Frankenstein thinks that no one will ever be equal the levels of brutality that the creature exhibits. Victor indulges in a determined, almost compulsive hyperbole that distances himself and demonizes his creation. In the process Victor comes to identify himself with "the whole human race" against the anomalous alien being he would cast out from it. However throughout the novel the creature is an eloquent and rational character whereas Victor Frankenstein relies on passion bursts of rage often fainting in the process. Lee Sterrenburg writes “The monster speaks like a philosophe, while Victor rages in Romantic agony” , Mary Shelley uses these differences to blur the boundaries between the civilised and savage.as we are able to see that the creature is someone who we are able to sympathise with ; society has made him a fiend, it is not innate this is from a theory formulated by french philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau called the Tabula Rasa . M.A. Goldberg writes "
Rage and vengeance are very familiar emotions that are expressed by the creature. Because these feelings are human flaws in character, the creature allows these hurtful emotions to hurt his character of “kindness and gentleness”. Deeply hurt by such an attack for his good deed, his ire is provoked and like a human would, he reacts impulsively. A spectrum of
But the monster seems strongly anchored into his determination to give the relationship with mankind another chance. He admires the qualities of humans, but yet he wanders how is it possible that there are so many contradictory attributes gathered in a single human being: "Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous, and magnificent, and yet so vicious and base ?" (Shelley 147). Two more unpleasant events shutter his belief in ever establishing a connection with mankind. When he attempts to make contact with the people who have unwillingly constituted his adopting family, he is rejected on basis of physical appearance.
...the violence of the change" (208), a common human handicap. Dashed expectations and social disenchantment endear him to memory through association of traumatic experience mortals claim in their lives. Dispelling any guilt of evil, the entreaty for justice appeals to social values when the monster finishes, "I desired love and fellowship, and I was still spurned. Was there no injustice in this? Am I to be thought the only criminal when all humankind sinned against me?" (210). Mary Shelley confessed her intent in writing this novel was partially "for the delineating of human passions," consistent with the prevailing notion of naturalism at the time. Victor Frankenstein had studied natural philosophy and, to a measure, Shelley analyzed nature and its discord with society. Through the wondrous humanity and oppression of the monster, society's humanity is debated.
What is a monster, really? Is it really a Creature that has three eyes instead of two, with pus seeping out of every crevice in his face and an abnormally large form? Or is it someone with a mind so corrupt it rivals that of Satan? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a story within a story that centers on the tale of a man with an immense thirst of knowledge and a fetish to imitate the Creator. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a lot like the Greek mythological tale of the Greek God, Prometheus, and his brother, Epimetheus, who were assigned the task of creating man. The story captivates the theme of monstrosity. Mary Shelley wrote the novel in a form so the reader’s opinions never stray far from sympathy for the monster and apathy for Victor Frankenstein. The novel looks at “Monstrosity” and “Humanity” in a deeply analytical way.
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.
The literary critic Harold Bloom, in his Afterward in the Signet Edition of Frankenstein states that, “The monster is at once more intellectual and more emotional than his creator.” Bloom continues to say that the creature is more human, more lovable, and more to be pitied than Doctor Frankenstein (292). Throughout the novel Frankenstein, the monster portrays more human qualities than his creator Dr. Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein appears less human than his creation because he rejects his own creation and he fails to plan for the results of his experiment. As the monster wanders through the novel searching for companionship and acceptance, Dr. Frankenstein refuses to provide the support expected of a parent or creator. While the monster appears human in his attempts to socialize with his peers, Dr. Frankenstein represents the monstrosity that occurs when humans tamper with life.
It is when Frankenstein realizes how different he is to other people that he realizes his uniqueness and individualism. “I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man. I was more agile than they and could subsist upon a coarser diet; I bore the extremes of heat and cold with less injury to my frame; my stature far exceeded theirs. When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?” (Frankenstein, 150). While Frankenstein is by no means a human, he is made up of human parts and still craves love and affection. His rejection from everyone he sees, including his creator makes him feel like an outcast. It was because of Victor that Frankenstein couldn’t bear to be who he was made to be and felt a need to run into isolation. Victor not only created a monster physically, but also mentally turned him into someone he didn’t have to be. Both Frankenstein and Victor struggle with balancing their personal wants and needs with societies expectations and the people around them. That is one of the true struggles of being one person living in a world of many, you have to do what makes you happy while making sure it doesn’t effect other peoples happiness negatively. Victor doesn’t do a good job of
The creature’s moral ambiguity characteristic was a vile ingredient to the construction of this novel Frankenstein because it made the reader 's sympathies with him even after the audience knows he had committed murder because the readers had seen the truth this creature had to face. That he had tried everything within his power to peacefully live with them, to interact, communicate, and befriend them “these thoughts exhilarated me and led me to apply with fresh ardour to the acquiring the art of language”, that even though he was seen as a monster because of the looks he was created with, something he had no control over, he still had hope to be seen as equals, ”My organs were indeed harsh, but supple; and although my voice was very unlike the soft music of their tones, yet I pronounced such words as I understood with tolerable ease. It was as the ass and the lap-dog; yet surely the gentle ass whose intentions were affectionate, although his manners were rude, deserved better treatment than blows and execration;” this hope of his was utterly crushed, and can only set him up for utter disappointment(12.18). Because in the end he only received hates, scorns, violence, and prejudice from his good will. So in the end of the story, Mary Shelley’s forces the readers to see within the creature’s heart and for
“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” ...
...erstood that the real monster was his ambition which led to his overall tragedy. He died miserable because of his pride; one could say he is selfish because when creating the creature he did not think of the benefit of others.
The Creature, Victor Frankenstein’s creation, is shaped into a monster through its experiences, instead of the nature of itself, which is more expected. Victor Frankenstein, on the other hand, is shaped into a monster because of his mind’s power-hungry nature. Victor treats his creature poorly and he himself becomes wicked. While the Creature also becomes wicked in the end, its actions are more justified because multiple people treated it poorly, causing the Creature to lash out. Even though Victor Frankenstein and the Creature both turn into wicked monsters, to some extent, only one of
Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein, is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise. Throughout the novel, Shelley investigates the idea of monstrosity. She makes the point that a monster does not have to be genuinely evil in order to be considered monstrous.
The philosophical root of Frankenstein seems to be the empiricist theory first promoted by John Locke in An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. In that essay, the mind is concieved as beginning as a blank slate or tabula rasa, upon which the various impressions gained by the outside world shape the personality. According to this strict empiricism, the mind contains no innate basis for the basic prerequisites for human socialization: a social code and/or morality with empathetic roots. As a result of the monster's isolation, he is unable to sympathize with human beings and loses respect for other intelligent life. Even though the monster has good intentions, his beneficence is subverted by the negative and anti-social reactions he receives from the people he encounters.