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Who Is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?
Mary Shelley, the author of science–fiction novel Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus, more
widely–known as simply Frankenstein, was born in England during 1797, the daughter of a
feminist activist and a political writer/philosopher. She began writing Frankenstein at age 18. After
being cooped up indoors after year without summer, Mary and her friends decided to have a writing
contest to pass the time. Mary struggled to think of a topic to write about, but after having a
conversation with her friend about electricity and the possibility of creating life with a spark, she
began to write Frankenstein. Although she was 18 when she began writing it, due to personal issues,
Frankenstein wasn't published until two years later, when she was 20....show more content...
Victor creates life, the monster, and he regrets it. "I ardently wished to extinguish that life which
I had so thoughtlessly made," (67). The monster himself says "I, the miserable and the
abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on," (188). Both the
monster and Victor regret the creation. Also, Victor aborts the female monster partway through
creating her. The reason he destroys the female monster is because he was afraid that she and the
first monster might reproduce. In Shelley's own life, she had a lot of trauma relating to birth.
Near the beginning of her writing Frankenstein, she delivered a baby that died a few days later.
She then made a journal entry reading "Dream that my little baby came to life again; that it had
only been cold, and that we rubbed it before the fire, and it lives." While she was writing the book,
she went through two pregnancies, both died young, at ages one and three. Even Shelley's own
mother died from childbirth. By the time she wrote the 1831 intro to Frankenstein, Shelley had
survived six pregnancies, and lost four children. Another reference to Shelley's life in her novel, is
that the first victim of the monster was a child, and that character, William, was named after her
own child who died as a
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is widely hailed as literature's greatest gothic novel, as well as its first
science fiction work. Written by a young woman in answer to a challenge from a circle of male
authors (which included her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley), the tale is drawn from her personal
experiences as well as from the writings of other authors. The monster in the story is a multifaceted
symbol for humanity's fears, representing unchecked technology and the un–mothered child, among
other things. As a representative of these fears, the monster itself may be described as a doppleganger.
The word doppleganger is taken from the German dopplegänger, meaning "double goer." It appears
as a reflection...show more content...
She had nightmares about her children and was always fearful about pregnancy. (Mellor, 175) For
approximately nine months, Frankenstein labored on the creation of his "child." Finally on a
"dreary night in November, he witnesses the 'birth'": "I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature
open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs." Specific fears may be found
reflected by the monster: What if my child is born deformed? Could I still love it or would I wish
it were dead? What if I can't love my child? Am I capable of raising a healthy, normal child? Will
my child die? Could I wish my own child to die? Will my child kill me in childbirth? Mary is
expressing her fears related to the death of her first child, her ability to nurture, and the fact that her
mother died having her. In fact, Frankenstein is probably the first work of western literature to delve
into the female anxieties of childbirth. After its exile, the creature is left with no parental figure to
guide it and becomes violent, particularly toward its "family." This reflects the belief that any child
left without maternal guidance will become a primitive animal, committing acts of violence and
outrage. (Desert Aine 1, 1–3)
Mary was influenced in her creation of Frankenstein very strongly by Ovid and Milton. Ovid's
influence supplied her with yet another doppleganger, this one resembling the
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Marissa Miranda
English 01A
Prof. Bronstein
9:15am
Who is the moster? In "Frankenstein" Mary Shelley tells the story of Victor Frankenstein and his
creature within the story the question of what makes a monster? Frankenstein and the creature often
show these possibilities of being a monster as they struggle through their lives in the world where
society won't accept them. Shelley uses different points of view/mind sets and diction to show the
making of a monster isn't by how a person is born but who that person is and their choices.
Frankenstein is a monster from the beginning of the book. He has a twisted mind set that turn him
mad. He may have been through a few tragedies but he lost focus of what life was. Shelley wrote:
"I never saw a more interesting creature; his eyes have generally an expression of wildness, and
even madness, but there are moments when, if any one performs an act of kindness towards him or
does him any the most trifling service, his whole countenance is lighted up, as it were, with a beam
of benevolence and sweetness that I never saw equalled... 'I agree with you,' replied the stranger;
'we are unfashioned creatures, but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselves– such a
friend ought to be – do not lend his aid to perfectionate our weak and faulty natures.... Life and
death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light
into our dark world.... I seemed to have
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, is a writer who was greatly
influenced by the Romantic era in which she lived. In fact, she moved among the greatest talents of
the English Romantic writers including her poet/husband Percy Shelley and their poet/friend Lord
Byron. Her writing was also influenced by the other great Romantic poets Wordsworth and
Coleridge, whose ideas she either directly quotes or paraphrases in Frankenstein. Since Mary Shelley
was so intimate with these great talents of the Romantic movement, it is quite natural that her most
famous work Frankenstein reflects many of the Romantic trends and devices. Natural and remote
settings are essential aspects in Romantic writing. Many...show more content...
Victor Frankenstein's next destination is Mont Blanc. He seems to find solace in the presentation
of the different sides of nature. Once again, Victor returns to the beautiful mountains and glorious
streams in order to receive "the greatest consolation" (Shelley 80). This picturesque scene had a
calming effect on his most recent disturbance. It allowed him to some how divert his mind from
the horror that was right before him. He seeks relaxation and he finds it by sitting at the top of a
rock on a sea of ice. Victor is constantly reminded of his troubles, but just the thought of this sweet
serenity makes him forget about his present problems. Victor exclaims, "Wandering spirits, if
indeed ye wander, and do not rest in your narrow beds , allow me this faint happiness, or take me,
as your companion, away from the joys of life" (Shelly 82). Victor's current dispositions is a classic
example of the typical Romantic characteristics.The guilt–ridden wanderer and the solitary outcast
so prevalent in Romantic literature appear in the form of both Victor and his monster. In the
process of finding the answers to life's greatest questions of knowledge, Victor has the tendency to
neglect his family. He decides not to respond to any of their letters and continues to work in
absolute solitude avoiding all of his fellow colleagues. As a result of his thirst for wisdom, Victor
manages not to pay his family a visit in almost over
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The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, is a story about how important having a family is to
some, but also judging someone based on their appearance. Victor Frankenstein starts the novel by
describing his childhood with his loving and supportive family. Family is very important to him
because he did not have many friends growing up. While Frankenstein is away at school he starts to
become very depressed and you see his attitude towards his family and his life change. Being
away at school, he creates a "monster" by using different pieces of corpses and that becomes the
only thing that matters to him until he sees how hideous it is. He immediately hates his creation
just because of how he looks. Frankenstein begins to abandon everyone and thing in his life
because of his obsession with the idea of glory and science, causing the novel to go from
Romanticism to Gothic. The "monster" finds a family living in a cottage, by watching all winter
he learns how a family should love and accept others. By seeing this, Frankenstein's creations
understand what was taken from him, and will do whatever he has to do to have a family of his
own. The novel has a strong family influence throughout the entire book. Frankenstein's parents
have great appreciation for their family. "No human being could have passed a happier childhood
than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence." (Shelley)
His mother, Caroline was always trying to help others and got
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Frankenstein By Mary Shelly
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is a novel about Victor Frankenstein, who creates a hideous creature in
an unusual scientific experiment. Frankenstein's monster ends up getting revenge by killing Victor's
family and close friends, including his newlywed wife the night of their wedding. When Victor dies
of exhaustion chasing down his creation, the monster pays a final farewell to him, saying that he
will depart for the northernmost ice to die as well. In the interactive oral we discussed certain
themes shows in the novel such as gothic and romance. Elements of the Gothic genre that are used in
Frankenstein are mystery and supernatural activities. Gothic novels tend to take place in dark and
gloomy places like castles, dungeons and towers to create
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The book Frankenstein is by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, is about a man named Victor
Frankenstein who creates a monster and reaps the consequences, for making such a hideous beast.
He loved science, so he went to school in Ingolstadt, and read lots of books talked to some smart
people who recommended some better books than he had already read at home, Frankenstein
discovered, and unfolded secrets that other men had only dreamed of accomplishing. Frankenstein
creates a monster, and seeks to make another but does not, and in the end he seeks vengeance until
death for the destruction caused by the monstrous wretch.
When Victor Frankenstein was a child he developed a love for the basics of life and how things
worked, he read many books on useless
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Chapter Four of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The novel, 'Frankenstein' written in 1816 approaches many key issues, which were as relevant
then as they are today. At the time there were many scientists who were experimenting in the area
of making life, and Shelley addresses this as the main point of her novel. The novel is still as
popular as it was in 1818 (when it was first published) due to the way it discusses issues, such as
prejudice and parent/child relationships, which are still relevant to modern society.
The novel was written my Mary Shelley when she was challenged to write a horror story. Shelly
was a part of the Romantic Movement and much of the scenery she describes reflects this. An...show
more content...
The atmosphere is also being built by saying "the rain pattered dismally against the panes." This
makes us think of a stereotypical gothic–horror scene, and so we begin to associate the next events
with horror. My doing this, Shelley is allowing us to create a hideous image in our minds even
before the creature has been born. The mental image which we have created is then reinforced when
the creature's first movements are described. Frankenstein speaks of his birth, saying "I saw the dull
yellow eye of the creature open...a convulsive motion agitated its limbs". We are then easily led to
thinking it is horrible, as the words "dull yellow" are associated with dirt. The "convulsive motion"
described is also quite the opposite of a graceful, smooth movement, and so we are made to think of
a horrible, twitchy movement, which is also connected with illness, and therefore makes us connect
the monster with disease. After the birth, our premonitions are confirmed. Frankenstein uses words
such as "catastrophe", "wretch", "horror" and "disgust" to describe what he has created. He is
judging the monster by his appearances, and not considering his personality. This demonstrates
Victor's prejudice against the being, and is very unfair.
Frankenstein is
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Essay on A Hero of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Every story revolves around a hero. Heroes make an impact on everyday life, positive and
negative, so it is common for writers to revolve their stories around them. One of the several hero
archetypes used in novels is the tragic hero. A tragic hero is a person of noble stature, whose fatal
flaw leads them to abuse the free will they once controlled. This moment of choice leads to a
punishment which far exceeds anything deserving. The fall is not pure loss; the hero gains self
knowledge through an increase in awareness, but the consequences are far reaching. Mary Shelly is
an example of one of the many authors who create literature around a tragic hero. Shelley's novel
Frankenstein is filled with many intricate characters, but only...show more content...
Galvanism, which was a new theory during the time period Frankenstein was written, was the
main science behind his creation. "[Victor] worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose
of infusing life into an inanimate body... [He] had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded
moderation; but now that [he] had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror
and disgust filled [his] heart" (Shelley 35). Victor's dreams were greater than nature would allow
them to be. He was too caught up in his selfish fantasy to realize what he was doing; he came to his
senses too late. This creation sends Victor into what seems like an endless downfall. He tries to
abandon his creation, but deep down, knows it will never truly go away. Victor's "monster" was
incredibly hideous. Whenever he was spotted by anyone, they would become instantly petrified and
judge him, either running away or beating him. Unfortunately, this has always been the average
reaction for someone when they see someone who's different, monstrous, ugly, or anyone/anything
unknown to them. This forced him to live in isolation. Forced to live off the land with nothing to his
being, he endured the worst conditions and treatment. The monster despised Victor for creating him
only to endure a life of unhappiness and loneliness, so he took revenge. Bit by bit, the monster
brought devastation to Victor's
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Frankenstein By Mary Shelley: An Analysis
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley follows Victor Frankenstein as he retells his story of trying to break
scientific boundaries by creating life unnaturally without women and the consequences of his
endeavors through Robert Walton's, an explorer, letters to his sister. In Frankenstein, science, the
acquiring of knowledge, is a unnatural and destructive force destroying everything in its wake, when
it is pursued without reserve; bestowing pain and extinguishing lives, loneliness and obsession with
specific scientific ambition, and penetrating nature, emphasized through Walton's and Victor's
distinctive pursuits in the name of science.
The differences between controlled and uncontrolled science is shown through the novel's
description of Walton's and...show more content...
"The author of Frankenstein made it clear that it was not natural science and technology as such that
led Victor and the poor monster to their doom, but only their uncritical and fanatical pursuit,"
(Jagger 274) so much so that even Frankenstein when he later reflects on the time spent creating the
creature comes to this conclusion saying he himself "appeared rather one doomed by slavery to toil
in the mines, or any other unwholesome trade than an artist occupied by his favorite employment."
(Shelley 35) Frankenstein comes to regret his unnatural quest for the secret to creation saying "If the
study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your
taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly
unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind" so much so that if we observed control over
our pursuits "Greece [would] not [have] been enslaved; Caesar would have spared his country; [..]
and the empires of Mexico and Peru [would] not [have] been destroyed." (Shelley 34). The
single–minded strive for knowledge, science, is so destructive and unnaturally that it "dabble[s] in
dirt" and "penetrates into the recesses of nature, and [show] how she works in her hiding places."
(Shelley
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
FRANKENSTEIN
'Frankenstein is full of ideas and warnings which are relevant to a modern audience.'
–Discuss the enduring appeal of the novel.
Introduction:
Despite being over a century old, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has continued to hold public interest
for nearly two hundred years. The novel was published 1818 and is one of the most acclaimed
gothic stories in the history of literature. It has remained a firm favourite with audiences of the past
and present, and has been adapted and re–told many times through various different kinds of media,
for example; radio programmes, theatre, art, children's comic books and cartoons, television...show
more content...
Frankenstein has prevailed for many different reasons including some of the following;
Её It is interesting and has been very well written.
Её It is a provocative gothic novel with an appeal of mystery.
Её It raises all sorts of (moral) issues throughout– some that have been explored in the text are still
relevant to today's world (prejudice, parenting, morality, and scientific advances.)
There is no doubt that many factors influenced and inspired Shelley to write Frankenstein; we know
that she had learned about various philosophical and scientific doctrines. Galvanism (the
re–animating of a corpse) was a popular topic of discussion and interest at her time, and it seems
this was an important influence for Frankenstein. However, her personal experiences seem to have
also influenced her; her mother died just ten days after Mary had been born, and her half–sister
committed later committed suicide. Shortly after this Percy Shelley's wife, Harriet also committed
suicide. An effort was made to resuscitate her, although she died later. The next
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Gender Roles In Frankenstein
Although the structure of the novel Frankenstein is focused around male protagonists, Victor
Frankenstein and his "progeny," the core ideals of the novel play with the way society views the
female sex. Female traces in Frankenstein uncover Mary Shelley's views of struggles with femininity
and sexuality that she perceives from society. The creature of Frankenstein altered into a "monster"
because of the absence of a motherhood role in his life. The transformation that makes the creature a
"monster" is how Shelley aims to point out the significance of the female role. Frankenstein acts as
an analysis of the fears and anxieties of the nineteenth–century woman, which focuses on the
misogynist ideals of social structures that give the male sex influence and power. Shelley uses
the novel to alert society about the dangers of a maternally absent life, a life that opposes the idea
of maternal support in both the home and in society. Frankenstein's creature becomes a monster
because of his lack of a motherhood role in his life. Towards the start of the 19th century it was a
time when women were seen as less than equal and because of this Victor takes it upon himself to
completely disregard the female role in reproduction and rely solely on science and himself. Victor
completely does away with the female function of the mother. He asserts that "Life and death
appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through and pour a torrent of light into our
dark world. A new
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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay
How does Mary Shelley present the character of the monster so as to gain sympathy for him?
When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, in
1818 at the tender age of 18, it was often wondered how such a young girl could imagine such a
horrific story. In fact, one could find that the idea of 'playing God' and manipulating the ideas
behind life and death were very much real at the time, and even today. Many scientists were
investigating the process of bringing a dead being back to life, or galvanism, and there were some,
like Humphrey Davy, who believed that scientists had no limit as to what they could do, believing
that they could become masters, even creators. Shelley's character,
Frankenstein, shares these...show more content...
However the novel also concentrates on the moral and political issues of society at the time, a matter
that could be very easily compared with in our own time. A theme that frequently occurs in the novel
is the issue of appearance and reality, and the way that society tends to judge people's exterior rather
than interior being. The creature is at first innocent, and suffers his life in loneliness and isolation,
eventually becoming the monster that
Frankenstein already sees him as. However the creature was not always as monstrous on the inside.
It is only when he experiences constant rejection from society and even more importantly his
'friends', the de
Laceys', that the creature falls into the character of being a
"monster".
Mary had known about Jean–Jacques Rousseau's theory that children were born with innocence and
purity, and also John Locke, who put forward the idea, tabula rasa, where children learnt from
those around them and through their own sensations that they experience. Even Mary's father,
Godwin, believed that a recluse could not ever be moral, and that only when things like
possession, marriage, and selfishness were abolished could there ever be happiness in our society.
When the idea came to her in a dream, it was with the knowledge of all of this, and her very own
traumatic personal experiences that she had already encountered in life, that Mary Shelley was able
to mould her story into a tale about Frankenstein and
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Themes of Shelley's Frankenstein Essay
Mary Shelley discusses the themes of birth and creation, appearance and the necessity of
companionship, love and acceptance in her novel Frankenstein. The themes that are explored in
Frankenstein are relevant to today's modern world. Shelley challenges readers by endorsing and
confronting attitudes and values in her text through the events, circumstances and outcomes that take
place in the novel, thus causing the reader to reflect upon their own lives and in turn the society
around them.
Shelley raises in her text an issue that is on the forefront of discussion in the modern world, that of
man taking the place of God and the role of woman in the creation of life. The modern world is
currently grappling over the concerns of cloning,...show more content...
One of the main themes in Frankenstein is appearance and acceptance. In today's society and the
society in which Frankenstein is set, people often judge one another solely based on appearance.
Social prejudice is often based on looks. Be it the colour of one's skin, the clothes they wear,
facial features or even ones body expressions. People make snap judgements based on what the eye
beholds. Today's schools are a prime example of this as people are classified instantly and almost
unknowingly.
"There's a lot of hate around here, Gentry Robler, 16, a sophomore at Santana High. He reels off the
high school cliques: the gothics, the freaks, the dorks, the jocks, the Mexican gangsters, the white
supremacists." Time March 2001 pg. 24
This example of the significance of appearance in modern society is also echoed in Frankenstein.
The parallel between the society in the novel and modern society is that of snap judgements based
solely on appearances. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein is a perpetrator of such judgements. Victor
"selected his features as beautiful." Here it is seen Victor's shallowness as he picked the most
perfect body parts and beauteous features, all to be pieced together in great anticipation. However as
one can see, the result is horrific and due to the hideousness of the wretch that he has created, he
abandons him. This same shallowness of judgement due to appearance again surfaces when Victor
accuses the creature of murdering William
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Mary Shelly's Frankenstein Essay
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein shows the life of an early scientist and the effects of uncovering a truth
that has not been known or experimented by other scientist's. The story of Frankenstein portrays
mainly the characters Victor Frankenstein, Henry Clerval, Frankenstein's creation, Captain Walton
and Elizabeth Victor's future wife and relative. When Victor animates a lifeless object he is
horrified by the concept of what he had just done and how it looks. After running away Victor's
loved ones are affected greatly by his choices that he makes along the way, while also changing his
relationship with his creation. Through his feelings of fear when approached by the monster, the
trauma of multiple deaths and the arrest of Justin, Victor...show more content...
Before Victor had achieved reanimating an object his plans and goals had been recognition and
fame with his creation by his side, but now his goal is to get away from his creation. "My heart
palpitated in the sickness of fear; and I hurried on with irregular steps, not daring to look about me."
(Shelly p.30) By running away he changes his initial goal of fame and recognition to now not
wanting to be associated with his creation, out of this experience Victor also learns about
commitment and responsibility.
Victor learns that if he had taken responsibility and fully committed to helping the creation live he
might not have lost the lives of his loved ones due to the creations lack of knowledge and social
skills. The quotes that I have chosen are said by Captain Walton and Dr.Frankenstein in a letter to
Walton's sister. The context for this quote takes place when the ship they are on is emerged in ice
as Walton is approached by his crew about what to do if the ice breaks when Victor interrupts.
"They desired, therefore, that if I should engage with a solemn promise, that if the vessel should
be freed, I would instantly direct my course southward." (Shelly, p.149) This quote is said by
Walton while the next is said in response by Victor. "Are you then so easily turned from your
design? Did you not call this the glorious expedition? And wherefore was it glorious? Not because
the way was smooth and placid as a southern
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Summary Of Frankenstein By Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley used this poem to show the freedom of one's future and the change(s) that will come
with it. The poem also mentions one little thing such as a dream or a "wandering thought" can ruin
a bigger idea. In the story, it was recently addressed that before the poem, "If our impulses were
confined to hunger, thirst, and desire, we might be nearly free". This passage can be implying that
the non–essential things in life are the things that poison us or make us change. The poem's
purpose in this part of the book is to amplify the speaker's last words of the paragraph that state,
"...we are moved by every wind that blows and a chance word or scene that word may convey to
us.". It makes the message of "things will change" very clear to the
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Dehumanization In Frankenstein
"During my first experiment, a kind of enthusiastic frenzy had blinded me to the horror of my
employment; my mind was intently fixed on the consummation of my labour, and my eyes were
shut to the horror of my proceedings. But now I went to it in cold blood, and my heart often
sickened at the work of my hands." (Shelley, 178) The Romantic Movement began in the 1970's and
ended in the 1850's. One of the key ideas shared by Romantics was that a literal and metaphorical
return to nature was necessary. They believed that the individual was the most important part of
society. Romantics rejected the Scientific and Industrial Revolution. They believed that cities
prevented individuals from discovering the sublime. Mary Shelley's Romantic and Gothic novel,
Frankenstein, opens with a series of letters from Robert Walton, an explorer, to his sister.
Throughout these letters, Victor Frankenstein's story is told. He was born into a wealthy family, and
studies at a well–known school, where he develops an interest in biology. Eventually, Frankenstein is
able to bring corpse back to life. He is horrified by his creation and abandons the monster. The
monster eventually kills everyone that Frankenstein loves and in doing so, he also indirectly kills
Victor. The monster then feels guilty and kills himself. Frankenstein reflects the Romantic views of
Mary Shelly. There are many Romantic elements in Frankenstein. There is the evident
dehumanization of the Industrial Revolution. Shelley also
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Frankenstein, By Mary Shelley
I have been informed that you are pushing to remove the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley from
the school curriculum. I've decided to write to you and explain why I believe that you are
misinformed, and in fact, why this is a huge importance to the students of today. Frankenstein is a
classic which recounts the life and horrors of Victor Frankenstein, as told through a series of letters
and narrations. His obsession with the natural world and science brings him to a state of mind
which ultimately ends in the creation of his "monster", that, in turn, destroys Victor and everything
he holds dear. This book has been banned in the South African apartheid in 1995 for being
"objectionable, obscene, and indecent," along with other classical works as well. There was a large
amount of controversy in the United States for it going against some people's religion, as Victor
could be seen as having God–like tendencies, for example, him creating life. I truly believe that
Frankenstein should be kept on the shelves because this book is a prominent part of the modern
world, even after 200 years, and it's important to know where so much of today's horror and sci–fi
has taken it's inspiration from, while simultaneously providing insightful lessons on morals and
various themes, including creation, and the power of nature.
To go into further detail, Frankenstein explores the theme of man vs. monster, and what it truly
means to be human. Parts of the book are narrated by the nameless creature
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Friendship in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Essay
Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein';
Through the exploration of value attached to friendship in Mary Shelley’s
“Frankenstein';, it is found that Victor, Walton, and the monster each desire a
companion to either fall back on during times of misery, to console with, or to learn from. During
various periods throughout the novel, it is found that Victor depends heavily on friendship when
tragedy occurs to keep him from going insane. Walton desires the friendship of a man to have
someone who he can sympathize with. The sole purpose of the monster is to find a companion to
learn from and not be a total outcast to society. None of these characters desire to be isolated and
when...show more content...
This occurs when he states, “If I do, swear to me, Walton, that he shall not escape;
that you will seek him, and satisfy my vengeance in his death';(p.232). With these last few words,
he his once again able to rely on Walton so that he does not die in vain.
Walton values friendship by having someone to relate to on similar interests. He desires a man
who can comply with him on all subjects of discussion and also correct him when he is wrong.
His views on friendship are shared when he states, “I have no one near me, gentle yet
courageous, possessed of a cultivated as well as of a capacious mind, whose tastes are like my
own, to approve or amend my plans';(p.53). Although he encircles himself in a community of good
men, he does not meet a real friend until Victor arrives. With Victor, he finds more than that and
regards him as a brother. Victor possesses appealing qualities to Walton when Walton states,
“He is so gentle, yet so wise; his mind is so cultivated; and when he speaks, although
his words are culled with the choicest art, yet the flow with rapidity and unparalleled
eloquence';(p.60). Walton begins to notice all the interests Victor takes on deck and these interests
gladden him. Victor suggests several alterations in Walton’s plan, which he finds useful.
Walton further clarifies his outlook on
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Review of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Essay
Review of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley and published in
1818. The story tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein who creates a creature out of different body parts.
Somehow, the creature, who was created to be 'beautiful', turns out to be hideous. In fear,
Frankenstein runs away and the creation escapes. Once escaped, the creation and Frankenstein both
seek vengeance upon each other.
The story is written in 1st person narrative...show more content...
Therefore they must read on to find out what has occurred. Mystery is introduced into the novel,
by the fact that the ship the Captain is writing from is 'nearly surrounded by ice, which closed in
the ship on all sides.' This sets the scene and is a typical Gothic setting, as many Gothic Horror
novels are set in an isolated place, as this is. The Captain's ship is also surrounded 'by a very thick
fog' which further enhances the sense of isolation, typical of Gothic novel settings. Mary Shelley
uses words such as 'surrounded', 'dangerous' and 'closed in' to enable the reader to understand the
situation the Captain and his men are in. The reader knows that something is going to happen, but
doesn't know what. This adds to the mystery and tension that the novel has already placed upon the
reader. A sense of anticipation of possible disaster is introduced. 'The plains of ice' described could
represent the colour of death, as when people die the colour fades from their skin, leaving them a
white–grey colour – thus suggesting an impending death.
When the Captain sees 'a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature', it
leaves doubt in the readers'
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Frankenstein Mary Shelley Essay

  • 1. Who Is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein? Mary Shelley, the author of science–fiction novel Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus, more widely–known as simply Frankenstein, was born in England during 1797, the daughter of a feminist activist and a political writer/philosopher. She began writing Frankenstein at age 18. After being cooped up indoors after year without summer, Mary and her friends decided to have a writing contest to pass the time. Mary struggled to think of a topic to write about, but after having a conversation with her friend about electricity and the possibility of creating life with a spark, she began to write Frankenstein. Although she was 18 when she began writing it, due to personal issues, Frankenstein wasn't published until two years later, when she was 20....show more content... Victor creates life, the monster, and he regrets it. "I ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly made," (67). The monster himself says "I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on," (188). Both the monster and Victor regret the creation. Also, Victor aborts the female monster partway through creating her. The reason he destroys the female monster is because he was afraid that she and the first monster might reproduce. In Shelley's own life, she had a lot of trauma relating to birth. Near the beginning of her writing Frankenstein, she delivered a baby that died a few days later. She then made a journal entry reading "Dream that my little baby came to life again; that it had only been cold, and that we rubbed it before the fire, and it lives." While she was writing the book, she went through two pregnancies, both died young, at ages one and three. Even Shelley's own mother died from childbirth. By the time she wrote the 1831 intro to Frankenstein, Shelley had survived six pregnancies, and lost four children. Another reference to Shelley's life in her novel, is that the first victim of the monster was a child, and that character, William, was named after her own child who died as a Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is widely hailed as literature's greatest gothic novel, as well as its first science fiction work. Written by a young woman in answer to a challenge from a circle of male authors (which included her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley), the tale is drawn from her personal experiences as well as from the writings of other authors. The monster in the story is a multifaceted symbol for humanity's fears, representing unchecked technology and the un–mothered child, among other things. As a representative of these fears, the monster itself may be described as a doppleganger. The word doppleganger is taken from the German dopplegГ¤nger, meaning "double goer." It appears as a reflection...show more content... She had nightmares about her children and was always fearful about pregnancy. (Mellor, 175) For approximately nine months, Frankenstein labored on the creation of his "child." Finally on a "dreary night in November, he witnesses the 'birth'": "I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs." Specific fears may be found reflected by the monster: What if my child is born deformed? Could I still love it or would I wish it were dead? What if I can't love my child? Am I capable of raising a healthy, normal child? Will my child die? Could I wish my own child to die? Will my child kill me in childbirth? Mary is expressing her fears related to the death of her first child, her ability to nurture, and the fact that her mother died having her. In fact, Frankenstein is probably the first work of western literature to delve into the female anxieties of childbirth. After its exile, the creature is left with no parental figure to guide it and becomes violent, particularly toward its "family." This reflects the belief that any child left without maternal guidance will become a primitive animal, committing acts of violence and outrage. (Desert Aine 1, 1–3) Mary was influenced in her creation of Frankenstein very strongly by Ovid and Milton. Ovid's influence supplied her with yet another doppleganger, this one resembling the Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 3. Marissa Miranda English 01A Prof. Bronstein 9:15am Who is the moster? In "Frankenstein" Mary Shelley tells the story of Victor Frankenstein and his creature within the story the question of what makes a monster? Frankenstein and the creature often show these possibilities of being a monster as they struggle through their lives in the world where society won't accept them. Shelley uses different points of view/mind sets and diction to show the making of a monster isn't by how a person is born but who that person is and their choices. Frankenstein is a monster from the beginning of the book. He has a twisted mind set that turn him mad. He may have been through a few tragedies but he lost focus of what life was. Shelley wrote: "I never saw a more interesting creature; his eyes have generally an expression of wildness, and even madness, but there are moments when, if any one performs an act of kindness towards him or does him any the most trifling service, his whole countenance is lighted up, as it were, with a beam of benevolence and sweetness that I never saw equalled... 'I agree with you,' replied the stranger; 'we are unfashioned creatures, but half made up, if one wiser, better, dearer than ourselves– such a friend ought to be – do not lend his aid to perfectionate our weak and faulty natures.... Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world.... I seemed to have Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 4. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, is a writer who was greatly influenced by the Romantic era in which she lived. In fact, she moved among the greatest talents of the English Romantic writers including her poet/husband Percy Shelley and their poet/friend Lord Byron. Her writing was also influenced by the other great Romantic poets Wordsworth and Coleridge, whose ideas she either directly quotes or paraphrases in Frankenstein. Since Mary Shelley was so intimate with these great talents of the Romantic movement, it is quite natural that her most famous work Frankenstein reflects many of the Romantic trends and devices. Natural and remote settings are essential aspects in Romantic writing. Many...show more content... Victor Frankenstein's next destination is Mont Blanc. He seems to find solace in the presentation of the different sides of nature. Once again, Victor returns to the beautiful mountains and glorious streams in order to receive "the greatest consolation" (Shelley 80). This picturesque scene had a calming effect on his most recent disturbance. It allowed him to some how divert his mind from the horror that was right before him. He seeks relaxation and he finds it by sitting at the top of a rock on a sea of ice. Victor is constantly reminded of his troubles, but just the thought of this sweet serenity makes him forget about his present problems. Victor exclaims, "Wandering spirits, if indeed ye wander, and do not rest in your narrow beds , allow me this faint happiness, or take me, as your companion, away from the joys of life" (Shelly 82). Victor's current dispositions is a classic example of the typical Romantic characteristics.The guilt–ridden wanderer and the solitary outcast so prevalent in Romantic literature appear in the form of both Victor and his monster. In the process of finding the answers to life's greatest questions of knowledge, Victor has the tendency to neglect his family. He decides not to respond to any of their letters and continues to work in absolute solitude avoiding all of his fellow colleagues. As a result of his thirst for wisdom, Victor manages not to pay his family a visit in almost over Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 5. The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, is a story about how important having a family is to some, but also judging someone based on their appearance. Victor Frankenstein starts the novel by describing his childhood with his loving and supportive family. Family is very important to him because he did not have many friends growing up. While Frankenstein is away at school he starts to become very depressed and you see his attitude towards his family and his life change. Being away at school, he creates a "monster" by using different pieces of corpses and that becomes the only thing that matters to him until he sees how hideous it is. He immediately hates his creation just because of how he looks. Frankenstein begins to abandon everyone and thing in his life because of his obsession with the idea of glory and science, causing the novel to go from Romanticism to Gothic. The "monster" finds a family living in a cottage, by watching all winter he learns how a family should love and accept others. By seeing this, Frankenstein's creations understand what was taken from him, and will do whatever he has to do to have a family of his own. The novel has a strong family influence throughout the entire book. Frankenstein's parents have great appreciation for their family. "No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence." (Shelley) His mother, Caroline was always trying to help others and got Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 6. Frankenstein By Mary Shelly Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is a novel about Victor Frankenstein, who creates a hideous creature in an unusual scientific experiment. Frankenstein's monster ends up getting revenge by killing Victor's family and close friends, including his newlywed wife the night of their wedding. When Victor dies of exhaustion chasing down his creation, the monster pays a final farewell to him, saying that he will depart for the northernmost ice to die as well. In the interactive oral we discussed certain themes shows in the novel such as gothic and romance. Elements of the Gothic genre that are used in Frankenstein are mystery and supernatural activities. Gothic novels tend to take place in dark and gloomy places like castles, dungeons and towers to create Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 7. The book Frankenstein is by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, is about a man named Victor Frankenstein who creates a monster and reaps the consequences, for making such a hideous beast. He loved science, so he went to school in Ingolstadt, and read lots of books talked to some smart people who recommended some better books than he had already read at home, Frankenstein discovered, and unfolded secrets that other men had only dreamed of accomplishing. Frankenstein creates a monster, and seeks to make another but does not, and in the end he seeks vengeance until death for the destruction caused by the monstrous wretch. When Victor Frankenstein was a child he developed a love for the basics of life and how things worked, he read many books on useless Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 8. Chapter Four of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley The novel, 'Frankenstein' written in 1816 approaches many key issues, which were as relevant then as they are today. At the time there were many scientists who were experimenting in the area of making life, and Shelley addresses this as the main point of her novel. The novel is still as popular as it was in 1818 (when it was first published) due to the way it discusses issues, such as prejudice and parent/child relationships, which are still relevant to modern society. The novel was written my Mary Shelley when she was challenged to write a horror story. Shelly was a part of the Romantic Movement and much of the scenery she describes reflects this. An...show more content... The atmosphere is also being built by saying "the rain pattered dismally against the panes." This makes us think of a stereotypical gothic–horror scene, and so we begin to associate the next events with horror. My doing this, Shelley is allowing us to create a hideous image in our minds even before the creature has been born. The mental image which we have created is then reinforced when the creature's first movements are described. Frankenstein speaks of his birth, saying "I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open...a convulsive motion agitated its limbs". We are then easily led to thinking it is horrible, as the words "dull yellow" are associated with dirt. The "convulsive motion" described is also quite the opposite of a graceful, smooth movement, and so we are made to think of a horrible, twitchy movement, which is also connected with illness, and therefore makes us connect the monster with disease. After the birth, our premonitions are confirmed. Frankenstein uses words such as "catastrophe", "wretch", "horror" and "disgust" to describe what he has created. He is judging the monster by his appearances, and not considering his personality. This demonstrates Victor's prejudice against the being, and is very unfair. Frankenstein is Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 9. Essay on A Hero of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Every story revolves around a hero. Heroes make an impact on everyday life, positive and negative, so it is common for writers to revolve their stories around them. One of the several hero archetypes used in novels is the tragic hero. A tragic hero is a person of noble stature, whose fatal flaw leads them to abuse the free will they once controlled. This moment of choice leads to a punishment which far exceeds anything deserving. The fall is not pure loss; the hero gains self knowledge through an increase in awareness, but the consequences are far reaching. Mary Shelly is an example of one of the many authors who create literature around a tragic hero. Shelley's novel Frankenstein is filled with many intricate characters, but only...show more content... Galvanism, which was a new theory during the time period Frankenstein was written, was the main science behind his creation. "[Victor] worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body... [He] had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that [he] had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart" (Shelley 35). Victor's dreams were greater than nature would allow them to be. He was too caught up in his selfish fantasy to realize what he was doing; he came to his senses too late. This creation sends Victor into what seems like an endless downfall. He tries to abandon his creation, but deep down, knows it will never truly go away. Victor's "monster" was incredibly hideous. Whenever he was spotted by anyone, they would become instantly petrified and judge him, either running away or beating him. Unfortunately, this has always been the average reaction for someone when they see someone who's different, monstrous, ugly, or anyone/anything unknown to them. This forced him to live in isolation. Forced to live off the land with nothing to his being, he endured the worst conditions and treatment. The monster despised Victor for creating him only to endure a life of unhappiness and loneliness, so he took revenge. Bit by bit, the monster brought devastation to Victor's Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 10. Frankenstein By Mary Shelley: An Analysis Frankenstein by Mary Shelley follows Victor Frankenstein as he retells his story of trying to break scientific boundaries by creating life unnaturally without women and the consequences of his endeavors through Robert Walton's, an explorer, letters to his sister. In Frankenstein, science, the acquiring of knowledge, is a unnatural and destructive force destroying everything in its wake, when it is pursued without reserve; bestowing pain and extinguishing lives, loneliness and obsession with specific scientific ambition, and penetrating nature, emphasized through Walton's and Victor's distinctive pursuits in the name of science. The differences between controlled and uncontrolled science is shown through the novel's description of Walton's and...show more content... "The author of Frankenstein made it clear that it was not natural science and technology as such that led Victor and the poor monster to their doom, but only their uncritical and fanatical pursuit," (Jagger 274) so much so that even Frankenstein when he later reflects on the time spent creating the creature comes to this conclusion saying he himself "appeared rather one doomed by slavery to toil in the mines, or any other unwholesome trade than an artist occupied by his favorite employment." (Shelley 35) Frankenstein comes to regret his unnatural quest for the secret to creation saying "If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind" so much so that if we observed control over our pursuits "Greece [would] not [have] been enslaved; Caesar would have spared his country; [..] and the empires of Mexico and Peru [would] not [have] been destroyed." (Shelley 34). The single–minded strive for knowledge, science, is so destructive and unnaturally that it "dabble[s] in dirt" and "penetrates into the recesses of nature, and [show] how she works in her hiding places." (Shelley Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 11. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay Frankenstein by Mary Shelley FRANKENSTEIN 'Frankenstein is full of ideas and warnings which are relevant to a modern audience.' –Discuss the enduring appeal of the novel. Introduction: Despite being over a century old, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein has continued to hold public interest for nearly two hundred years. The novel was published 1818 and is one of the most acclaimed gothic stories in the history of literature. It has remained a firm favourite with audiences of the past and present, and has been adapted and re–told many times through various different kinds of media, for example; radio programmes, theatre, art, children's comic books and cartoons, television...show more content... Frankenstein has prevailed for many different reasons including some of the following; Её It is interesting and has been very well written. Её It is a provocative gothic novel with an appeal of mystery. Её It raises all sorts of (moral) issues throughout– some that have been explored in the text are still relevant to today's world (prejudice, parenting, morality, and scientific advances.) There is no doubt that many factors influenced and inspired Shelley to write Frankenstein; we know that she had learned about various philosophical and scientific doctrines. Galvanism (the re–animating of a corpse) was a popular topic of discussion and interest at her time, and it seems this was an important influence for Frankenstein. However, her personal experiences seem to have also influenced her; her mother died just ten days after Mary had been born, and her half–sister committed later committed suicide. Shortly after this Percy Shelley's wife, Harriet also committed suicide. An effort was made to resuscitate her, although she died later. The next Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 12. Gender Roles In Frankenstein Although the structure of the novel Frankenstein is focused around male protagonists, Victor Frankenstein and his "progeny," the core ideals of the novel play with the way society views the female sex. Female traces in Frankenstein uncover Mary Shelley's views of struggles with femininity and sexuality that she perceives from society. The creature of Frankenstein altered into a "monster" because of the absence of a motherhood role in his life. The transformation that makes the creature a "monster" is how Shelley aims to point out the significance of the female role. Frankenstein acts as an analysis of the fears and anxieties of the nineteenth–century woman, which focuses on the misogynist ideals of social structures that give the male sex influence and power. Shelley uses the novel to alert society about the dangers of a maternally absent life, a life that opposes the idea of maternal support in both the home and in society. Frankenstein's creature becomes a monster because of his lack of a motherhood role in his life. Towards the start of the 19th century it was a time when women were seen as less than equal and because of this Victor takes it upon himself to completely disregard the female role in reproduction and rely solely on science and himself. Victor completely does away with the female function of the mother. He asserts that "Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 13. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay How does Mary Shelley present the character of the monster so as to gain sympathy for him? When Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, in 1818 at the tender age of 18, it was often wondered how such a young girl could imagine such a horrific story. In fact, one could find that the idea of 'playing God' and manipulating the ideas behind life and death were very much real at the time, and even today. Many scientists were investigating the process of bringing a dead being back to life, or galvanism, and there were some, like Humphrey Davy, who believed that scientists had no limit as to what they could do, believing that they could become masters, even creators. Shelley's character, Frankenstein, shares these...show more content... However the novel also concentrates on the moral and political issues of society at the time, a matter that could be very easily compared with in our own time. A theme that frequently occurs in the novel is the issue of appearance and reality, and the way that society tends to judge people's exterior rather than interior being. The creature is at first innocent, and suffers his life in loneliness and isolation, eventually becoming the monster that Frankenstein already sees him as. However the creature was not always as monstrous on the inside. It is only when he experiences constant rejection from society and even more importantly his 'friends', the de Laceys', that the creature falls into the character of being a "monster". Mary had known about Jean–Jacques Rousseau's theory that children were born with innocence and purity, and also John Locke, who put forward the idea, tabula rasa, where children learnt from those around them and through their own sensations that they experience. Even Mary's father, Godwin, believed that a recluse could not ever be moral, and that only when things like possession, marriage, and selfishness were abolished could there ever be happiness in our society. When the idea came to her in a dream, it was with the knowledge of all of this, and her very own traumatic personal experiences that she had already encountered in life, that Mary Shelley was able to mould her story into a tale about Frankenstein and Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 14. Themes of Shelley's Frankenstein Essay Mary Shelley discusses the themes of birth and creation, appearance and the necessity of companionship, love and acceptance in her novel Frankenstein. The themes that are explored in Frankenstein are relevant to today's modern world. Shelley challenges readers by endorsing and confronting attitudes and values in her text through the events, circumstances and outcomes that take place in the novel, thus causing the reader to reflect upon their own lives and in turn the society around them. Shelley raises in her text an issue that is on the forefront of discussion in the modern world, that of man taking the place of God and the role of woman in the creation of life. The modern world is currently grappling over the concerns of cloning,...show more content... One of the main themes in Frankenstein is appearance and acceptance. In today's society and the society in which Frankenstein is set, people often judge one another solely based on appearance. Social prejudice is often based on looks. Be it the colour of one's skin, the clothes they wear, facial features or even ones body expressions. People make snap judgements based on what the eye beholds. Today's schools are a prime example of this as people are classified instantly and almost unknowingly. "There's a lot of hate around here, Gentry Robler, 16, a sophomore at Santana High. He reels off the high school cliques: the gothics, the freaks, the dorks, the jocks, the Mexican gangsters, the white supremacists." Time March 2001 pg. 24 This example of the significance of appearance in modern society is also echoed in Frankenstein. The parallel between the society in the novel and modern society is that of snap judgements based solely on appearances. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein is a perpetrator of such judgements. Victor "selected his features as beautiful." Here it is seen Victor's shallowness as he picked the most perfect body parts and beauteous features, all to be pieced together in great anticipation. However as one can see, the result is horrific and due to the hideousness of the wretch that he has created, he abandons him. This same shallowness of judgement due to appearance again surfaces when Victor accuses the creature of murdering William Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 15. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein Essay Mary Shelly's Frankenstein shows the life of an early scientist and the effects of uncovering a truth that has not been known or experimented by other scientist's. The story of Frankenstein portrays mainly the characters Victor Frankenstein, Henry Clerval, Frankenstein's creation, Captain Walton and Elizabeth Victor's future wife and relative. When Victor animates a lifeless object he is horrified by the concept of what he had just done and how it looks. After running away Victor's loved ones are affected greatly by his choices that he makes along the way, while also changing his relationship with his creation. Through his feelings of fear when approached by the monster, the trauma of multiple deaths and the arrest of Justin, Victor...show more content... Before Victor had achieved reanimating an object his plans and goals had been recognition and fame with his creation by his side, but now his goal is to get away from his creation. "My heart palpitated in the sickness of fear; and I hurried on with irregular steps, not daring to look about me." (Shelly p.30) By running away he changes his initial goal of fame and recognition to now not wanting to be associated with his creation, out of this experience Victor also learns about commitment and responsibility. Victor learns that if he had taken responsibility and fully committed to helping the creation live he might not have lost the lives of his loved ones due to the creations lack of knowledge and social skills. The quotes that I have chosen are said by Captain Walton and Dr.Frankenstein in a letter to Walton's sister. The context for this quote takes place when the ship they are on is emerged in ice as Walton is approached by his crew about what to do if the ice breaks when Victor interrupts. "They desired, therefore, that if I should engage with a solemn promise, that if the vessel should be freed, I would instantly direct my course southward." (Shelly, p.149) This quote is said by Walton while the next is said in response by Victor. "Are you then so easily turned from your design? Did you not call this the glorious expedition? And wherefore was it glorious? Not because the way was smooth and placid as a southern Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 16. Summary Of Frankenstein By Mary Shelley Mary Shelley used this poem to show the freedom of one's future and the change(s) that will come with it. The poem also mentions one little thing such as a dream or a "wandering thought" can ruin a bigger idea. In the story, it was recently addressed that before the poem, "If our impulses were confined to hunger, thirst, and desire, we might be nearly free". This passage can be implying that the non–essential things in life are the things that poison us or make us change. The poem's purpose in this part of the book is to amplify the speaker's last words of the paragraph that state, "...we are moved by every wind that blows and a chance word or scene that word may convey to us.". It makes the message of "things will change" very clear to the Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 17. Dehumanization In Frankenstein "During my first experiment, a kind of enthusiastic frenzy had blinded me to the horror of my employment; my mind was intently fixed on the consummation of my labour, and my eyes were shut to the horror of my proceedings. But now I went to it in cold blood, and my heart often sickened at the work of my hands." (Shelley, 178) The Romantic Movement began in the 1970's and ended in the 1850's. One of the key ideas shared by Romantics was that a literal and metaphorical return to nature was necessary. They believed that the individual was the most important part of society. Romantics rejected the Scientific and Industrial Revolution. They believed that cities prevented individuals from discovering the sublime. Mary Shelley's Romantic and Gothic novel, Frankenstein, opens with a series of letters from Robert Walton, an explorer, to his sister. Throughout these letters, Victor Frankenstein's story is told. He was born into a wealthy family, and studies at a well–known school, where he develops an interest in biology. Eventually, Frankenstein is able to bring corpse back to life. He is horrified by his creation and abandons the monster. The monster eventually kills everyone that Frankenstein loves and in doing so, he also indirectly kills Victor. The monster then feels guilty and kills himself. Frankenstein reflects the Romantic views of Mary Shelly. There are many Romantic elements in Frankenstein. There is the evident dehumanization of the Industrial Revolution. Shelley also Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 18. Frankenstein, By Mary Shelley I have been informed that you are pushing to remove the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley from the school curriculum. I've decided to write to you and explain why I believe that you are misinformed, and in fact, why this is a huge importance to the students of today. Frankenstein is a classic which recounts the life and horrors of Victor Frankenstein, as told through a series of letters and narrations. His obsession with the natural world and science brings him to a state of mind which ultimately ends in the creation of his "monster", that, in turn, destroys Victor and everything he holds dear. This book has been banned in the South African apartheid in 1995 for being "objectionable, obscene, and indecent," along with other classical works as well. There was a large amount of controversy in the United States for it going against some people's religion, as Victor could be seen as having God–like tendencies, for example, him creating life. I truly believe that Frankenstein should be kept on the shelves because this book is a prominent part of the modern world, even after 200 years, and it's important to know where so much of today's horror and sci–fi has taken it's inspiration from, while simultaneously providing insightful lessons on morals and various themes, including creation, and the power of nature. To go into further detail, Frankenstein explores the theme of man vs. monster, and what it truly means to be human. Parts of the book are narrated by the nameless creature Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 19. Friendship in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Essay Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein'; Through the exploration of value attached to friendship in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein';, it is found that Victor, Walton, and the monster each desire a companion to either fall back on during times of misery, to console with, or to learn from. During various periods throughout the novel, it is found that Victor depends heavily on friendship when tragedy occurs to keep him from going insane. Walton desires the friendship of a man to have someone who he can sympathize with. The sole purpose of the monster is to find a companion to learn from and not be a total outcast to society. None of these characters desire to be isolated and when...show more content... This occurs when he states, “If I do, swear to me, Walton, that he shall not escape; that you will seek him, and satisfy my vengeance in his death';(p.232). With these last few words, he his once again able to rely on Walton so that he does not die in vain. Walton values friendship by having someone to relate to on similar interests. He desires a man who can comply with him on all subjects of discussion and also correct him when he is wrong. His views on friendship are shared when he states, “I have no one near me, gentle yet courageous, possessed of a cultivated as well as of a capacious mind, whose tastes are like my own, to approve or amend my plans';(p.53). Although he encircles himself in a community of good men, he does not meet a real friend until Victor arrives. With Victor, he finds more than that and regards him as a brother. Victor possesses appealing qualities to Walton when Walton states, “He is so gentle, yet so wise; his mind is so cultivated; and when he speaks, although his words are culled with the choicest art, yet the flow with rapidity and unparalleled eloquence';(p.60). Walton begins to notice all the interests Victor takes on deck and these interests gladden him. Victor suggests several alterations in Walton’s plan, which he finds useful. Walton further clarifies his outlook on Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 20. Review of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Essay Review of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley and published in 1818. The story tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein who creates a creature out of different body parts. Somehow, the creature, who was created to be 'beautiful', turns out to be hideous. In fear, Frankenstein runs away and the creation escapes. Once escaped, the creation and Frankenstein both seek vengeance upon each other. The story is written in 1st person narrative...show more content... Therefore they must read on to find out what has occurred. Mystery is introduced into the novel, by the fact that the ship the Captain is writing from is 'nearly surrounded by ice, which closed in the ship on all sides.' This sets the scene and is a typical Gothic setting, as many Gothic Horror novels are set in an isolated place, as this is. The Captain's ship is also surrounded 'by a very thick fog' which further enhances the sense of isolation, typical of Gothic novel settings. Mary Shelley uses words such as 'surrounded', 'dangerous' and 'closed in' to enable the reader to understand the situation the Captain and his men are in. The reader knows that something is going to happen, but doesn't know what. This adds to the mystery and tension that the novel has already placed upon the reader. A sense of anticipation of possible disaster is introduced. 'The plains of ice' described could represent the colour of death, as when people die the colour fades from their skin, leaving them a white–grey colour – thus suggesting an impending death. When the Captain sees 'a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature', it leaves doubt in the readers' Get more content on HelpWriting.net