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Comparing Frankenstein And Pygmalion In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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The creator/creation relationship is one that is most prominent throughout Ovid’s story of Pygmalion and throughout Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein; however, these similar relationships differ in the way they were brought about. Pygmalion’s creation is based on his view of gender relationships, whereas Victor’s creation is based on a reflection of himself and his familial relationships. Pygmalion was a sculptor, a man who gave to every one of his ivory statues a life-like appearance. It could be argued that his deep devotion to his art gave him no time to admire the true realistic beauty of women; his sculptures were the only beauty he knew and appreciated. For reasons sensible only to him, Pygmalion abhors and shuns women, finding solace only in his artwork. In fact, he is so condemning to women that he vows to never marry; however, he falls in love with his own creation and wishes to give it life. …show more content…

Victor seems to deny the monster what he has denied himself, a family. Since he never experienced courtship it can be seen that his anger towards the monster is actually anger towards himself as he has never truly experienced mutual love, and he is almost seen to be scared and never probes around the subject. He only experiences lust for Elizabeth and his work, and both break down due to the lack of love (which is a stronger bond than lust). As Victor declines into madness by the middle of the novel, his relationship with Elizabeth descends to nothing, and this nothingness will be mirrored in any relationships the monster has. Victor has no wife. The monster has no wife. Victor denies the monster any social acceptance of any kind, which is a parallel as Victor himself is dramatically cut off from the world for months to focus on his work. In the end, all they have is each other, which is ironic as both despise each

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