Sheila Pour Gholam Hosein Prof. Alyssa MacLean English 2071F: Speculative Fiction: Science Fiction 9 October 2024 Essay Topic #1 The Arctic Heights: The Journey Towards the Blank Slate in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the novel circles back to the Arctic where the creature finds himself pleading for death. The creature cries near the end of the novel, I shall quit your vessel on the ice raft which brought me thither and shall seek the most northern extremity of the globe. I shall die. I shall no longer feel the agonies which now consume me or be the prey of feelings unsatisfied, yet unquenched. (Shelley 276) The bare and frigid conditions of the north echo the creature's division and isolation, making it in his …show more content…
The Arctic and at birth, both resonate as a blank slate and offer unlimited potential, which is desirable for many. Deprived of health and sleep, and after two years of hard work and isolation, Victor infuses a spark which brings the creature to life. During the first few moments of life, the creature explains, “A strange multiplicity of sensations seized me, and I saw, felt, heard, and smelt at the same time; and it was, indeed, a long time before I learned to distinguish between the operations of my various senses” (Shelley 118). The creature entered life with great unfamiliarity with the world and his existence, he was a pure blank slate. It isn't until after the rejection he experiences from society that he truly realizes his place in the world. His blank slate develops into a monstrous identity full of vengeance and violence. The creature at first, was a decent being, he was a newborn, ready to explore the curiosities of life. He was in awe of the beauty of the world, like when he observed a bird and enjoyed its chirping rhythms. The creature states, “I was delighted when I first discovered that a pleasant