Frankenstein Lit Analysis Rough Draft Since the beginning of time, Man has always pursued knowledge, but this pursuit is always kept within certain boundaries, especially while searching for the truths behind the creation and origin of life. As this quest for knowledge continues, men can become consumed with the perilous thoughts and ponderings required to attain this wisdom. In her novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explains how the pursuit of forbidden knowledge can become dangerous through symbolism, allusion, and foreshadowing proving each effectively to the reader. Employing symbolism as her first technique, Shelley uses this in the way many other enlightenment authors do. The strongest use of symbolism is prevalent while Victor is contemplating
The intricate depiction of Victor Frankenstein's and his creature's parallel journeys in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" emphasises their common experiences with loneliness, the pursuit of knowledge, and the disastrous results of unrestrained ambition. Victor's words throughout the book vividly capture his sense of isolation: "I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body... I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart" (Shelley 42). Here, Victor becomes emotionally isolated due to his intense desire to learn and his ambition, which causes him to feel horrified and disgusted
Frankenstein Rough Draft In the novel Frankenstein, our main characters Victor Frankenstein and the creature have grown to become really close friends. As the novel goes on you can see the creature and Victor grow a strong relationship with each other and how similar the creature is to Victor. Victor Frankenstein is a scientist who makes this evil creation which is the creature. This creature develops throughout the novel by adapting to the natural world and sharing the same traits as Victor.
Victor Frankenstein is the quintessential “mad scientist” and his madness comes to a head when he attempts to reanimate a human corpse which he pieced together himself. This project completely overtakes his life and he states, “In a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a gallery and staircase, I kept my workshop of filthy creation: my eyeballs were starting from their sockets in attending to the details of my employment (Shelley 33).” Frankenstein’s internal dialogue, as we see here, relays the circumstances surrounding his self-imposed isolation. In spending countless hours slaving away to create life, he has sacrificed his health, both physical and mental. The isolation he has brought upon himself leads him, “... to forget those friends who were so many miles absent and whom I had not seen for so long a time (Shelley 33).”
The desire to discover what has not yet been discovered or to know what remains unknown often causes destruction and misery. In the Gothic novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley during the Romantic Era, the protagonist Victor Frankenstein experiences anguish after creating life. Victor shares with the reader the anxiety he suffers and the grievous events that permanently alter his perspective after creating a monster. Throughout the novel the reader develops sympathy for Victor due to his dedication to do the right thing, admirable purpose for his creation and the consequences he endures. One is compelled to show affection toward Victor because of his determination to perform noble acts despite the hardships he faces.
Mary Shelley's iconic novel, “Frankenstein”, published in 1818, goes into the intricate and often neglected topic of mental health. Despite being primarily recognized as a Gothic horror story, Shelley's masterpiece offers a profound exploration of the effects of isolation, trauma, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge on the human psyche. Through her characters, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, Shelley illustrates the tragic consequences of neglecting one's mental well-being and the profound impact it can have on both individuals and society. This essay will dive into the themes of mental health in “Frankenstein”, shedding light on the complexities of the human mind as portrayed by Shelley. Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein” explores the
Utilizing the novel’s protagonist as a symbol of the Age of Enlightenment, Shelley employs Victor Frankenstein as an example of the egotistical interests exhibited by Enlightenment thinkers. Reiterating, Victor Frankenstein is the main protagonist in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, with an obsessive interest in scientific development. However, discouraged by his father, Alphonse Frankenstein, Victor was driven by his eager desire to learn from a young age. As a result, he directed toward the literary work of respected philosophers to soothe his thirst for knowledge. Consequently, a new delusion formed, “Wealth was an inferior object, but what glory would attend the discovery if I could banish disease from the human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death (26)!”
In Mary Shelley’s 1817 novel, Frankenstein, we are introduced to iconic characters that will last throughout literary history. The story takes us through the thought process of Dr. Victor Frankenstein as he seeks the the secret to life and creates an intelligent, but rather horrifying monster. The story gives the reader an insight to the monster’s experience as he thrusts into human kind with no help from Victor, who is absolutely horrified by what he has invented. The doctor felt hopeless and abandoned the monster to fend for himself in the world. Throughout the novel, the reader may notice that Dr. Frankenstein has many similarities with the monster: such as signs of schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, is one of the most important and popular novels in the Romantic genre to this day. The novel was originally controversial because it touched on many fragile subjects such as the human anatomy and the development of science. The structure of Frankenstein begins as an epistolary, narrative story told by Robert Walton to his sister in England. Walton’s letters tell us that he is exploring, searching for what lies beyond the North Pole, and he eventually connects with Frankenstein. Shelley creates the protagonist, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who has a fascination with life and death.
The fictional horror novel of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is driven by the accentuation of humanity’s flaws. Even at the very mention of her work an archetypal monster fills one’s imagination, coupled with visions of a crazed scientist to boot. Opening her novel with Robert Walton, the conduit of the story, he also serves as a character to parallel the protagonist’s in many ways. As the ‘protagonist’ of the story, Victor Frankenstein, takes on the mantle of the deluded scientist, his nameless creation becomes the embodiment of a truly abandoned child – one left to fend for itself against the harsh reality posed by society. On the other hand, Walton also serves as a foil to Victor – he is not compulsive enough to risk what would be almost
When examining Frankenstein from a psychological point of view,
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a gothic novel that tells the story of scientist, Victor Frankenstein, and his obsession with creating human life. This leads him to creating a gruesome monster made of body-parts stolen from grave yards, whom upon discovering his hideousness, the monster seeks revenge against his creator, causing Victor to regret the creation of his monster for the rest of his life. Shelley uses the literary elements of personification, imagery, and similes to give a vivid sense and visualization of Victor Frankenstein’s thoughts and feelings as well as to allow us to delve deeper into the monster’s actions and emotions. Throughout the novel, Shelley uses personification of various forces and objects to reflect the effect in Victor’s actions.
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, a tale forewarning others of the danger of passion and drive for creation. Victor Frankenstein tells his tale, as if the reader is being directly told, during which the groundwork is laid for Mary Shelley to develop her major themes. Victor Frankenstein tells his of childhood and takes the reader through the loss of his mother; the expansion of his passion; the developed fear of his passion; and concluding the first volume is his account of his younger brother's death. After his mother dies he leaves for an education and develops an affinity for natural science, when he creates life in the form of the “daemon” the major conflict of the novel begins. Due to the structure of the novel this presence of the conflict
Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a conflict as old as life itself emerges as the story progresses; parent versus posterity in a struggle for reconciliation. Victor Frankenstein and his creation become tied up in a constant battle as the creation seeks his origins, finding a horrifying truth; the creator had abandoned the creation. This central conflict derives from the creation of the creature, inability of Frankenstein to appreciate his creation, and the creation’s need for a parental figure. The conflict addresses themes of the book such as human desires for prestige, acceptance, and the intimacy of a relationship with one’s creator.
In the narrative, Mary Shelley carefully introduces various aspects of the tradition of Romantic literature and thus, the novel can also be understood as a mirror to the society of that era. Few of the Romantic thoughts evident in Frankenstein are, the idea of individualism, yearning for a utopic state, nostalgic remembrance, the symbolic use of nature and most evidently, the presence of gothic elements that showcase intense emotions and horror. Furthermore, Shelley uses the voice of three different narrators-Walton, Victor and The Monster, to engage the audience and make them understand all the three viewpoints. Through the epistolary and framed narrative, she also continues to establish new themes as the novel proceeds. The skilful use of literary devices such as allusions, monologues, imagery and metaphors helps to dramatize the text and create an impact on the readers’ mind.
