Why Is Violence Important In Frankenstein

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Monsters work to push people outside of their comfort zone and are a spectacle of human imagination. They exist in the minds of people and are created to attack cultural beliefs and norms. However, when monsters transcend the realm of imagination and become physical beings, a new terror is introduced. Ideas are no longer only threatened, but rather the concern of well-being. Violence is almost always a recurring theme in monsters. Harm is always expected, but the outcome is never predictable. The main reason violence is incorporated into monsters is to exaggerate the strength of said monsters, create a contrast of expectation in the reader’s mind, and provoke deeply-rooted beliefs of societal and cultural customs For a monster's effect to …show more content…

This consideration or respect can be earned in any sort of manner. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus”, The Creature’s presence is made known because it poses a threat. Initially, this threat is only towards Frankenstein himself. At first, Victor is proud of his creation. Then he realizes the severity of what he had accomplished. He had achieved his goal, which is best showcased in his saying that “I was like the Arabian who had been buried with the dead and found a passage to life, aided only by one glimmering and seemingly ineffectual light, ”(Shelley 37). He had created life, and his quest for knowledge had been supposedly complete. This is what makes the monster so terrifying for Victor. The monster is terrifying for Victor. It represents his biggest fear- unpredictability. Not knowing what to expect from something for a man that has all the knowledge in the world is a sickening feeling for Victor, which he cannot handle. Still, Victor is drawn towards the monster. In Monster Culture, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen argues that “Monsters are our children. They can be pushed to the …show more content…

A good example of a modern monster is Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. In the film, Davy Jones was a renowned sailor until he fell in love with the sea goddess Calypso. He would be given the Flying Dutchman with the responsibility of completing the sacred task of ferrying souls who died at sea. Because of his love, Davy Jones agreed to set foot on land once every ten years, where Jones would only spend time with Calypso. But when Davy Jones came ashore after his ten-year duty, he was forsaken by Calypso, who was nowhere to be found. As punishment, Jones imprisoned Calypso in a mortal body. Justly, Jones abandoned his duty as a ferryman and became a monster that all sailors feared, a terrifying sea creature. Jones is a great monster because he is fair. He spends his time ravaging doomed vessels, offering sailors a spot in his crew before they move on to the afterlife. Many sailors fear him, but he is simply a force of nature. John Murgatroyd, on classical monsters, notes that “Their eager anticipation and the way in which they go into grim detail there is thoroughly unpleasant, and there is a disturbing combination of justice in its horror.” (Murgatroyd 6) Jones is no different and uses intimidation and scare factors to make people want to join his crew. It’s his duty. He has continued to serve, even despite his heart breaking-- the very heart that