Free Essays on Frankenstein

The real monster is sometimes hidden between the lines. Although through Mary ¡Ã‚ ¯s writing she leads us to the conclusion that the monster is the monster himself, he may actually not be what he is projected to be but in fact the result of another monster. Throughout her book she notes at the brutal behavior that the monster encounters through out his lifetime. Many men where quite cruel to the monster, including his own creator, for no underlying reason other than his appearance. This leads one to the conclusion that the monster was a result of his environment. A child is not born with a criminal mind, but most of the time the child ¡Ã‚ ¯s behavior is a result of the hard background in which they where raised. This isn ¡Ã‚ ¯t to say that some people are Looney ¡Ã‚ ¯s that had a normal upraising, but more than not, they were raised in a harsh environment. The monster is the product of a very complex equation. Victor is a monster in a way; he neglected and rejected his creation. It is as bad as engaging in the act of sex and all the good stuff that goes into making a baby and then leaving the child at birth in a back alley. Victor is very guilty for the monsters behavior. There is no doubt in my mind that if Victor had loved the monster and given him a good start in his life he would have made an intelligent and nice creature (and maybe with some ancient plastic surgery, he would be able to overcome his depression over his ugly appearance). Victor was unwise in his decisions, even when the monster came to him and reached out for his help and forgiveness victor rejected him. In all honesty if I were in the monsters shoes I would set out to ruin Victor ¡Ã‚ ¯s life just as much as he had my own. The last part to the monster equation is society. Society put victor in the position of judging things for their exterior. If victor did not adhere to the fads of society than perhaps he would know to look within and not judge the shallow parts. Its as ba... Free Essays on Frankenstein Free Essays on Frankenstein At first glance, the monster in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, is the real villain. However, if you take another look you will see that Victor Frankenstein, the scientist who created the monster, is just as guilty. Victor’s obsession with interfering with life and death results in the destruction of several people he cares about. Although the monster is the actual killer, Victor is the accomplice. On many occasions Victor abandons his creature , leaving him helpless and all alone. By doing this Victor ignites the rage within the monster, and soon the monster begins to seek revenge. Because Victor Frankenstein creates this monster, he is a part of the tragedy the monster causes. Throughout the story Victor becomes just as much a villain as the monster he created. Victor’s heartless abandonment of the creature was catastrophic. When Frankenstein first created the monster he thought it would be glorious, but when reality set in he noticed that the experiment might have crossed the line. His feelings toward the creature at â€Å"birth† were clear; â€Å"now that I finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart† (42) Victor then flees only to return when the creature vanishes. This is the beginning of the change the monster makes from innocent creature to vicious monster. Many would assume that this monster was evil from the very start, but even he recognizes that this was not true. â€Å"I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend† (84). Regardless, Victor’s cold attitude continues as he yells to the monster to â€Å"Begone! I will not hear you. There can be no community between you and me; we are enemies.† (84). After this the creature begins to feel great hatred towards Victor. He has been ostracized from what he so badly wants to be a part of. He is devastated and enraged that his creator does not even accept him. â€Å"Hateful day when I received life! Why did... Free Essays on Frankenstein Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been hailed as one of the best horror stories ever. The title, Frankenstein, is the last name of the creator of the infamous Frankenstein’s monster, Dr. Victor Frankenstein. His is a story of the great pain suffered by Frankenstein and his monster and people’s misunderstanding of the poor creature. All his efforts to find a companion are useless, as society shuns him for his horrid figure. Although the story is told by Dr. Frankenstein through Robert Walton, an arctic explorer, the antagonist seems to be his monster. Despite his gruesome appearance, this being composed of various cadaver parts starts out as a compassionate creature longing for companionship and curious of how he came to be. He desperately tries to befriend members of society, but utterly fails at each attempt. His appearance earns him no sympathy, but loathing from his creator and townspeople alike. For example, after secretly living with a poor family for more tha n a year, he decides to approach the father, a blind old man. The creature reasons that since the old man cannot see him, he will not be repulsed by the monster’s form, thus providing companionship for the creature. As the two talk, the old man responds to the plight of the stranger. However, the monster’s wish for friendship does not come true for the old man’s children return home to find their blind father with a gigantic monster. The old man’s son attacks the monster, but instead of killing the boy, he runs away, overcome by despair and anguish. The creature decides to request Frankenstein make a female version of himself. Frankenstein refuses at first, saying that creating another might destroy mankind, but the monster says to him: You are in the wrong, and instead of threatening, I am content to reason with you. I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind? You, my creator, would tear me to pieces and triumph†¦ Shall I res... Free Essays on Frankenstein Frankenstein In this essay, I shall be examining the two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and the creature, and considering what Shelley could be telling us about parenting, child development, and education through their experiences. As a young child, it could be said that Victor Frankenstein is indulged and spoilt by his parents, and later on by his adopted sister, Elizabeth and his friend, Henry Clerval. In the first chapter, as Frankenstein is recounting his story to the mariner, Walton, we learn that he was born into a wealthy family from Geneva, and lived in Italy for the first part of his life. His mother was the daughter of his father’s friend, and, therefore much younger than he. We are told that she was caring and dutiful, that she, "possessed a mind of an uncommon mould" (page 32), and had nursed and kept her own father during his illness until his death. Frankenstein’s parents are very much in love, and he was an only child for the first five years, doted on by them as we can see when he says, "they seemed to draw inexhaustible stores of affection from a very mine of love to bestow them on me." (page 33). Victor’s first recollections are of his, "mother’s tender caresses", a nd his, "father’s smile of benevolent pleasure" (page 33). They regard him as being, "bestowed on them by heaven", and recognize that his future, "was in their hands to direct to happiness or misery". He also tells Walton that his mother and father felt that they, "owed" something to him because they had given him life. At the age of seven, having moved to Geneva with his family, he meets Henry Clerval with whom he becomes great friends, although it is interesting to note that he chooses not to mix with the other local children. At the beginning of chapter two, Victor describes his childhood thus: No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence.... Free Essays on Frankenstein The novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley is an excellent example of the Romantic Movement. The movement took place in the period from the late 1700’s to the mid-1800; it emphasized passion rather than reason and imagination and intuition rather than logic. One of the key concepts most Romantic writers used was, nature is a source of inspiration. They believed that people who lived in an industrialized area were unhappy because the environment around them was not full of the beautiful gifts of nature. While people who lived in the countryside all their lives were full of happiness as a result of their surroundings. This concept is beautifully brought out in Frankenstein. Having this concept in the novel makes the narrative more powerful, this is because the impact of the narrative is heightened when the environment of what is going on corresponds with the emotions of characters in it. It also makes it more powerful by making the reader feel more emotions over the reading. The fo llowing are a few examples of the ways Shelley expresses this concept in the novel. One way Shelley shows nature as an inspiration is through the geography of the settings. In the beginning of the novel when Victor lives in Geneva it is described, as isolated and dwarfed by massive snow capped mountain ranged and hunted be the emptiness of the lake. Later on in the novel and in the letters in the beginning Shelly puts the characters in the wildest, most isolated areas in Europe: The Swiss and French Alps, the Rhine Valley, the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, Northern Ireland, Russia and the Arctic. When the reader reads about these various places they get a feeling of isolation and that of loneliness, exactly what Shelly wants them to be feeling. When Victor was 15 years-old nature inspired him as to what field of study to get into. His inspiration came when at his house in Geneva he witnessed â€Å" a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak which stood about... Free Essays on Frankenstein Unholiness Begets a Frankenstein Mary Shelley was in a godless state when she wrote the book Frankenstein. Instead of rebuking the very idea that one is his own creator, she took this â€Å"dream† and ran with the invention of Frankenstein, the main character and empowered him to give and to take away life, as only God can do. Several facts lead to the idea that she was very much influenced by her father during childhood, as well as by her mother’s rebellion during that time. These two influences during her youth, molded her to become easily persuaded by freethinking and heathenism. It is evident that children are swayed by those directly involved in their lives. During Mary Shelley’s childhood, it is obvious that her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, denied â€Å"traditional† principles of womanhood due to her role in the feminist movement. The definition of traditional, in this case, stems from the Biblical view of women and their Godly virtues (Nelson 555). In the 1800’s, the Bible was a credible source of standards for men and women and considered a primary source of truth. It was during this â€Å"Era of Enlightenment† that the Church and State were linked with one another and those who did not heed to this type of thinking were considered betrayers. A traditional woman was therefore considered one who was humble, submissive, and a homemaker. Wollstonecraft’s involvement in politics allured other women to become â€Å"independent of men† (Shelley 5) and seekers of their own interest, contradicting Church convictions. The Church establishes that Jesus Christ was a man, and that his followers are to submit to him (Nelson 93). Furthermore, the Bible uses the symbolism of marriage, where the husband is the â€Å"head† and the woman is to submit (Nelson 180), as an example of how mankind is to yield to Jesus Christ (the head of the Church). Being an active feminist is not in this paradi... Free Essays on Frankenstein The character named Victor in the book Frankenstein written by Mary Shelly, is a likable figure. His demeanor on the whole was very pleasant as he grew from a boy into an adult. Victor’s passion for the sciences is very strong, and had stayed studious in his youth. Victor’s mother died when he was age 17, and that is when he decides that he will discover a way to rid the world of sickness and death, so people could stay with each other forever. Victor went on to medical school, and after many intense years of research and study Victor gathers enough parts from cadavers to begin creating life which he believes will be much better than our existence. Victor is a likable character because his intentions are good, all he wanted to do was conquer death and illnesses. This idea by it self comes from a man that is caring and doesn’t want anybody to go through what he went through and also to keep himself from going through the same ordeal again. Victor finally creates life in the form of a man, with many parts sewn together it has made his creation hideous. Victor, not believing he had done this deed became frightened and ran away from the â€Å"monster†. The monster is automatically shunned by his maker who made judgment by relating ugliness with evil. Later on Victors brother William is found strangled and the accused is a girl who had grown up with Victor. Victor knows immediately that she didn’t do this, but Victor was not able to help her because she is immediately lynched and hanged by the people. Victor decides he would prefer to live in the solitude of nature where he meets with the monster that he thinks has been dead for the last two years. The monster has learned how to speak, read, and write, The monster had learned of his creation from a diary Victor had kept and the monster had found it in an old coat. He told Victor that he had lived in a shack and observed the family and that is how he learned spee! ch, ... Free Essays on Frankenstein Frankenstein by: Mary Shelley This story's protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, decided that he wanted to create a being out of people that were already dead. He believed that he could bring people back from the grave. Victor Frankenstein felt that he had no true friends, and the only release of emotions was through letters to Elizabeth. Elizabeth was not Victor's true sister, but he loved her very dearly and made sure to always write her whenever he had the chance. Already being interested in subjects like natural philosophy and chemistry, he fell upon the question of how to bring someone back to life. He became incredibly involved in this project and worked on it for days on end. The project had to do with defying the laws of nature. Victor completely believed that he could bring the dead back to life. He felt that the dead were not ready to die and they were just resting. Victor became so self absorbed into his project that he seemed to forget all that was important to him. He even distanced himself from all the people he loved in his life like his father and Elizabeth. Victor began to write less and less. When Elizabeth recieved a discouraging letter from Victor she begins to worry about him. Though, the letter was full of words, the letter gave no relief to Elizabeth, because the words meant nothing to her. However, they meant a lot to Victor, because he felt the project in which he was working on was so important to him, in his own delirious world. He felt that with bringing people back to life, he would not only better mankind, but also establish a name for himself. With this type of attitude, he did not even tak e into consideration that he might make the world a worse place. This part in the story shows the irony. The irony is that Victor Frankenstein feels he is doing something good for humanity, but would later find out just how bad this creation would be. Though Elizabeth wanted to pull Victor away from his project, he w... Free Essays on Frankenstein Society is inevitable. It will always be there as a pleasure and a burden. Society puts labels on everything as good or bad, rich or poor, normal or aberrant. Although some of these stamps are accurate, most of them are misconceptions. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley this act of erring by society is extremely evident. One example of this judgment is the way the family is looked upon. They are seen by society as the lower-class. They work every day on their garden to make food for meals because they do not have enough money to be able to buy food. They are viewed as poor and unfortunate, but are actually rich... in spirit. They are good people. They do not complain with the status quo but enjoy what they have, which is an admirable trait for people in any standing. The old blind man sings songs to the others, plays a musical instrument, and adds a sense of experience and content to the family. The children do their daily work without griping as well. Just because they are looked down upon by society that still does not stop them from enjoying what has been provided for them. Society itself which is supposed to be good is actually ignorant. They wrongly treat the monster on the assumption that he actually is a monster. They scorn, attack, and shun the monster just because of his outward appearance. This is not justified by anything except his demeanor. They are also afraid of it because they are afraid of things about which they no nothing. Society also unjustly kills Justine because she is the only person that could have possibly have done such an evil act. They again wrongly label Justine as the killer. They do not look into the facts but instead find a quick and easy answer to the problem. This again shows the ignorance of society in this novel. Two of the most inaccurate assumptions of society revolve around the central characters of Dr. Frankenstein and ... Free Essays on Frankenstein Goethe in Faust and Shelley in Frankenstein, wrap their stories around two men whose mental and physical actions parallel one another. Both stories deal with characters, who strive to be the à ¼bermensch in their world. In Faust, the striving fellow, Faust, seeks physical and mental wholeness in knowledge and disaster in lust. In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein struggles for control over one aspect of nature and disastrously, through the monster, nature controls him to a much greater degree. Many powers are much too mighty for mortal souls, a lesson that Frankenstein and Faust learn by the end of their tales. While voluntarily excommunicating themselves from society, both characters accomplish a portion of their goal and yet they remain unhappy because they never control the "perfect" life they have built for themselves. In Faust, the intelligent gentleman Faust, seeks spiritual wholeness in knowledge. Through years of hard study, Faust becomes knowledgeable in math, sciences and religion and yet he becomes inept and incapable of having any romantic or physical relationships with the outside world. As Faust strives to become the "over man" through knowledge, he realizes that books will not satisfy his curiosity and that maybe sensual pleasures will. Therefore, in the process of creating his new life, Faust, becomes distant and unconcerned with all reality and humanity around him. Do not fancy anything right, do not fancy that I could teach or assert what would better mankind or what might convert. I also have neither money nor treasures, nor worldly honors or earthly pleasures; no dog would want to live this way!(p. 95) Obviously, Faust has fallen into a inhumane state of living, through the pursuit of the unattainable. He becomes greedy, desperate and feels justified in whatever it takes to achieve a position of the over man. At that time, Christians and society in general considered his pursuit for lust immoral, unjust an... Free Essays on Frankenstein Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is filled with various underlying themes, the crux being the effect society has on The Creature's personality. These topics have been discussed and explored on countless occasions, and the novel has been compared with its contemporaries of the Romantic Age numerous times. However, if one were to correlate and contrast Shelly's masterpiece with another, the greatest work would be the creation story in Genesis. Victor and The Creature are obvious representations of God and Adam, and the events in the two accounts parallel and differ from each other in several ways. God breathed life into Adam and created him in his own image and likeness. He placed him in a utopia and gave him authority over everything. With this authority, Adam used his knowledge to distinguish right from wrong, and if he needed help, God was always there with his unconditional love. Victor, on the other hand, assembled body parts from different corpses and made a hideous monster in the hea t of his madness. He left The Creature to fend for himself in a world full of ugliness, violence, and hate. There was no mutual feeling of love between Victor and his creation, only that of hate and fear. An all-powerful being who was perfect in every aspect created Adam. God saw that he was lonely and chose to make a mate for him to live with. When Adam sinned, he accepted his guilt, obeyed God, and left the garden. Though his own creation went against him, God loved Adam the whole time. A flawed mad man, whose intentions were only to satisfy himself, created The Creature. He demanded that his creator make a mate for him so he could have someone to share his love with. When Victor refused his request, The Creature swore vengeance, and hate was shared by both. One of the main similarities between Adam and The Creature is the fact that their creators went from one extreme to another at pivotal moments in the stories. Victor had compassion for The Creature as ... Free Essays on Frankenstein Placing Blame Is man â€Å"at once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so vicious and base?† (104). In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein acquires the power to â€Å"give life to an animal as complex and wonderful as man† (38). In Victor’s eyes, this astonishing breakthrough in science should â€Å"unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation,† (33) and â€Å"pour a torrent of light into our dark world† (38). However, things go awry. Horrors of murder, pain, anguish, and despair soon plague the lives of all the characters in the novel. Frankenstein’s creation becomes a monster that vows â€Å"eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind† (126). Yet who is the primary cause of all this terror? Who is to blame for the innocent deaths: the creature or the creator? Although the creature has the power to exercise his will in murdering innocent people, the creator is ultimately at fault. Victor creates the monster with the wrong motives, designs him to be â€Å"hideously deformed and loathsome† (105), and does not give him the â€Å"love and fellowship† (204) every being desires and needs. Early in the novel, Victor’s ambition earns him much recognition among his science colleagues. Advancing rapidly, Victor’s imagination is â€Å"too much exalted by [his] first success to permit [him] to doubt of his ability to give life† (38) to a human being. However, his obsession for success blinds him from the possible effects and consequences of such a creation. Instead he sees only that â€Å"a new species would bless [him] as its creator and source,† (39) and that â€Å"many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to [him]† (39). Selfishness takes a firm hold on Victor, and his motives become that of power. Victor has a perfect scenario drawn out in his mind of what his creation will be and do. He is so wrapped up in the possible creation and all the glory it will bring that he fails to ra... Free Essays on Frankenstein The real monster is sometimes hidden between the lines. Although through Mary ¡Ã‚ ¯s writing she leads us to the conclusion that the monster is the monster himself, he may actually not be what he is projected to be but in fact the result of another monster. Throughout her book she notes at the brutal behavior that the monster encounters through out his lifetime. Many men where quite cruel to the monster, including his own creator, for no underlying reason other than his appearance. This leads one to the conclusion that the monster was a result of his environment. A child is not born with a criminal mind, but most of the time the child ¡Ã‚ ¯s behavior is a result of the hard background in which they where raised. This isn ¡Ã‚ ¯t to say that some people are Looney ¡Ã‚ ¯s that had a normal upraising, but more than not, they were raised in a harsh environment. The monster is the product of a very complex equation. Victor is a monster in a way; he neglected and rejected his creation. It is as bad as engaging in the act of sex and all the good stuff that goes into making a baby and then leaving the child at birth in a back alley. Victor is very guilty for the monsters behavior. There is no doubt in my mind that if Victor had loved the monster and given him a good start in his life he would have made an intelligent and nice creature (and maybe with some ancient plastic surgery, he would be able to overcome his depression over his ugly appearance). Victor was unwise in his decisions, even when the monster came to him and reached out for his help and forgiveness victor rejected him. In all honesty if I were in the monsters shoes I would set out to ruin Victor ¡Ã‚ ¯s life just as much as he had my own. The last part to the monster equation is society. Society put victor in the position of judging things for their exterior. If victor did not adhere to the fads of society than perhaps he would know to look within and not judge the shallow parts. Its as ba... Free Essays on Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s classic novel of the Romanticism period, Frankenstein, there is much destruction and remorse caused by the creature Dr. Frankenstein creates. The creature, a living being made of body parts from various dead human corpses, kills several individuals that are held close by his creator Dr. Victor Frankenstein. However, the events caused by the creature bring up an interesting issue, who is responsible for the deaths of these innocent individuals? The obvious solution would be that it’s the creature’s fault, since he in fact carried out the deeds directly, but can an eight-foot tall collection of human body parts be held responsible for such acts. The next answer would put the onus of these people’s deaths on Dr. Frankenstein, since the creature was of his making and he should be held responsible for his creation. Although both characters were involved in the deaths of William Frankenstein, Henry Clerval, and Elizabeth Lavenza, it is society that is most responsible for the passing of these individuals. The reason that society should be held accountable for these individuals’ deaths is it was in fact society that drove Dr. Frankenstein to make the creature that would achieve his fame and fortune and it was society that made him conceal the truths about the creature out of fear of embarrassment and failure. The main reason for society’s liability in the death of William, Elizabeth, and Henry is due to its emphasis on success and prestige on the impressionable Dr. Frankenstein. Even as a young boy Victor Frankenstein was enthralled with the ideal of being an alchemist, which shows that he wanted nothing more than to just make success in the eyes of society. Also, from his infatuation as a youngster with alchemy it is made apparent that he wants to create something deemed as valuable, but with little responsibility and work. When Victor goes off to Ingolstandt to study ethics and chemistry at the university he is... Free Essays on Frankenstein MARY SHELLEY- Frankenstein â€Å"‘An understanding of how characters are constructed can be enhanced by an understanding of the social and historical context in which the novel was written,’ discuss with reference to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.† Knowledge on social and historical factors that have effected an author’s novel allows the reader to have greater general insight into the novel if they are understood. Frankenstein, composed by Mary Shelley, features representations of the construction of characters and have been perceived differently by different generations. A greater understanding of the construction of Mary Shelley’s characters is achieved through a greater understanding of the circumstances of which Shelley was working under, specifically time; the 1810’s, and social pressures that Shelley had to conform to and those of which she had to rebuke. In the era of Mary Shelley historically science used for the re-creation, or creation, of life was a new topic and only the educated were exposed to the attempts that scientists were devoting their research to. Socially the uneducated had no say in the matter, it was likely that many of them were ignorant to what was being endeavoured. Amongst the rich and educated these deeds were controversial and there was no prescient for them to consider; these were new grounds. Also the aims of the generation for Frankenstein’s creature were much different to ours due to the more primitive form of science. The society of Mary Shelley new what the boundary of playing God was; some chose to rebuke it others to achieve it, those rebuking it outweighing those considering it. Our society has been meddling with the properties of ‘God creations’ for many years. Changing organisms for the convenience of the human race has become extremely acceptable in some instances, for example th e process of creating of insulin. Even the scientific creation of humans is becoming mo... Free Essays on Frankenstein A Swiss Proverb once enlightened, "When one shuts one eye, one does not hear everything". Sadly, vision is the primary sense of mankind and often the solitary basis of judgment. Without human’s limitations of the shapes, colors and textures of our overall outward appearances, the world would be a place that emphasizes morals, justice and intelligence rather than bravado, cuteness, and sexual attraction. For if there were no predetermined ideal models defining the beautiful possibilities of the human body’s variation, one would never suffer isolation due to one’s disability, unattractiveness, or unusual physical attribute. Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, sheds light on the eternal illusory and importance of appearance through the tale of an unwanted creation that is never given a chance. Ironically, the supposed beast was initially much more compassionate and thoughtful than his creator, until his romantic and innocent view of the human race was diminis hed by the cruelty and injustice he unduly bore. Not only does the creature suffer the prejudice of an appearance-based society, but other situations and characters in the novel force the reader to reflect their own hasty crimes of judgment in an intelligent and adult fashion. The semi- gothic novel includes several instances of societal prejudice that include the isolation and outcast of Frankenstein’s creation, the creature’s biased opinion of the cottagers, and the unbalanced and inappropriate classification of Victor. Throughout the course of the creature’s isolated and pathetic journey, he is never given the opportunity to participate in human interaction, as he so deeply deserves. Upon his creation, the reaction of Victor, his maker, is so vividly appalling; one forgets that this is actually the birth of a human being. His ‘father’, Victor, is so selfish and has such a lack of responsibility and foresight, that he creates a human being for the simple purpose ... Free Essays on Frankenstein A novel can be judged in many ways for many things. One of these things is the relevance of its theme, not only to the time period of the book, but to the author’s time period and the time period of the reader as well. For a book to have a lasting effect on society throughout the years, the reader of all time periods must be able to relate to that theme. Frankenstein is a novel that has fit itself to this mold very well. The theme of a creator’s responsibility for his or her creation and the dangers of science are a common theme throughout Frankenstein. The discussion of these topics has been prevalent in every society since the novel’s creation, from the science and technology of Mary Shelly’s society, to our science and technology today. From the very start of the novel, Victor Frankenstein shows great interest in the sciences. After his childhood, he pursued a university education, where he studied the natural sciences. It wasn’t long before Frankenstein realized he carried an interest for the mysteries of life. This interest sparked Victor into attempting to discover a way to create a living being. After years of studying, he finally discovers a way to complete this dangerous task. Victor then works for months and succeeds in giving the breath of life into a hideous creature (Magill 1267). He realizes very quickly that he took it upon himself to try and go above God’s power, and leaves the creature to try and survive on its own. The creature goes through a series of rejections by mankind, first starting with a group of cottagers, then with Victor’s brother. His meeting with Victor’s brother ended up in a massacre, as he killed William with his bare hands. This was the first form of reve nge on his creator. Victor finally meets with the creature, only to find that his worst nightmare has come true (Moss 117-118). He has become disgusted with Victor, and with society, because they have rejected him so forcefully. Beca... Free Essays on Frankenstein Introduction In the eighteenth century, a young man flush with hard-won knowledge about the secrets of life locks himself in his apartment to engage in a gruesome but fascinating task: creating a human being. Months later, pale and emaciated from days spent slaving over stolen body parts, he brings a new life into the world, only to recoil in horror from his monstrous creation. He soon finds himself in a downward spiral of guilt, remorse, and helplessness, as the monster destroys everything dear to him. The heart of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is its protagonist's struggle to deal with the responsibility for the tragic consequences of an overreaching scientific endeavor. The novel is a triumph of Gothic storytelling with its supernatural and horrifying depiction of science gone awry, and the framing of various narratives contributes to the tale's complex and fascinating nature. Plot Overview In a series of letters, Robert Walton, the captain of a ship bound for the North Pole, recounts to his sister back in England the progress of his dangerous mission. Successful early on, the mission is soon interrupted by seas full of impassable ice. Trapped, Walton encounters Victor Frankenstein, who has been traveling by dog-drawn sledge across the ice and is weakened by the cold. Walton takes him aboard ship, helps nurse him back to health, and hears the fantastic tale of the monster that Frankenstein created. Victor first describes his early life in Geneva. At the end of a blissful childhood spent in the company of Elizabeth Lavenza (his cousin in the 1818 edition, his adopted sister in the 1831 edition) and friend Henry Clerval, Victor enters the university of Ingolstadt to study natural philosophy and chemistry. While studying, his desire grows to discover the secret of life. After several years of research, Victor becomes convinced that he has found it. Armed with the knowledge he has long been seeking, Victor spends mont... Free Essays on Frankenstein A Freudian Interpretation -Victor Frankenstein - In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the main character, Victor, has a short, but important dream right after he brings his creature to life. I have chosen to interpret this dream for several reasons. Firstly, there is no need to doubt that Victor’s retelling of the dream is anything but the truth. Also, there would be no reason for Victor to be compensating for lapses in the dream by creating falsities. In order for the novel to work, these assumptions must be made. Also with Victor’s dream, there is no need to try to extract his past from the dream because in the four chapters before the dream we get that information. Victors retelling of his dream is this: I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the fist kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change and I thought th at I held the dead corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the graveworms crawling in the folds of the flannel. The first thing I identified in the dream was the symbolism. In his works on dreams, Freud often stresses the existence of sexual motivation in dreams. He identifies many symbols of genitals and sexual intercourse. One of the symbols for the phallis is a snake. I extended that symbol to include the graveworms that are mentioned in Victor’s dream. The existence of this symbol led me to examine the possibility that sexual feelings may have caused this dream. The two characters that are mentioned in the dream are Elizabeth, his intended wife, and Caroline, who is his now deceased mother. The presence of Victor’s love object and his mother ensure the existence of sexual feelings in the dream. The way in which Victor describes embracing and kissing Elizabeth implies that he has sexual desire for her. He may also have a genuine s ... Free Essays on Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the monster, possess many similarities and differences. Victor becomes obsessed with the idea of creating the human form and acts upon his interests, but immediately after playing God by creating life, the monster, he becomes scared and leaves the school and returns home. By leaving in fear of his creation the monster faces rejection from his creator and society, pushing him to revenge against his creator’s family. Victor Frankenstein and the monster share a common characteristic of loneliness, and rejection. Victor Frankenstein did not live a normal, ordinary life. As a young man, Victor was rejected by his fellow peers. Thus he invents the monster hoping the monster will resemble him and therefore hoping he will acquire a mate. Obviously the monster and Victor look nothing alike, putting Victor into a state of depression and fear. Victor created a hideously ugly creature, which draws an unwanted attention towards him. Being rejected by society and his creator the monster seeks a mate. Consequently both the monster and Victor share a common search for a relationship or a spouse. Victor and the monster both share the same emptiness, the same pain and suffering. The monster was created out of curiosity but then left alone in the beginning stages of his life. Love and companionship play a key role in a persons life, and by being abandoned by his creator, and rejected by society, the monster learned how to live by trial and error; creating more grief and misery for himself. Victor’s emptiness and pain come from his withdrawal and loss of his family. When he left for college in Ingolstadt he left his family for what was suppose to be five years. After becoming interested in creating the monster he cut himself off from the rest of the world, dedicating all his time to the creation. When he returns home he has only a slight time before his one and only love... Free Essays on Frankenstein The Alienation of Victor Frankenstein and Dr. John Faustus Victor Frankenstein and John Faustus are two characters that are alienated because of their intellectual curiosity. Faustus’s and Frankenstein’s pursuits of knowledge begin with an inexorable journey to their downfalls as they become alienated. Both characters attempt to exceed human ability and are alienated from God because of their attempts. These men are concerned with the secrets of nature and are ultimately alienated from the world because of their quests which violate nature. They are alienated from themselves because of their extreme passions for knowledge. Faustus and Frankentstein could escape their tragic endings and their alienations if only they had fortitude. According to Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary (1985), alienation is â€Å"of or belonging to another person or place, foreign in nature or character, the action of a stranger, or a state of estrangement, or a withdrawing or se paration of a person or his affections from and object or position of former attachment†. According to the class lecture on alienation, Raymond Williams defines alienation as â€Å" cutting off or being cut off from God, a state of being cut off or estranged from the knowledge of God or from his mercy or worship, loss of original human nature, or a loss of connection with one’s deepest feelings and needs or sense of powerlessness†(notes). Victor Frankenstein’s journey begins with his notable childhood. Victor is extremely loved by his parents and they bestow upon him a wonderful and educated life as a child. Victor states, â€Å"During every hour of my infant life I received a lesson of patience, of charity, and of self-control†(39). However his downfall begins as he develops a desire for the knowledge of the metaphysical or physical secrets of the world. He attends the University of Ingolstaldt and begins his work on the creature. The task consumes him, and he rejects his...