...Knowledge is not the mere personal gain of insight, but the sharing of such. In the novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelly, the movement of Victor from place to place demonstrates the positive and negative gain of knowledge. Knowledge can be transferred from everyday people in everyday situations. Victor’s family vacation to Belrive was the first instance of Victor longing for and retrieval of knowledge. He was young and impressionable and "it seemed [that] nothing would or could ever be known" (pg 22). As most people who begin the pursuit of knowledge, Victor did not know where to begin. But with the movement from place to place people are able to gain knowledge from the people around them. From other people and other cultures who have learned differently "new and astonishing" (pg 22) things are able to be learned. From other cultures "miraculous change[s] of inclination and will" (pg 23) ensue and knowledge is transferred....
Words: 564 - Pages: 3
...“IT’S ALLIIIIIVE!!!” Everyone knows the famous line from pop culture’s Frankenstein where, surrounded by fantastical science equipment, Dr. Frankenstein, aided by his hunched assistant, Igor, zaps life into a grotesque monster within medieval castle under the cover of a dark and stormy night. At the epicenter, a creature awakens while the mad scientist cackles maniacally. It would be equally shocking for most, however, to find that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the original, poses a quite different, almost anti-climatic, scene–void of any shouting, Igors, and with no clear depiction of the creature’s endowment of life-giving forces. In fact, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein contrasts heavily to the pop culture Frankenstein in many aspects, namely,...
Words: 1483 - Pages: 6
...In the Beginning There Was Frankenstein Many have said that love makes the world go around but we are left with the question of who creates love? What would life be like if we had not experienced love and, ultimately, what would each of us be like without experiencing love? The Holy Bible provides numerous examples of a perfect love from the Creator and explains that people have been created to love. Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, creates questions about the responsibility of a creator, and what can happen when some basic responsibilities of a creator are ignored. The novel describes a monster and his actions due to his creator abandoning him. Throughout Mary Shelley’s novel, there is the question of who really is the monster? Victor Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, can easily be compared to the Judeo-Christian God and the story of creation found in the book of Genesis. The God referred to as the creator of all mankind is driven by love for his creation, but Victor Frankenstein is driven to create by his own personal ideas of grandiosity and ego. The Holy Bible is the account of the Judeo-Christian God’s action in the world and his purpose for all creation. The writing of the Holy Bible took place over sixteen centuries, and is the work of over forty human authors. There are sixty-six books that provide various lessons for living and moral conduct, examples of love from a Creator, and a starting point for creation. In Genesis, the...
Words: 1718 - Pages: 7
...comparison of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner? The concerns that composers challenge in their texts not only reflect the ideals and perceptions of their time, but the same issues are also found to transcend through the decades. This has been demonstrated through the comparative study of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s feature film Blade Runner in which their 150 year contextual difference could not create a barrier in exploring related issues. Despite Shelley’s Frankenstein being written in the early 19th century Romantic era, while Blade Runner was created in the period of late 20th century America influenced by Reaganomics, both texts delve into the concerns of the overpowering need for glory, the dichotomy between humanity and monstrosity, and the lack of parental responsibility. Through Frankenstein and Blade Runner, the desire for ultimate success is represented through the pursuit of knowledge and the application of science and technology. The underlying intention behind the project is of utmost importance as there will be dire consequences if the purpose of the creation is of a superficial motive. Through Victor, Shelley has portrayed humans as deeply ambitious yet also deeply flawed. Victor dreams of transforming society and bringing glory to his name through his scientific achievements yet his desire also makes him fallible. In writing Frankenstein, Shelley had challenged the Enlightenment ideal of knowledge, invention...
Words: 1348 - Pages: 6
...Reading Between the Lines: An analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus, using Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto as an example of male discourse about women Louise Othello Knudsen English Almen, 10th semester Master’s Thesis 31-07-2012 Tabel of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Historical Context .............................................................................................................................. 10 The View on Women and Their Expected Roles in the late 18th and 19th Century ....................... 11 - Mary Shelley disowns herself .................................................................................................. 11 - Mary Shelley’s Background .................................................................................................... 12 Women’s Role in Frankenstein ..................................................................................................... 13 Men’s Role in Frankenstein ........................................................................................................... 13 - Women in Society and Women as Writers .........................................................
Words: 30015 - Pages: 121
...Jacob McKinnis Professor Bess Fox Major Women Writers 3 November 2015 Romanticism in Frankenstein Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, is well known throughout the world as a classic piece of gothic literature with elements of disturbing and macabre imagery. It is easy then to overlook the many ways in which Frankenstein is a primary example of Romanticism due to the characteristics of the way it was written and the time period in which Mary Shelley lived. Shelley’s Frankenstein is not meant to be looked at as a purely gothic piece of literature but rather a literary work of Romanticism that masquerades as a horror story. To start with, the monster created by Frankenstein is paramount to the representation of Romanticism in the novel. The monster is a Romantic hero because of the rejection it must bear from normal society. Wherever he goes, the monster is chased away because of its hideous appearance and its huge size. Shelley makes an effort explaining how often that people in conventional society reject that which is out of the ordinary or that which is unnerving and disfigured treading on the borders of our society. It’s hard to blame the monster for what happens to him, and Shelley provokes from the reader a sympathetic response for a creature that has been established as a misunderstood and lost soul in a world it was never meant to live in. The monster tries to fit into a regular community, but because it is grotesque to look at and does not know the social norms...
Words: 1469 - Pages: 6
...When a person thinks of Frankenstein's monster, they most likely think the creation as being wretched, but in reality, Victor Frankenstein is the wretched one. Victor gave his creation life, but he found his being to be so horrid that he ran from his new responsibility without teaching morals. The murders of Victor's loved ones happened because Victor abandoned his being, causing his creation to find its own life's principles. Victor Frankenstein's mistakes caused him to be the person responsible for the deaths within Mary Shelley's novel. Initially, Victor Frankenstein desired unknown knowledge which was not thought about carefully. When Victor made the decision, bringing life to a being, he did not consider the consequences of creating a...
Words: 388 - Pages: 2
...What do I want? Consider the role that the narrative/performance have in the questioning the true nature and real origin of the monstrous within the National Theatre’s 2011 production of Frankenstein. How? Dear’s narrative approach will be explored in relation to the problematizing and redefining of the monstrous; the shifting of the perspective to the created creature rather than that of the creator and the subsequent effects this has on an audience’s perception. The impact of the performance approach taken will also be considered: how the actors shared body of Frankenstein and his creature, the result of their alternating both roles, raises further questions creating various and yet carbon copies of the monstrous. The focus of this analysis...
Words: 3202 - Pages: 13
...Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Key facts full title · Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus author · Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley type of work · Novel genre · Gothic science fiction language · English time and place written · Switzerland, 1816, and London, 1816–1817 date of first publication · January 1, 1818 publisher · Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones narrator · The primary narrator is Robert Walton, who, in his letters, quotes Victor Frankenstein’s first-person narrative at length; Victor, in turn, quotes the monster’s first-person narrative; in addition, the lesser characters Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein narrate parts of the story through their letters to Victor. climax · The murder of Elizabeth Lavenza on the night of her wedding to Victor Frankenstein in Chapter 23 protagonist · Victor Frankenstein antagonist · Frankenstein’s monster setting (time) · Eighteenth century setting (place) · Geneva; the Swiss Alps; Ingolstadt; England and Scotland; the northern ice point of view · The point of view shifts with the narration, from Robert Walton to Victor Frankenstein to Frankenstein’s monster, then back to Walton, with a few digressions in the form of letters from Elizabeth Lavenza and Alphonse Frankenstein. falling action · After the murder of Elizabeth Lavenza, when Victor Frankenstein chases the monster to the northern ice, is rescued by Robert Walton, narrates his story, and dies tense · Past foreshadowing · Ubiquitous—throughout...
Words: 51140 - Pages: 205
...how they function. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dr. Victor Frankenstein is an inspiring scientist that studies the dead. He wants to be the first person to give life to a dead human being. He spends all of his time concentrating on this goal, and gives up his family and friends. When he finally accomplishes this, everything falls apart. So, Victor Frankenstein is to blame for the tragedy, not the monster he has created, because he is the mastermind behind the whole operation, and he is supposed to have everything under control, working properly as a good scientist should do. Although some critics say that the monster Victor has created is to blame for the destruction and violence that follow the experiment, it is Victor who is the responsible party. First, Victor, being the scientist, should have known how to do research on the subject a lot more than he had done. He obviously has not thought of the consequences that may result from it such as the monster going crazy, how the monster reacts to people and things, and especially the time it will take him to turn the monster into the perfect normal human being. This is obviously something that would take a really long time and a lot of patience which Victor lacks. All Victor really wants is to be the first to bring life to a dead person and therefore be famous. The greed got to his head and that is all he could think about, while isolating himself from his friends and family. In the play of Frankenstein, when Victor comes home...
Words: 1471 - Pages: 6
...death of and infant either at birth or shortly after is psychologically painful causing fear and depression. The death of the mother after childbirth would also contribute to this fear. Lockiophobia is the result, women fearing the birth process. Fear is a great motivator for humans, and it can push a person to do good or bad things. Mary Shelley chooses to write expressing her fears of childbirth in a uniquely creative way. Psychotherapy for individuals can be different, and she created her own through her writing. Utilizing the fictitious character of Frankenstein created by a male over a nine month time period before being brought to life. By avoiding the use of a female to create Frankenstein, the fearsome birthing process was bypassed. His life, filled with rejection and lack of love, severely depressed he choose to kill. Any further pregnancies for Mary Shelley would be encased with the fear of death, not only for the infant but also herself. Keywords: Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, childbirth, depression Introduction The fear of childbirth arises from past experience of the birth process, lockiophobia. Mary Shelley’s book was written about a monster that was brought to life. Childbirth does not always end happily, death of a child or mother is always a possibility and the ability to cope is not the same for every woman or their family. The pain and loneliness consumed her dreams and writing gave her the ability to cope. “My life will flow quietly away...
Words: 1275 - Pages: 6
...Frankenstein Assignment Samantha Perez July 9, 2013 If an infant is brought into a dysfunctional home or grows up hated by its parents, friends or family; this child will experience hatred; will know hatred. The child is raised with a dark perception of the world, and is not as susceptible to feelings of love and happiness. These attributes do indeed fits the profile of serial killers that we have been discussing in class. In this way, the creation in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is also raised with a dark view of the earth, and is not born, but indeed becomes a monster. Mary Shelley’s timeless novel Frankenstein (1831) explores this concept of responsibility for creation. In the case of Frankenstein’s creation, there is no doubt that the monster was not inherently evil. In fact, as quoted in Frankenstein, “His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks”(59). He was not born of malice, but happiness. Frankenstein was so disgusted with the looks of his creation he left him alone and went for a walk. In the 1994 movie, Frankenstein engaged his creation with threat and violence. His first choice, to push away his creation instead of embracing it is, in itself, monstrous, and evil just leads to more evil. This choice ended in the death of his brother William. Frankenstein chose to leave the monster alone when it came to being. He did not want to learn if it was intelligent, or how strong it was. He did not care. It was in fact...
Words: 761 - Pages: 4
...Sympathy in Relation to Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the monster becomes easy to sympathize with, as he becomes a symbol of abandonment and has a lack of knowledge of the world. Although Frankenstein was born a “monster”, he was still new to the world just like any other newborn baby. He had a lack of understanding of what it meant to speak, how to use his legs, what body language was, and how to understand people. Most babies are taught from the very beginning how to learn all of those concepts, although it may take some time, they are still supported and encouraged every day. Frankenstein never received this love and attention. He was neglected from the start, which led him to a life of anger, criminality, and loneliness. “The list of problems that stem from neglect reads like the index of the DSM: poor impulse control, social withdrawal, problems with coping and regulating emotions, low self-esteem, pathological behaviors such as tics, tantrums, stealing and self-punishment, poor intellectual functioning and low academic achievement.” (APA, Kirsten Weir) Neglect at birth leads to copious amounts of problems as stated above. Frankenstein was taught time after time that he was repulsive and unlovable, teaching him the feeling anger. The article written by Kirsten Weir proceeds to explain the damaging effects of being left alone at birth. In the article a few doctors are quoted. The doctor’s had first hand experience and visited children in an orphanage...
Words: 2475 - Pages: 10
...Frankenstein/Bladerunner In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) humanity’s manipulation of nature paradoxically erodes the human spirit and compromises integrity. Although contextually disparate, both texts explore a creator’s need to take responsibility for his creation, cautioning responders of the dangers of unrestrained scientific progress and conveying humanity’s severed relationship with nature. Where Shelley communicates with a certain ambiguity characteristic of the contradictory Age of Reason and sets her tale against a backdrop of a sublime natural world, Scott portrays a society fuelled by ecological destruction and 1980s corporate abuse. This reflects each composer’s anchoring of their visions in the socio-cultural realities of their time; a fundamental transgression of human values over time. Both texts explore the dangers of uninhibited scientific progress. In Frankenstein, Shelley fashions a gothic world where nature is tampered with and a ‘hurricane of enthusiasm’ drives the protagonist towards abandoning his conscience, prompting Shelley’s valuing of moderation. Underpinned by the Industrial Revolution and an era of scientific change, Victor embodies the obsessive passions and Romantic ego-identities of 19th century scientists. The epistolatory narrative framework adds a disquieting sense of truth to Victor’s retrospective dialogue, “how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge,” reflecting his Promethean disobedience...
Words: 1263 - Pages: 6
...Jeremy Walker Mrs. Joyner English 4 12 December 2015 Mary Shelley’s Warning People have been killing each other for nearly as long as they’ve existed. The sword was made to help a person defend themselves from not just wild beast, but other people as well. Then the gun was made which allowed for people to hunt more easily, but it allowed for a new way of killing to appear. Medicines were made to help people live longer, and with the same sciences that brought upon medicine also brought upon artificial poisons. Technology has always been used for one of two things. To make life easier, or to make life easier to end. Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus displays a warning as to human’s search for knowledge and the danger...
Words: 1856 - Pages: 8
