Premium Essay

Motivation In Frankenstein

Submitted By
Words 912
Pages 4
In A Study in Scarlet, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle puts a huge stress on Jefferson Hope’s motive for killing Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson. This is true and the reader sees that this motive behind Hope’s action clarifies the action without justifying it. We also see examples of this in the Bible and in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Motivation can explain a man's behavior and clarify or even justify his action; motives can also explain why we as humans do what we do subconsciously or consciously.
Jeferson Hope’s motive for killing Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson was revenge and love. His motive for hunting down Drebber and Stangerson was to avenge his late wife, Lucy, because Drebber and Stangerson both took part in her death. When Jefferson …show more content…
Everything Victor does in this novel he does for a specific reason. For a prime example when Victor violently attacks and slaughters his latest creation, the female creature. It may seem like a rampage killing. But in fact there are a few reasons Victor acted the way he did in this situation. More specifically one of the reason’s Victor killed the female creature was because he did not want to take the chance of her not liking and rejecting the other creature Victor made. Victor did not want to take that small risk, so he killed the female creature. As readers we also come to the conclusion that Victor simply killed the female creature due to the fact that he did not want them to produce a new race of monsters. These actions Victor Frankenstein took were entirely justified because he may have prevented many lives from being taken if the original male creature were to get mad and go on a rampage killing spree. Going back to the beginning of Victor’s life, to when his mother died, we see that it affected Victor in a seriously way, Right after the death of his mother Victor developed a strange and unique fascination with death. Bringing things back to life became a goal he needed to achieve. So therefore, his motivation in creating the first creature, he was really showing us he wished he could have brought his mother back from the dead. His actions in attempting to create life are not justified because Victor tries to put himself in a place of authority, or god like figure. There is no reason out there that can justify someone trying to put themselves at such a high place as a

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

What Makes Victor Successful In Frankenstein

...Obtaining success is a journey; it can be quite easy and at times really tough, but what determines if you achieve and attain that goal, is your motivation and drive behind it. In the book Frankenstein, personal interests and goals drive the characters to be able to overcome obstacles and succeed. Each character has a motive or a goal that drives them; whether it be curiosity or revenge. Victor and the creature, two major characters in the novel, both had different drives for success, but both of these, although different, lead them to success. At a young age Victor Frankenstein interest were in sciences such as chemistry, and the balances between life and death. Fascinated by the secret of life, begins researching the studies of anatomy of the human body, biology, electricity, Galvanism, and pseudo-genetics. Fueled by curiosity to learn about the hidden laws of nature of heaven and earth, arrogance, and the urge to do what only god can do and create life, Victor creates the creature bringing new life into the world. Victor’s motivation and research went into his true intentions finding a way to be able to cheat...

Words: 582 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Frankenstein Essay

...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

Premium Essay

Frankenstein

...Rosario Sandoval The Horror Story- Section 031 November 14, 2014 Mary Shelley’s story “Frankenstein” is a story of a young man obsessed with the creation of mankind. We are introduced to Victor Frankenstein a man that uses all his education and resources to create a new human. With good intentions Victor creates not a human but a monster too terrible to even look at. Victor’s new creation provokes him fear causing him to abandon his own creation. This creature abandon by his creator becomes Victor’s Frankenstein’s nightmare and becomes the monster of Mary Shelley’s story. The following will show how Shelley’s intentions were meant for Victor’s creation to be seen as the true monster in the story. Victor Frankenstein wanted to create a human to improve humankind. He made is creation out of various parts of human corpses. Victor then realizes that his creation is hideous. The creation is a monster; he is larger than any human about eight feet tall, with yellow skin and scary eyes. The appearance of the creation is one of the first signs that he is a monster. His own creator becomes fearful of him and due to the monsters appearance he is unable to have any type of human interaction. People who see him fear and perceive him as a monster. The creation has now been perceived as a monster. He has been rejected by his creator and now by all humankind. Causing Victor’s creation to feel anger towards all humans especially Victor. On the discussion board, Allison Mascivecchino defends...

Words: 628 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Technology In Frankenstein

...story itself is something from the darker side of the mind, playing into just how terrible a human is capable of being without the restraint of ethics, morals or true human compassion. The monster epitomizes the darkest sides of our nature in his simple lack of morality or concern for human life. Perhaps Frankenstein has remained so popular for the many pieces of human nature that it shows...

Words: 1476 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Death Race2000 vs Death Race

...Death Race 2000 vs. Death Race Emory A. Deschamps III ENG/220 04/06/2015 Sherri Craig Death Race 2000 vs. Death Race Death Race 2000 initially directed by Paul Bartel has been historically positioned as a classic cult film, which consequently inspired Paul Anderson to direct the new version of the forenamed original and present it as the Death Race film in 2008. Numerous critics and journalists have skillfully compared and contrast both of the cinematographic creations giving preference either to Paul Bartel’s original movie or Paul Anderson’s modern remake. The talents of both producers have confronted each other throughout time and critically assessed by the spectators, which is particularly interesting from the perspective that both of the movies carry practically the same title. Both Death Race 2000 and Death Race focus on the devastating and bloody dystopian future. However, it needs to be said that the title along with the blood and car competition theme result to be the most significant similarities between the two films otherwise these films are to be perceived as two creation of entirely different matter. As the race itself presented in both films is extremely different from one another. In Death Race 2000 it is associated with a cross-country race that identifies its winner in accordance with the number of pedestrians the driver kills, it exposes the audience to an extensive violence show. According to the Pulitzer Prize winner...

Words: 833 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Warning: Beware of Creature

...Halloween, there are no more appropriate novels than Frankenstein to read. Although Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s original intent was simply to participate in a horror story contest with her friends (which she rightfully won), she ended up crafting a well-known, full-length masterpiece. Frankenstein is famous not only for being spooky, but also for its commentary on the themes of dangers of knowledge and hubris, and monstrosity via playing God and losing innocence. “‘I imagine you may deduce an apt moral from my tale...nor can I doubt but that my tale conveys in its series internal evidence of the truth of the events of which it is composed’” (19). Through Frankenstein’s voice Shelley describes the greatest moral she has to offer from the suffering depicted in her story: the dangers of discovery and knowledge, which is that sometimes, however well-meant and innocent the intent may be, the expected result of scientific pursuits can turn out completely different than expected. Shelley’s prime example of this is the Creature and all the destruction he brings in his wake. So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein -- more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation (33). This is the epiphany that leads to the creation of the Creature, undoubtedly a somewhat naive and enthusiastic motivation, with no ill intent and no thought for the possible...

Words: 1499 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Minster

...Tawsif Alam June 9, 2016 Ms. Kalick English Essay Prompt 1 It is certain that the experience that one gains is what ultimately influences the actions that he or she will take in their present and later life. The most common motivator for evil deeds committed by a person is their history of cruel events. Such examples can be seen in the novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley. In this novel, the unexpected creation of a creature, made by Victor Frankenstein, is exposed to a countless number of harsh attacks in which he was left scarred and mentally destroyed. These events were what caused the creature to commit unforgivable crimes that impacted the life and the family of Victor Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein was a science enthusiast that dreamed of doing something none other can do. He finally achieved his goal when he created a “superhuman” that was 8 feet tall with extraordinary strength and abilities. However, because of its distorted and ugly appearance, the creature was shown no love whatsoever by anybody that he had encountered. This can be seen by the actions that the cottagers took on the creature when he decided to reveal himself to the family that he had been observing and silently helping for so long. He did not mean any harm but he was still forced to leave this place also. The book states (97)”Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father, to whose knees I clung: in a transport of fury, he dashed me to...

Words: 727 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Theme Of Rejection In Frankenstein

...jewelry. A man is battered in a dark alleyway for the change in his pocket. A fight between a meth abusing teenager and his dad ends in violence. What do these events have in common? They are crimes- reckless acts of malevolence-that no one could ever have any excuse or valid reason for; or could they? In the gothic thriller Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, themes of rejection, morality, and the human experience are explored through the woeful tale of Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. Specifically, a poignant story of a created being experiencing abandonment from his creator-heavily influenced by biblical themes- emerges. This...

Words: 1553 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Frankenstein Evolution Of Technology

...To begin with, both the inventors of CRISPR and Victor Frankenstein have good intentions. Frankenstein wants to understand life and death partly because of his mother’s early departure from his life. “Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed? …. To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death.” (Shelley 41) His original purpose of creating a creature is to understand the basic mechanism of life and death so he could bring back the dead one day. Similarly, CRISPR is mainly for prevention, detection and treatment for disorder and improve the overall health of the population. Frankenstein also acknowledges the adverse changes his creation could cause to society. He asks himself, “shall I, in cool blood, set loose upon the earth a demon whose delight is death and wretchedness?” (Shelley 173) Although CRISPR itself doesn’t have the ability to murder with purpose, its side effects to the society could not and should not be ignored. To summarize, both Frankenstein’s creation and CRISPR are double-edged swords. As he recounts “the promise of virtues which [the creature] had displayed on the opening of his existence and the subsequent blight of all kindly feelings by the loathing and scorn which his protectors had manifested towards him” (Shelley 150), Frankenstein realizes that the creature is capable of being virtuous, but it is the environment that causes him to become this heartless...

Words: 1941 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Monstrousness In Grendel And Frankenstein

...Of Monsters and Men: How Humanity Incites Monstrousness in Grendel and Frankenstein All too often on a daily basis do people judge others based on their physical appearance or other superficial criteria. Generally, close-minded individuals perceive anything foreign or a deviation from the norm as offensive or even as a threat. We would like to think that we are not prone to such a fault, but this foible is ingrained in human nature. Literature has examined this aspect of humanity on a magnified scale by using monsters as a metaphor for those we judge; the novels Grendel by John Gardner and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley are as much character studies on humanity as they are stories about monstrousness itself. The monsters in each novel certainly...

Words: 1270 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Making Frankenstein By Wyatt Prunty Analysis

...The poem “Making Frankenstein” by Wyatt Prunty is a coming of age tale about a young boy and his many curiosities. It dramatizes a young boy and his curiosity of maturity and his lack of understanding due to his innocence. The speaker is an older man who is reflecting back on his innocent childhood and his many curiosities. The story begins with an agitated child imploring his parents to allow him to go watch The Curse of Frankenstein. Although the child pleads for permission, his parents refuse. However the child’s uncle convinces his parents otherwise: “Then his uncle called and offered and they caved” (LL. 5). The following evening he began to act slightly skittish and headed off to bed. While drifting off to sleep, he had a night terror: “No but, midnight he woke up screaming” (LL. 10). There is a subtle awkwardness the following morning when his father tells him he is too anatomical: “too anatomical.’ ‘What’s...

Words: 423 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Branding In Frankenstein

...wretch and savage, to name a few. Although humanity has many words the root of their meaning remains the same: the people they describe are different. The words society uses to brand people mirror a sense of prejudice and hate that does not necessarily reflect the actual person. Thus, society creates monsters through a systematic branding of labels upon others as clearly evidenced in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein through the vilification of Justine the creature. To begin, words clearly have an impact on humanity; Susan Smalley, a Professor at UCLA remarks that in tests “individuals read words of 'loving kindness' showed...

Words: 795 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Biological Determinism

...Biological Determinism 1. According to the author of the article "All in the Genes?", there is no intrinsic causality between genetics and intelligence. The author analyses different aspects of biological determinism, and supplies many examples, which illustrate aspects of this problem that are being discussed since the time when these ideas became popular. He does not agree with biological determinist that the intellectual performance of a person depends on genes inherited from his parents. There are a lot of different theories about intellectual capabilities. All these theories reflect different points of views, depending on the period of time the authors of these theories lived. The author argues for the theory that in the nineteenth century , artificial barriers in social hierarchy prevented people from achieving higher intellectual performance. In the end of XX century, in most places these barriers were removed by the democratic processes, and nothing artificial can stand between the natural sorting process and social status of the people. These changes can not be considered as historical because the age of democracy is just two hundred years , and the time when inequality between classes and between people was a natural situation is almost as long as the history of the world . The author insists that there is no connection between environmental differences and genetics. In support of his idea the author state that any Canadian student can...

Words: 2933 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

The Moral Immoralities of Victor Frankenstein

...The Moral Immoralities of Victor Frankenstein In the novel Frankenstein, the author Mary Shelley portrays the limitations of man in his pursuit of scientific creativity. She illustrates Victor Frankenstein’s attempts and success at creating a human being in his laboratory as an immoral attempt to play the role of God. Shelley repeatedly shows the monster’s harmful effects on society and often places blame on Victor for the Monster’s detrimental actions. In order to emphasize the immorality and mistakes in Victor’s attempts to play God, Shelley constructs a recognizable parallel to the story of Genesis when God creates man and woman. In order to show her disapproval of such an endeavor, Shelley intentionally causes Victor to fail. This deviation from the parallel in Genesis demonstrates that man cannot exceed his natural limitations, or mimic the role of God. The story begins with Victor’s decision to create the Monster. Victor says that he “[s]ucceeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, [he] became capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelley 43). Immediately, a parallel is drawn to the creation of man in Genesis. This parallel continues when Victor discloses to the reader that he, “[c]ollected bones from charnel-houses and distrusted, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame” (Shelley 45). Shelley portrays the creation of Victor’s monster in a subtle but similar way that God created man. Her intention is for...

Words: 1477 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Romanticism Unshackled: a Study of the Modern Prometheus

...Romanticism Unshackled: a Study of the Modern Prometheus The most remarkable aspect about Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the ability to label the novel in so many different ways amongst many genres, ranging from science fiction, to fantasy, to horror, and have all of them be correct. At such a young age, Mary Shelley constructed a narrative so revolutionary, intricate, and involved that it is still pertinent to be written about in college essays almost 200 years after it was written. As the author, Shelley is often attributed with vast creative intellect, and rightly so, as is evidenced while reading through her novel. It is imperative to recognize, however, just how much influence her colleagues—the Romantic poets—had on the ideas that became manifested in her writing. Frankenstein should bear the title of Romantic literature because the novel embodies trademark Romantic ideas, situations, and characteristics throughout the text. In an attempt to categorize any novel as Romantic, however, one must first attempt to identify what, exactly, makes a work Romantic. A group of poets, including the likes of William Blake, Samuel Coleridge, William Wordsworth, John Keats, Lord Byron and—Mary’s husband—Percy Shelley, who are commonly credited as being the ground-breaking authors of the Romantic movement (Ferguson). A prime example of this method of poetry was introduced in the 1798 collection, Lyrical Ballads. This work, written by Wordsworth and Coleridge, is a compilation...

Words: 3287 - Pages: 14