...Khizer Awan AP LIT Frankenstein Literary Analysis I Must Know More Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley is a romantic era novel based on the theme of knowledge. The word “knowledge” reoccurred many times throughout Frankenstein and forced the reader to understand the definition of it. According to Webster’s Dictionary, knowledge is defined as “Knowledge: n. Understanding gained by actual experience; range of information; clear perception of truth; something learned and kept in the mind.” The word knowledge is very simple, but has different meanings to all of us. Knowledge is the tool we use in making proper judgement. Knowledge is an extremely powerful thing and it must be used wisely and properly. Carelessly using knowledge can cause terrible consequences. The novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is a novel that has many comparisons of powers in life. It pertains to many themes in society today. Frankenstein contrasts science, technology, life and death, and most importantly knowledge and ignorance. It shows the consequences of knowledge in both negative and positive ways. In Frankenstein, three characters searched for one thing - knowledge. Unfortunately the results of their search differed from what they had anticipated. Walton, blinded by ambition, believed that search for knowledge on the route to the North Pole would bring fame to his name, but he quickly learned that he ended up only with the danger to the lives of his crew. Frankenstein, driven by passion...
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...In the novel Frankenstein, Victor infuses life within a motionless body with God’s power, not knowing that just as life was given, it can surely be taken away. Since a young child, Victor was fascinated by science, and highly influenced by alchemy nd the old science. “The raising of ghosts and devils was a promise liberally accorded by favorite authors, the fulfillment of which I must eagerly sought”.This was proof that Victor’s focus was on making the dead live again. His interest was sparked when Victor saw an oak tree get struck by lightning. Along with a visit from a natural philosopher, who influenced Victor to take upon the study of electricity and galvanism. From here, he started studying at the University of Ingolstadt as a student of chemistry. With the knowledge he received, Victor went on to pursue the secret of life. His obsession with the project turns Victor from a healthy, happily family...
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...create anything we want. However, in Mary Shelley's novel ‘Frankenstein’ and the Canadian Space Arm, we went beyond the boundaries of ethics, where we created objects which were incredulous, yet at the same time, they were monsters of our own making. Both creators were nothing less than admirable in their intentions. Nonetheless, in providing both creations with human- like names and features, they violated what I believe to be ethical limits, and as a result they ended up with unethical monsters. I do not believe that it is right to give inanimate objects human like features; when we...
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...Frankenstein is a novel that explores what can happen if one decides to go against the laws of nature with science. Victor frankenstein, an intelligent but selfish man, created a monster in what I believe to be an attempt to make up for the loss of his mother. The monster itself was not necessarily a “monster”, but after horrible treatment and cruel judgements by people including it’s own creator it became one. The people reacted so negatively to the creation because it was unnatural; this was a recurring idea throughout the novel. In contrast to the unnatural monster, there is an emphasis on the beauty of nature and of what is natural, along with many other elements of romanticism. Frankenstein calls attention to the relation of nature and beauty in contrast to the idea of unnatural monstrosities. Beauty and Nature is a clear motif in the novel, and this can be seen primarily with the monster itself. It was clearly not natural as it was made by a man using pieces of decomposing humans, and people reacted to it as such. the unnatural creation was anything but beautiful; in fact, it was frightening. The only reason that the monster was treated as it was, was its appearance. This can be seen specifically when the monster was living near the family in the cottage. The old blind man was welcoming and kind to the monster, but the children, who could see the hideous unnatural creation, forced it to leave and then separated themselves from the monster further by moving. Along with...
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...Both Griffin of Invisible Man and Victor of Frankenstein are what we might classify as mad scientists. They have a need to create something never before done, against the persecution of the unbelieving science community. Although they differ in what they create, they both become successful in their quest towards a larger understanding of the scientific unknown. But the two end their tales in different states of mind, to which one might derive a certain sense of judgment in each. Of the two mad scientists one would most likely point towards Griffin as the less likable. His breakthrough was not to benefit the world or for the scientific community; it was simply for his personal gain. One might argue the same against Victor but he had very little gain from his creation His was rather to prove a human could create life from an unanimated body, in which he was going to show to the rest of the world. Griffin does not share his secret with anyone, he even has a coded journal where he keeps his formulas and notes. Victor does not share his secret either but he believes his creation is a menace and a monster and therefore should never be repeated. Griffin is a static character; he never changes throughout his tale, nor does he learn his lesson. He is greedy, selfish, uncaring and arrogant. He steals money from his father which becomes the cause of his death and never sheds a tear. He creates the invisibility potion for personal gain and even after creating it he says “all this isn’t...
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...General 1. Title: Frankenstein 2. Author: Mary Shelley 3. Date of publication: Jan 1, 1818 4. Novel type: horror, Gothic, science fiction and tragedy Structure 1. Point of view: Throughout most of the novel it is a first person narrative. The main narrator s victor Frankenstein however there are 2other narrators too; Walton and the monster. Walton’s narration is through letters. 2. Relationship to meaning: The first person narration helps the reader see things from the character point of view and also helps create doubt over what really happened or why something really happened. 3. Plot structure: A. exposition: Walton narrates how he has encountered a man named Victor Frankenstein while on his voyage through ice caps. The reader also sees the creature for the first time here. B. inciting incident: The stories conflict starts of here, Walton explains to Victor how his search for knowledge is worth any amount lives and this is where victor realizes Walton will lead the same path as he did in life and he decides to tell Walton his life story. C. events contributing to rising action: Victor begins to start his research to create a monster and then is finally successful in creating his monster. The monster runs away and begins to live in a forest right by the De ‘Lacey family and he learns to read and speak. The monster begins to feel lonely because most of society and his creator have shunned him. D. climax: The monster goes into the De...
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...without restraint/And knew not eating death” (Milton Book IX 790-791. This quote by poet John Milton perfectly describes Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein, and his unbridled ambitions. Frankenstein sought to create a new species of superior beings by together bodies and imbuing them with life, but soon realized his mistakes which cost him the lives of friends and family. Prior to his first successful creation, Frankenstein set himself up as God, and later his creation found that it resembled Adam. In a tale about the genesis of a race, it is natural that it would be rife with religious allusions, and indeed Shelley brings up John Milton’s Paradise Lost, an epic poem about the creation of...
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...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...
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...Date: How could Victor Frankenstein have helped the creature he created so it could acclimate and be accepted into society? What would you do? Victor Frankenstein is a man who comes from an affluent family and is obsessed in undertaking scientific advancements. Finally, he is able to create a living creature that does not conform to the human nature. The creature hence is excluded from the society due to its nature and tries to learn the language used in communication so that it can fit in the society. However, the creature is met with violent rejection. In order for victor to diffuse this rejection, he should not refer to the creature as a lifeless thing. This is because the phrase is extremely inhuman as it could refer to anything from a chair to any form of garbage in the house. This does not help in anyways the acceptance of the creature in the society. Therefore, Victor should give the creature a human name so that the society might view the creature differently. Victor begins the exclusion of the creature by referring to the creature as ambiguous, therefore Victor should give the creature a purpose in life and not just a successful experiment. Consequently, people can view the creature differently. Another important aspect to note is when the creature is lying at Victor’s feet. This means that Victor believes that the creature is physically below him. Victor feels superior to the creature both figuratively and literally. Victor should not do this...
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...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...
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...When Victor Frankenstein reanimated the creature, the creature only wanted to feel love and acceptance towards his creator; however, that does not occur because of the monsters’ hideous appearance. The monster feelings of loneliness and rejection led him to become the creature full of anger and later started seeking revenge towards the people Victor loved. To the creature, murdering the people Victor loved dearly was his form of seeking justice. He wanted to make Victor feel the same pain and loneliness so he would hunt down his family and friends as a way of him feeling justice and seeking revenge. The monster believes that seeking revenge on innocent civilians is a way of justice, the monsters’ justice successfully done since he managed to murder a few people Victor loved, and how morally wrong his way of justice is....
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...demonstrated in the 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...
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...Religion in Victorian England The nineteenth century revolved around a revival of religious activity unmatched since Puritan times. The bible was taken as the literal truth and was the foundation of moral behavior which became known as "Victorianism". During this period, textbooks and games were based on religion and morality. It was believed that if religion be accepted by all, that morality would become the "end all" to crime and poverty. While advancements in science and technology became the order of the day, religion began a down-hill slide. Its theory/belief remained strong until the middle of the century, when in 1859, Charles Darwin published his Evolution of the Species theory. Many, including the clergy, began to question the beliefs of the church. Evangelical influences and the Oxford Movement did produce a surge of spirituality which helped to rebuild the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches. But toward the latter part of the century, most began to see religion as meaning little more than respectability. It did, however, remain the inspiration of writers, architects, painters and the social reformers of the period. England under the reign of Victoria (1837-1901) was undisputedly Christian; very few families would have chosen not to visit church on Sundays, and Christians dominated public life. The period of Queen Victoria's reign was, however, a period of change. Over its 64-year span, life changed rapidly: industrialisation took hold and brought the...
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...like fire, useful in a thousand ways and dangerous only in one, through their excess” which says that passions are good enough to help people o achieve what the want; nevertheless, they can still bring harm or destruction when they are excessive. Successful people usually have had enough passion to make their dreams come true since they knew how to manage their ambitions. However, when people are not able to think of other things because they are overly into one particular thing, passion becomes evilly obsessive. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley tries to convey that passion is blinding and perilous when people no longer control their desires over one thing in a reasonable way. A major character, Victor Frankenstein’s powerful passion towards science brings total ruin on his life, putting his beloved people in death of dangers through his creature. As he sees a complete creature, Victor runs away, shocked by its disgusting appearances even though he was filled with joy and delight when he creates it. Irresponsibly, Victor abandons his creature, and the creature starts to become drastically evil, causing deaths of Victor’s family and friend: Victor’s young brother William, dearest Justine, true friend Henry, his lover Elizabeth, and his father Alpfonse. Ironically, due to the final product of great passions, Victor almost lost all the beloved people. Victor’s strong desires made him blind so that he does not know that his excessive passion could drive him to have horrific...
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...parts of the brain, but more activity in the striatum and the insula when compared to control participants. This latter region is important for monitoring ongoing behavior, estimating consequences and incorporating emotional learning into moral decision-making, and plays a fundamental role in empathic concern and valuing the well-being of others(Harms, 2013). The study showed that the parts of the brain needed to give us the ability to have moral-decision making and have compassion for others was significantly more absent in those who had high levels of psychopathy. In other words, the conducted study showed that it’s possible to be born with traits (or the lack of certain traits) that don’t give the necessary understanding to differentiate what actions are evil and unimaginable to...
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