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Frankenstein

Frankenstein is written by Mary Shelley an English female author and wife of Percy

Byshe Shelley during early 1818. It is the story of a monster created by a scientist victor

Frankenstein in a scientific experiment while at the University of Ingolstadt. The major part of

the plot of novel revolves around the rivalry relationship between these two characters which is

being narrated by another character named Robert Walton who is an explorer on his way to find a

northwest passage through the Arctic Ocean from Russia to the Pacific Ocean. Walton writes

letters to his sister Margaret Saville to share the details of his adventures and expeditions when

one day he finds Victor Frankenstein near death, listens to his tale, and records it in his letters;

Walton introduces and closes the novel to the reader.

Frankenstein is categorized as a Gothic novel some historians even consider it to be the

first science fiction. The focal point of gothic novels is mystery and supernatural; it brings the

imagination of darkness and exotic feel to the reader, the readers feel at unease the entire time.

The story’s motif is obsession and revenge, the baseline of this novel is the power of Knowledge

and the wisdom required to use the knowledge. As per a book’s quote: “Man, I cried, how

ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom! Cease; you know not what it is you say." Chapter 23

The theme of this novel in my opinion is the proper use of knowledge, as knowledge can

serve both good and evil purposes the novel addresses a question that if human kind will ever be

able to device its intellect and knowledge in the rightful/ moral way; will the evolution of
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technology help the society be a better place? Or will it bring more chaos to the already

deteriorated society. Frankenstein follows Victor Frankenstein's triumph when he brings back a

dead body to life (using his knowledge of alchemy, chemistry and physics) which creates the

monster; Frankenstein intents to find treatment and cure for the mankind but with his discovery

becomes disgusted by his creation names it monster. As described by the Frankenstein in the

novel

"I beheld the wretch — the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain

of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he

muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I

did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed

downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited, where I

remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening

attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the

demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life." Chapter 5

With guilt and regret in his heart hides himself away, Monster on the other hand after

being rejected by the society and his own creator seeks solace and justice which later converts

into obsession & vengeance. In his quest to find his creator and confront him monster learns

language and basic knowledge to be able to communicate with the world. After finding victor he

asks him that why he rejected him several minutes after being created. In his words: "I ought to

be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel." Chapter 10

Hence in the novel the monster and Frankenstein are considered as doubles, which is a

quality of a gothic novel. The other two main characters i.e. the Watson and victor Frankenstein

are also considered as doubles by some as both men have strikingly similar childhood, both seek
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knowledge and explore, both are educated in different realms to a great degree, both are self

taught. Almost identical, these self educations gave rise to similar curiosities. While Frankenstein

“desire[s] to divine…the secrets of heaven and earth,” Walton desires to “ascertain the secret of

the magnet” (38, 16). They both have a common thirst for glory, both have the ambition to

explore nature and science to discover the unknown realms of knowledge.

Walton affirms this in one of his letter to Mrs. Saville as “I prefer glory to every

enticement that wealth place[s] in my path” (17). Frankenstein in the later chapters describes his

thoughts as “Wealth was an inferior object, but what glory would attend the discovery if I could

banish disease” (42). Both men are motivated by glory, driven by their curiosity Frankenstein

attempts to reanimate a human while Watson leads himself to discover unknown passages of the

infinite ocean.

The character of victor Frankenstein is a modern and open minded scientist who in

attempt to quench his thirst for discovery unleashes his knowledge in the form of a monster (his

creation) on the society and spends rest of his life trying to defeat and destroy the same creation.

Frankenstein is intellectual and belongs to an upper class family but is shown as heartless,

unkind and merciless While the monster who is described as a hideous creature facing rejection

by everyone reveals different emotions at different stages for example compassion for his

adopted family the Da Lacey’s as well as revenge and obsession for his creator Frankenstein. At

one place in the books he addresses Frankenstein and refers himself as "My heart was fashioned

to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did

not endure the violence of the change without torture such as you cannot even imagine." Chapter

24
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However some critics believe that monster is in fact victor’s psyche or his ego, who is

only experiencing the outside world and events through senses and action upon respectively; his

thought process is rational just like victor’s.

The creation of the monster is illustrated as the worst kind of experiment gone awry, the

creation of a new kind of race whose characteristics and behavior is unpredictable by human

kind. Frankenstein himself becomes a victim of his creation and bears the loss of his brother and

later his wife being killed by the monster at the end giving up his own life in his pursuit to defeat

the monster. However at the same time the reader sympathizes with the monster while

condemning the behavior of Frankenstein towards it. In one of monster’s confrontation with his

creator he asks:

"Accursed creator!” “Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from

me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form

is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions,

fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred." Chapter 15

The book strongly advocate the restorative power of nature when facing the unnatural

series of events, when the monster finally learns about its creator and finally confronts its foe in

chapter 17, he demands him to create another one like him so that he can spend the rest of his life

with his own kind to which victor agrees, the monster demands: "I swear to you, by the earth

which I inhabit, and by you that made me, that with the companion you bestow I will quit the

neighborhood of man and dwell, as it may chance, in the most savage of places. My evil passions

will have fled, for I shall meet with sympathy! My life will flow quietly away, and in my dying

moments I shall not curse my maker." But his wish is later rejected by the creator.
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After bearing refusal from victor in creating a second one like him, the monster seeks

revenge from victor by killing his dear ones and family members, behind this the monster’s

agenda might be that by finding his dear ones dead victor might try bringing one of them back to

life but instead gets disappointed when victor hunts for him for the revenge of his beloved wife

that he killed. That’s where Watson finds victor near death and learns and records his story of life

and about the monster. The monster there finds victor and faces him for the last time, victor then

dies after spending all his time and energy trying to defeat the monster whereas the monster

meets Watson shares with him his side of story and then disappears in the darkness never to be

seen again. His last words to Watson as per book were: “Farewell! I leave you, and in you the

last of human kind whom these eyes will ever behold. Farewell, Frankenstein! If thou wert yet

alive, and yet cherished a desire of revenge against me, it would be better satiated in my life than

in my destruction. But it was not so; thou didst seek my extinction that I might not cause greater

wretchedness; and if yet, in some mode unknown to me, thou hast not ceased to think and feel,

thou wouldst not desire against me a vengeance greater than that which I feel. Blasted as thou

wert, my agony was still superior to thine; for the bitter sting of remorse will not cease to rankle

in my wounds until death shall close them forever”. Chapter 24

Professor Ginn in her paper references that there is an influence of Mary’s life the

happenings during the day and age, and in her extraordinary and everlasting masterpiece,

Frankenstein. Her life has been a tragic since her childhood, the death of her mother, lack of love

and attention from her father, death of her kids and negligence from spouse. The loveless life and

not having a support system for herself is revealed in her writing.

Some argue that the emotions of the creation are similar to those of her own, the malice

from man, the psychological picture of her fears of society and traumas can be seen in the major
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portions of her writing. There is even a similarity in her life and the events that are illustrated in

the book. As shown here "Heavy misfortunes have befallen us, but let us only cling closer to

what remains and transfer our love for those whom we have lost to those who yet live. Chapter

21 it can be seen that the writer is referring to the misfortune of her personal life. Ginn cites the

accompanying viewpoints from the author's life: "dreams of rekindling the life of a dead child...a

student conducting wild experiments; the motherless child; the father rejecting the child."

In the midst of the time of publication, industrial revolution was occurring, innovations

were taking place in every field of life and numerous scientific discoveries were achieved.

Through her novel Shelley conveyed her concerns and fears about the advancements of

technology and science depicting victor as soul less scientist whose moral compass has broken

down due to the invasion of technology his mission to make a breakthrough in the field of

science takes away humanity from him. This represents the fact of over indulgence in knowledge

which can become a sin if mishandled.

The novel even being written almost 200 years ago can still be related to today’s world. It

searches for the answer of one question which even today is unanswered "How can we harness

the knowledge that we have so that it is not self destructive and for the benefit of all mankind?"

The question in itself is morally perplexing one. The ethical and moral responsibility of reviving

a dead and the consequences of doing so can lead to a serious dilemma. The act of being GOD

and creator at the same time which jeopardizes the life of the main character victor Frankenstein

concludes that knowledge comes with responsibility.

The book tells a story of a negligent scientist who doesn’t looks upon the moral

consequences of his experiment and in his quest of discovery fails to address the ethical
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complexities of animating a life and his creation the monster who doesn’t get any love, affection

or support from the public or his creator and experiences only rejections. The story is

concentrated with mystery, fears and the dark side of human nature.

Work Cited

Davis, James P. “Frankenstein and the Subversion of the Masculine Voice.” Women’s Studies,
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vol. 21, Routledge, June 1992, pp. 307–322, Academic Search Complete,

search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=19604089&site=ehost-live.

Ginn, Sherry. “Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein: Science, Science Fiction or Autobiography”

Oxford.Retrieved 20 October, 2018.http://www.clas.ufl.edu/ipsa/2003/ginn.html

Gordon, Charlotte. “Mary Shelley: Marlow and London [1817–1818].” Romantic Outlaws: the

Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley, Random

House, New York, 2015, p. 247.

Hetherington, Naomi. Creator and Created in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Keats-Shelley

Review. 1997. Retrieved 27 September 2018.

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, 1797-1851. Frankenstein, Or, The Modern Prometheus : the 1818

Text.Oxford ; New York :Oxford University Press, 1998. Print.