Acceptance Of Quotes In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein '

1. “‘The ancient teachers of this science,’ said he, ‘promised impossibilities, and performed nothing. The modern masters promise very little they know that metals cannot be transmuted, and that the elixir of life is a chimera. But these philosophers, whose hands seem only made to dabble in dirt, and their eyes to pore over the microscope or crucible, have indeed performed miracles” (74).

—The word “he” refers to M. Waldman, a man who the narrator refers to as “short” and his voice as “sweetest I ever heard”. These comparisons to a child show the disbelief in the ideas posed in the quotations. The narrator believes that he can “transmute” metals, due to the fact he is more than just a natural scientist.

2. “I read with ardour those works, so full of genius and discrimination, which modern inquirers have written on these subjects” (77).

— Very much like the thinkers in the Enlightenment, the narrator values the search

“A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve this.” (225).

— This passage equates to biblical passages and stories. Frankenstein is planning the role of God and Frankenstein is playing the role of Adam. The key piece that is missing is and Eve. A species requires at least two people for a chance to survive and thrive, one of each gender, but as of now there is no Miss Frankenstein monster.

4. “Amiable Cousin! Such were your thoughts, mild and gentle as your dear eyes and voice. But I-I was a wretch, and none ever conceived of the misery that I then endured (110).

—This passage hopes for the existence of a fair comparison between a creator with understanding of the how to the Created works and the Created. He claims to suffer a fate than no one ever suffered, but religious doctrine shows the necessary endurance that God must have had in order to let humanity be after realizes the