An Analysis Of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: From Benevolent To Feind

“What is tolerance? It is the consequence of humanity. We all are formed by frailty and error; let us pardon reciprocally each other’s folly- that is the first law of nature.” This quote by Voltaire evinces that humanity, other than possessing the ability to feel emotions, to have compassion, and to be able to feel pain, is being able to tolerate and look past one another’s flaws. Throughout Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, humanity was one of the main themes expressed in the novel. The concept of Romanticism also played an important role in Frankenstein, for its characteristics of interest in the common man, strong emotions, awe of nature, celebration of the individual, and the importance of imagination was distinguished throughout the numerous events. In this novel, humanity and Romanticism repeatedly crossed one another as Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the Monster, expressed their feelings and the decisions they made

Frankenstein: Hero or Villain (A Discussion of Victor Frankenstein as Either Hero or Villain) Throughout history, many pieces of literature have been composed that tell the tales of various heroes and villains. Oftentimes, it is quite clear which characters are heroes and which characters are classified as villains. However, there are also several texts that have characters that can be argued as appearing in either category of characters.

Such passion is seen in Victor’s ‘noble intent’ to design a being that could contribute to society, but he had overextended himself, falling under the spell of playing ‘God,’ further digging his grave as he is blinded by glory. His creation – aptly called monstrous being due to its stature, appearance, and strength – proved to be more of a pure and intellectually disposed ‘child’ that moves throughout the novel as a mere oddity, given the short end of the stick in relation to a lack of familial figures within his life, especially that of parents. Clearly, Victor Frankenstein had sealed his fate: by playing God he was losing his humanity, ultimately becoming the manifestation of Mary Shelley’s hidden desires, deteriorating into The Lucifer Principle by which the author Howard Bloom notes social groups, not individuals, as the primary “unit of selection” in human psychological

In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley tells a fictitious tale of the scientist Victor Frankenstein executing his dream of forming life. As soon as his creation awakens, Frankenstein sprints away full of disappointment and dread. Consequently, this sparks the beginning of the creature’s infamous attitude of anger. Despite him carrying around the stereotype of emitting evil, the creature counters it throughout the novel. Part of the novel examines his immense kindness and his unavoidable loneliness.

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s creation is at the heart of the plot being the cause of every event and proves to be the most morally ambiguous character in the novel. The creature’s moral ambiguity, especially in regards to social interaction, works towards revealing the meaning of the work as a whole that without proper guidance, we are prone to imperfection. The creature’s behavior throughout the novel is erratic and unpredictable. With absolutely no instruction or education from his creator, he runs into the wild blind to what he may encounter and how to go about those things. Therefore, his morals are purely instinctual and misguided.

In the fiction novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature that Victor Frankenstein created was originally good at heart. When he was first brought to life he had good intentions and just wanted to be loved. Although, the Creation sought acceptance from humans, he soon realized he looked monstrous and no one would ever care for him. Many humans look at him disapprovingly, and, they judged him without knowing his kind heart. The judgmental humans are what lead to the Creature 's downfall.

The desire to discover what has not yet been discovered or to know what remains unknown often causes destruction and misery. In the Gothic novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley during the Romantic Era, the protagonist Victor Frankenstein experiences anguish after creating life. Victor shares with the reader the anxiety he suffers and the grievous events that permanently alter his perspective after creating a monster. Throughout the novel the reader develops sympathy for Victor due to his dedication to do the right thing, admirable purpose for his creation and the consequences he endures. One is compelled to show affection toward Victor because of his determination to perform noble acts despite the hardships he faces.

The novel Frankenstein brings to light many problems and situations that shed light on the faults of mankind. Cruelty was a huge factor in the novel; throughout Frankenstein is cruel to his body and to his creation. When he first makes the creature he runs from it, leaving the creature to fend for himself; even when reuniting with the creature he continues displays cruelty. The creature, in turn exhibits Victor cruelty right back. Within Frankenstein cruelty can be attributed, often affecting both Victor and the creature; serving as a crucial motivator and revealing their anger, pain, frustration till eventually both die.

“At first I started back, unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification”(Shelley 80). The Creation of Frankenstein woke up in a world of hate. Since he looked different, the Monster never fit in with normal people. He would become isolated and feared because of his looks. Because the Monster was a hideous creation from Frankenstein, he was isolated and hated by his looks and behaved in an ethical manner when he began his path of vengeance.

Imagine a man walking down the street suddenly getting robbed. The man who is pickpocketed will certainly detest such injustice and gain the sympathy of society. On the other hand, the thief will be looked down by society. People judge the thief based only on this incident and brand him as a disgraceful and spiteful member of the community. What the public has failed to realize are the internal strife and emotions that the perpetrator has to bear due to his crime. If he or she were given the choice to steal or to be robbed, a generous person would choose to be the victim rather than the despised doer. Such a thought did not escape from Nietzsche, who regarded this concept as a folly of injustice: “An injustice we have perpetrated is much harder to bear than an injustice perpetrated against us” (Nietzsche). However, does everyone who perpetrates a crime bear much more than if he

Frankenstein In the Volume III of “Frankenstein”, there is an endless roller coaster of situations in which the reader is exposed to doubts and mystery, and then pure horror. I face that position myself, and when I thought Frankenstein’s life was already tragic, then a pile of deaths turns his life into something beyond tragedy and misery; it is just something I cannot explain. Once Frankenstein destroys the other creature, because he finds himself stuck in the fear of what could happen after this new creation, the Monster comes after him and confront him. He makes sure to remind Frankenstein that he has the ability to make him more wretched than he already is, “Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you

But these are not thoughts befitting me; I will endeavour to resign myself cheerfully to death, and will indulge a hope of meeting you in another world”(24). Victor shows the strong love of family in his childhood “No human being could have passed a happier childhood than [me]. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence” (Shelley,40), he raised with excellent conditions and with parents who loved their children, but we do not see that Victor gives this love to his creature and ignored him, notwithstanding the fact that the two figures shared many characteristics. As a result of Frankenstein 's darkness and ignorance toward his creature, he refused to accept the monster because of his physical appearance and Frankenstein sees the creature as if he were the monster when the creature

In the film Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein the theme of mistreatment based off physical appearance is portrayed through Frankenstein 's monster.The society is often fearful of the creature and made judgements of his actions based solely off his disturbing physical appearance, without knowing his true characteristics. Even Victor, the man who created the fearful monster eventually abandons him because he is is appalled by his creation. He believed that by creating a being made of the finest parts, the end result would be of equal quality, but when the monster awakens, Victor can see what he has created and recognises that he has done wrong. The creation of an unnatural being, by unnatural means ultimately disgusts Victor. Victor 's rejection of his creation " is based upon the fact that he had worked night and day, at the expense of his own health and family, to "birth" his "son." Upon seeing the creature come to life, the limbs which he chose for their beauty became terrifying to him. The pieces, sewn together, did not have the beauty they did when they existed as individual body parts. Victor, alienates the creature." His interests no longer revolve around creating new life. Instead, his concerns revolve around never having to see what the creature e so carelessly created again.The appearance based society in which the creature live in revolt in fear and disgust upon seeing him in the streets, they blame him for the cause of the plague and mob him and attempt to

Victor Frankenstein is born into a wealthy family and by all accounts is a happy child with the opportunity to have a successful life until he becomes obsessed with the idea of creating human life. Victor quickly becomes obsessed and almost arrogant with the idea of creating life having no idea that he has separated himself from the rest of the world. Victor would tell people that the creation of the monster has ruined his life. “I feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self. Besides, in drawing the picture of my early days, I also record those events which led, by insensible steps, to my after tale of misery, for when I would account to myself for the birth of that passion which afterward ruled my destiny I find it arise, like a mountain river, from ignoble and almost forgotten sources; but, swelling as it proceeded, it became the torrent which, in its course, has swept away all my hopes and joys” (Shelley, 24) Even in Victor 's own words he admits to losing his happiness because of his desperate desire to create the monster.

The moment Victor Frankenstein successfully infuses life into his creation he is overcome with horror and disgust. Without further examination he is certain to have created a monster, not a human being (Shelley 35-36). However, despite his grotesque appearance, Frankenstein’s creature was not born malicious. During the first stages of his existence, unbeknownst to Frankenstein himself, his acts are motivated by innocence and virtue, which even earns him the title “good spirit” (79). Frankenstein did not create a monster.