Mary Shelley's Use Of Foreshadowing In Frankenstein

The fictional horror novel of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is driven by the accentuation of humanity’s flaws. Even at the very mention of her work an archetypal monster fills one’s imagination, coupled with visions of a crazed scientist to boot. Opening her novel with Robert Walton, the conduit of the story, he also serves as a character to parallel the protagonist’s in many ways. As the ‘protagonist’ of the story, Victor Frankenstein, takes on the mantle of the deluded scientist, his nameless creation becomes the embodiment of a truly abandoned child – one left to fend for itself against the harsh reality posed by society. On the other hand, Walton also serves as a foil to Victor – he is not compulsive enough to risk what would be almost

This paper argues that prejudice and xenophobia in humanity play an essential part in the happenings told in Shelley’s work. As Lawrence Lipking rightfully assessed the creature at first is “too good” (Lipking 428) and “innocent” (Lipking 428) but sooner rather than later “hostility and prejudice of men” (Lipking 428) awake desires of violence and revenge in it which lead to its awful plot against its creator. There is a huge shift in the emotions of Victor Frankenstein once his work is done and the creature finally opens its eyes. While

Throughout Frankenstein, Shelley uses Victor to warn the reader of the dangers of aspiring to godliness, and the consequences one faces in the aftermath doing so, even going as far as to compare Victor to Satan, tempting the crew of Walton’s ship, in the book’s final pages. The Victor Shelley creates is very similar to the Satan created by Milton in his book, Paradise Lost, which explores the biblical tale of Adam and Eve. In Frankenstein, Victor speaks of his desire to create the Creature, saying, “I deemed it criminal to throw away in useless grief those talents that might be useful to my fellow-creatures.” (152). Shelley’s diction choices, such as the word “useless” exemplify Victor’s excessive hubris, portraying him as a man who creates his Creature for, in his mind, the good of society. Additionally, Shelley repeats the word “use”

Though the creature is a man-made creation, he still as a part of nature and requires nurture. When denied this basic need, death and sorrow soon follows.In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, it can be argued that the creator, Victor Frankenstein, could be considered the “monster” rather than the creature itself. Victor’s creation was made in greed and obsession. Not only did Victor steal the body of a murderer, he stole the brain of his most influenced professor. After the birth of Victor’s creature, he realizes that his creation was abnormally strong and potentially dangerous.

Limits on Knowledge Mary Shelley 's novel Frankenstein shows there are certain limits to what mankind is allowed to know. In many points in the novel Victor Frankenstein shows that the creation of a new life never ends well. Because of the work of victor it leads to many casualties and hurts the world around them. This helps exemplify the theme of gothic literature and the points of Horror and violence, as well as supernatural and mystery, along with sublime nature and man as his own worst enemy. Two common points are horror and violence and how Victor has learned to much knowledge on the creation of life.

Passion and Destruction As W. Somerset Maugham once said, “Passion doesn’t count the cost...Passion is destructive.” In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein leaves Geneva, his home town in the pursuit of knowledge, ding so he created a creature. Frankenstein gets frightened after the created the creature, so he leaves the creature in fear, only when he returns the creature is no longer there. The creature goes off on his own and get revenge on Victor by murder the people he is close to. Victor wants the creature dead and the creature wants Victor dead, in the end they both get what they wanted. The theme that passion can be destructive is shown through the creature, Victor's self destruction, and Victor and the creature’s passion to get revenge on each other.

In her novel Mary Shelley explores the central ideas of rejection and abandonment, human nature, good and evil and revenge to support the conviction of Frankenstein’s responsibility in the novel and Frankenstein is a reflection of this. Shelley shows through positioning of characters within the stories that good and evil is not clear-cut and there are many moral grey areas. The readers are positioned to feel sympathy for the creature, especially since his yearnings for human contact could easily be their own. Which makes it all the more frightening when Victor and others treat him in such vile ways. Shelley uses the novel to explore human nature, Frankenstein wants the readers to see the creature as a monster however they don’t.

The Creature in Frankenstein Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” is an inspirational work of horror and science fiction; it is the narrative of an unorthodox act of creation, of a monster which torments his miserable creator. The author puts forth ideas, and reinforces it through the development of the plot, that mankind is capable of both good and evil. Shelly demonstrates the ‘humanity’ of the creature; his actions and his inclination are like those of mankind. Indeed, even the negative aspect of his character, demonstrated through his quest for revenge, has a parallel in the actions of his human creator. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” the creature is represented as being vicious and murderous but he is not inherently evil or malicious.

The setting of the ethics board encapsulated another common theme of judgment and morality; specifically relating to Frankenstein and his choices on creating the monster, but also in the way that the monster took revenge; leaving the reader to question whether it was right or wrong, much like a decision on an ethics board. Moreover, the natural world and concept of fate were included in my story with the “wind that blew out the candles”, commenting on how fate wished him to stop his research; much like the way fate led to Frankenstein 's illness and death in the novel. Lastly, the big ideas of isolation and passion are included throughout and are the driving force behind my character 's actions, yet my main character’s ambitions make him fallible, which is similar to Frankenstein.

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others.” Although Saint Augustine announces this statement of insight long before Mary Shelley’s writing of Frankenstein, he aptly illustrates a key motif within the novel. The storyline begins with Victor Frankenstein creating a hideous monster for the sake of self-achievement, and eventually spirals into a journey of vengeance and murders which the creature commits. Surprisingly, the fiend is inherently kindhearted until the base behavior of society torments his character. Within the Frankenstein piece, Shelley displays that while some crumble under the societal pressures for a positive reputation, others have the courage to break through these hateful expectations that culture induces.