One might believe, Mary Shelley is casting doubt on God and the power of religion, in her novel, Frankenstein. That by showing a man creating life, automatically eliminates the existence of God. However, there are contents in the novel, in which she gives credence to the existence of a God. Therefore, Mary Shelley is not casting doubt on God or the power of religion but rather supports it. Mary Shelley’s story about Frankenstein and his creation didn’t exactly promote the entitative of a God but it certainly didn’t display any disbelief towards God. The comparison, Frankenstein’s creation, made with Adam confirmed her acknowledgement of God. Mainly due to the fact that the story of Adam goes hand in hand with religion. However, the story of Adam emphasises the main difference between God’s creation and Frankenstein's; abandonment. Unlike Frankenstein’s creation, Adam (we), still have God with us, he didn’t abandon us like Frankenstein did with his creation. …show more content…
So not only is, Frankenstein’s creation comparing himself to Adam, but he’s also explaining how utterly alone and miserable he is. However Frankenstein’s creation continues speaking and says ,”Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my conditions: for often, like him, when I view the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me”, (Shelley 116). Many would view this in an offensive way. No one would want to be considered or be viewed as Satan. Though three major human emotions were voiced in that sentence; insecurity, loneliness, and jealousy. According to the so-called wretch, he was,” fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy” (Shelley 194). So in a way, the absence of his creator made him the monster he’s most famous for and in that same way humans turn bitter when they feel the absence of
At the end, however, God banished both of them from Heaven. In relation to Frankenstein, this means Frankenstein judged his monster, to which he was the blame, for deeds he did not do, regardless of the fact he himself was probably for the blame of most of them. Also, this means Frankenstein’s monster will adore Frankenstein no matter what happens, as he owes him his creation. The monster will always be the product of
Throughout Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a great comparison is shown between Victor Frankenstein, the main character, and Prometheus, one of Greek mythology’s greatest Gods. Shelley borrows from the tale of Prometheus a consequence resulting from searching for a great source of enlightenment and power. In creating a being and giving it life, Frankenstein seems to take on the remarkable role of God which leads him to thinking that a power that is so heavenly cannot be played with by mankind. During his quest to expand his creative knowledge, abilities, drive, and ambition to know the origin of life, he puts himself in conflict. Frankenstein gambled his way into the godly realm without realizing he committed a sin by creating the monster, and
He does not see himself as Adam, but rather as Satan. Unlike Adam, the creature is alone, without a creator to protect him or even an Eve to share his life with. In Paradise Lost, the biblical story referenced in Frankenstein, Adam forced himself into isolation and rejection after he has sinned. Victor has rejected his creation without giving him a chance. Victor causes the creature's hideous appearance forcing the creature to live his life in isolation.
The presence of biblical ideas can be seen throughout the Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein. Whether it be Victor Frankenstein acting as god as he creates life or the comparison of the creature to the fallen angel or devil, the bible has a strong partnership in the novel. In chapter nine of volume two, there is once again an allusion to The Bible as the creature embodies Adam, from the creation of man in genesis two. The creature can be seen asking Frankenstein for “a creature of another sex”(170) to “free [him] from the misery”(170) he feels from being so lonely. This request the creature is asking for from Frankenstein mirrors the same desire Adam had in the second story of creation in Genesis two.
Christianity in Frankenstein Throughout the novel, there were many biblical allusions. Christianity play into novel by comparing the creation of Frankenstein's monster to the creation of Adam and Eve. Mary Shelley incorporating this into the novel to show that no one should ever come close as Frankenstein was to receiving "God" status because it will ultimately drive them to destruction. The purpose of these connection is that no one should not play God.
Frankenstein’s creature is brought to life by Victor Frankenstein. When the monster comes to life, it does not know anything or anyone, he suffers a whole lot since he is not like any human being. Nowadays the belief system for a countless amount of people is that the only person who can create a person or anything is God. When Dr. Frankenstein creates a creature out of parts of deceased humans that he congregated from “graves…charnel-houses” (Shelley 21-22) an abundant amount of people view it in
The Monster believes and mentioned several times that the reason that he is so angry is because of Victor. Shelley writes,
Mary Shelley shows the endless amount of revenge and that it is driven by pure hatred and rage. The monster was not created to be vengeful, he was kind hearted but when he was poorly treated by Victor and then by the Delacey family, he turned cold. In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley displays the immorality and destructive effects that revenge can have through Frankenstein and his pursuit of the creature. Immediately after the monster had awoken, hatred thickened and would drive the plot to be all about revenge. The creature illustrates this hatred as he says to Victor, “Everything is related in them which bears reference to my accursed origin; the whole detail of that series of disgusting circumstances which produced it is set in view;
“Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god” (Aristotle). Romantic period writer and author, Mary Shelley, depicts two characters in her soft science fiction novel, Frankenstein, that is exquisitely similar to those who “would find delight in solitude” as quoted by Aristotle in his Politics. In Shelley’s Frankenstein, the parallel of Aristotle’s two presented personas consists as Victor Frankenstein as a god and his horrific creation, the Monster, as a wild beast. Unambiguously, Victor is indeed the god of the Monster because he created him, consequently bringing the Monster into existence. The Monster too is merely a wild beast from the perception that he appears to be a frightening and violent creature.
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.
In Chapter 15 of Frankenstein, the author compares the monster to Adam (the first man) as well as comparing Victor to God. I believe that Frankenstein is not as much a commentary on the bible, but rather on the nature of man. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley compares the monster and Victor to biblical figures in order to relate that everyone is capable of moral good and evil. As we see in the novel, the monster is much like Adam in that he desires companionship, he is made in the likeness of his creator (a man), and he eventually turns to evil.
Perhaps, if a human such as Frankenstein had accepted the creature, onlookers would have had an easier time welcoming someone with his appearance into their presence. Society’s false perception of what makes someone “normal” is what altered their first impression of The Creature. People had a hard time distinguishing the difference between mind and body, which resulted in The Creature’s undesired abandonment and a gut filled with hatred towards his creator. In contrast, Victor Frankenstein refers to his family in a positive way several times throughout the novel.
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.
In Frankenstein, references to the bible are shown throughout and are very influential to the the deeper meaning of the story. "will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation"(Shelley 33). Here Frankenstein decides to further his exploration into science surpassing that of which most of society considers natural. He will attempt to create and animate life from the dead which is unnatural and beyond what is capable for mankind to accomplish. His unwavering quest for knowledge and what lies beyond the natural world entices him.
Maybe Mary Shelley wants to show that if you take over God's work something bad may happen. Since there are a lot of people who have had a difficult childhood where they didn't feel loved, who didn't become killers, it makes one wonder what makes these people different from this monster? The answer might be that 'natural' people have morals. Their conscience tells them that it's wrong to kill, that's why they don't do it. The monster however wasn't given life by God, but by Frankenstein, so he might lack this part of the creation.