Theme Of Responsibility In Frankenstein

In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the two main characters that the book centers around are the scientist Victor Frankenstein and his creation, known as the monster. While these two characters share the bond of life, their connection is not as strong as it could have been. Due to a multitude of factors, including the reaction to the appearance of the monster, these two characters were pushed further within themselves until everyone around them was gone. This alienation drove many of the important plot points throughout the story. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, isolation proves to be destructive force for both Victor Frankenstein and the monster.

Throughout the plot of the book, the topic of isolation occurs frequently. Mary Shelley conveys the message that isolation causes dangerous behavior through the characters in the piece. Victor Frankenstein’s thoughts and actions towards the monster and the monster’s destructive habits following its isolation portray this

However, when Frankenstein sees that Walton’s own ambition is mirroring Frankenstein’s own guilt-wrenching past, he makes the decision to share his misfortunes. “I had determined, at one time, that the memory of these evils should die with me but you have won me to alter my determination” (Shelley.13). In all, the creature’s own selfishness for ruining Frankenstein’s life influences the way that Frankenstein continues to live on. This is portrayed within Victor’s cautionary tale to Walton. This tale is attempting to ensure that no one else will make the same mistakes he has made or be consumed with the same ruinous ambition that Frankenstein

On the contrary Frankenstein killed because of anger and pleaded for a companion instead of randomly killing as well as wanting to escape mankind. Over all their actions, although are both isolated and lonesome, they come from different origins, and have distinctly different fates. Both monster have that tragedy that concludes why they commit their actions and behold their

Isolation and abandonment can cause many different reactions from people. In the words of William A. Sadler Jr., a sociology professor, “We often do not know how to cope. It can make us confused, distraught, depressed, frightened, and even outraged” (Sadler 105). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, several of these effects are presented in Victor Frankenstein and his creation. They both suffer from being isolated from their creator, society, and family units.

Shelley has built the novel around this relationship in a way that captures not only the audience’s attention but also the character’s feelings of regret and hatred as the consequences of exceeding these moral boundaries come to haunt them in the decisions they make and influence the people around them. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein uses the conflict between Victor and the creature, specifically their predatory relationship in their pursuit of revenge, to emphasize how revenge will consistently push or even exceed moral boundaries. The conflict between Victor and his creature is outlined in Frankenstein through the monster’s attempt to hurt Victor through the killing of William and Victor’s destruction of the creature’s future mate, representing how revenge often cultivates a normalization of immorality. Before William’s murder, the monster had been rejected by the DeLaceys and shot at for saving a young girl from drowning. As a result, the creature’s wish for revenge upon all

Society is well-known for pushing those who are outsiders or strange away from society. This is prevalent to the examples in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein. The monster who was created by Victor Frankenstein who wanted to be the first to create life was appalled by the sights of the his creation. Frankenstein’s monster is judged based on his appearances and is often ostracized by society, just as anyone in modern day society can be shunned or pushed away due to their looks or how they think. The most outstanding example of ostracism that occurred throughout the novel is based on the monster’s physical features and structure.

Tina Chen Mrs. Lazar British Literature- Period 8 10/12/2016 The Truths Behind the Monstrous Figures From traditional folktales to modern literature, monsters are often referred as daunting. Their existence meant disaster for the society. Their presence, in all of these literature pieces are neglected, feared, and abhorred by their civilization. Every monster that was created ought to have a loathsome and corpulent appearance. Their personality, usually described as melancholy when readers compares it to the protagonist, or unpardonably vicious from their actions toward the civilians.

While reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, I often found myself wondering who would be seen as more of a monster, Victor or Frankenstein. In my mind I saw Victor as the monstrous of all. Although the Creature’s physical traits were more beastly, Victor equalled the Creature’s looks mentally. They both knew what it meant to be alone, but Victor chose that life and the Creature’s fate was decided for him. In terms of life and death, both characters found a way to play “God.” Victor and the Creature seem to rival each other for the title of “the monster.” Everyone saw the Creature, including his creator, as a hideous monster.

Frankenstein’s desire to possess forbidden knowledge lessened the pain he felt after his mother’s death. His uncontrollable grief contributed to the frantic rush in which Frankenstein created his monster, leaving it hideously mismatched and enormous. “Many of Frankenstein’s faults are evident in the appearance of his creation” (Creator’s). Frankenstein built Creature using dead and decaying body parts that added horror to the already terrifying size of the monster, easily allowing judgement of Creature’s character just based on his outward appearance. Creature’s looks inhibited his capability of fitting into society despite his civilized manner.

In the novel, Frankenstein, the author, Mary Shelley, uses frame story to express different viewpoints of each character. These figures include Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the Creature. Within these traits, Mary Shelley explicitly uses the Creature as her primary focus. She uses the Creature because she wants readers to understand how humanity rejects people due to their appearances instead of their inner self. Due to the monster 's appearances, humanity rejects him.

Perhaps the greatest similarity between Frankenstein and the Creature is their great hatred for one another. The Creature told Frankenstein himself that he " I declared everlasting war against the species, and more all, against him who had formed me and sent forth to this insupportable misery”(113). The Creature hates Frankenstein for not only creating him, but more so for abandoning him. Victor also hates the Creature, however for a different reason. Victor shouted in rage, "Scoffing devil!

This depicts male violent tendencies that dominate feminine nurture. Thus, the nurture that the monster desperately needs is replaced with violence, indicating another example of societies’ failure to foster the monster. After this rejection, the monster travels to Frankenstein, declaring that he “ought to be...Adam” but instead he is “the fallen angel” (93, Shelley).