Devastating Nature in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay

Every work is a product of its time. Indeed, we see that in Frankenstein, like in the world which produced its author, race, or the outward appearances on which that construct is based, determines much of the treatment received by those at all levels of its hierarchy. Within the work, Mary Shelley, its author, not only presents a racialized view of its characters, but further establishes and enforces the racial hierarchy present and known to her in her own world. For the few non-European characters, their appearance, and thus their standing in its related hierarchy, defines their entrances into the narrative. For the Creature, this occurs on the ices of the Artic, when, “atop a low carriage, fixed on a sledge and drawn by dogs, pass on towards the north, at the distance of half a mile;” Walton and his men perceived, “a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature.” (Shelley 13) Shelley clarifies, even this early in her novel, the race of its principal Other as soon after the intrepid adventurers rescue its namesake, Victor Frankenstein, who, Shelley clarifies, “was not, as the other traveller seemed to be, a savage inhabitant of some undiscovered island, but an European.” (Shelley 14) Later, closer examination of the Creature reveals a visage and figure of near unimaginable disfigurement, with a “shrivelled complexion,” and yellow skin which “scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath.” (Shelley 35) This could be contrasted directly

“Nurture vs. Nature”, are some individuals destined to become evil? Or does the environment and experiences of the individual shape who they are? In Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein” there is a character (the creature) that these questions apply to. Through her use of diction, changes in perspective, and imagery, she was able to make the creature seem more human than creature by making the reader sympathize with the creature.

Mary Shelley makes us question who really the “monster” is. Is it the creature or Victor? While the creature does commit murder, he does not understand the consequences of his actions. He is like an infant who is unfortunately left to learn about the workings of society, and his place in it, on his own. He has no companions and feels a great sense of loneliness and abandonment. The creature voices his frustration and anger and seems to try to project his feelings of guilt onto Victor, as if to show him that he is the ultimate cause of the creature’s misery while he is simply the victim of Victor’s manic impulse. Shelley utilizes words, phrases, and specific tones when the creature vents his misery to Victor and this evokes, amongst the

Shelley also attempts to express that Victor’s failure as a father and creator stems from his inability to accept responsibility for his actions. The monster, who openly regrets his actions and recognizes that he has done wrong, “demonstrates that on one count he is more human than the man who fabricated him--for remorse is one emotion that Frankenstein cannot feel” (Marcus). Victor cannot feel remorse for his actions, because he would be forced to accept responsibility for them. To accept that he is responsible for the creation of such an evil being would require that Victor admit that he has failed in his

Throughout the book, Shelley wanted to point out that even though Victor’s Id drove him to the brink of insanity he reveals the guilt he felt when realizing what he had done. In that case, when the monster expresses his feelings and frustration towards Victor, Victor is overcome with “justice in his argument” (126) and states, “His tale, and the feelings he now expressed, proved to him to be a creature of fine sensations, and did I not as his maker owe him all the portion of happiness” (126). This quote is an indication that Victor realizes that the creature did deserve happiness, and when realizing that, guilt overcame him making him to consider to ‘pay’ the monster back. Not only did Victor feel guilty for his creation, but also felt the regret of creating the creature. Victor says, “I felt as if I had committed some great crime, the consciousness of which haunted me. I was guiltless, but I had indeed drawn down a horrible curse upon my head, as mortal as that crime” (138). In this quote, it is obvious that because of his desires and drive to do something that he in the end regretted entirely, he felt as if he was the one that was guilty and responsible for creating the monster that he once wanted. In reality of Victors situation, he knew that because of his creation, he was guilty and often stated that “those were the last moment of my life during which I enjoyed

The creature once says, “All men hate the wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, they creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us” (Shelley 83). He wonders himself why, in all of his suffering, he has been created at all. He was not even granted the bride he was promised by Victor. This unfortunate existence led the creation to turn to anger and rage. Blind ambition drove his creator, who could not foresee the level of destruction he would give when the reality of his plans was finally realized.

the nature vs. nurture theme is at the forefront of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. The two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and the creature he creates, both have an innate nature that factors into each one’s personality and way of life; however, Frankenstein and the creature are subjected to two very different nurturing styles. Although both nature and nurture are important throughout the novel, the nature argument is responsible for the fall of Victor Frankenstein, while the nurture argument is responsible for the fall of the creature. Shelley makes this idea clear to the reader through her powerful diction when describing Victor’s and the creature’s personalities. Shelley also makes use of light and fire as a symbol for an intellectually

This quote shows The Mariner 's outlook on nature in the beginning of the poem. The Mariner refers to the creatures of the sea as "slimy things," which obviously has a negative connotation. However, once Coleridge teaches his character the lesson of the inherent beauty in nature, the Mariner learns that all creatures are beautiful. In Shelley 's piece, which also has this theme, it seems that Frankenstein really never learns this lesson, while the creature does seem to grasp this concept.

The monster clearly understands his position in the world, the tragedy of his existence and abandonment by his creator. Although knowledge is deemed a “Godlike science”, there are two sides to knowledge that essentially turns the creature into a “monster”. The monster describes the effects of knowledge:

In Shelley’s Frankenstein, the reader feels great sympathy for the female characters in the novel. The characters Caroline Beaufort, Elizabeth Lavenza and Justine are characterized as good hearted and upright woman, but nevertheless face an injustice death. In Frankenstein, women in the text are being destructed through an inevitable miserable fate to get the idea of the passive woman that devotes herself to the benefactor and her lack of agency across, in which is demonstrated in the passivity of Caroline, Elizabeth and Justine’s role that leads to their misery.

The being soon turned against man, and learned to behave like a monster. Mary Shelley uses the creature as a representation in order to show that people are born with innate good qualities, and that bad qualities are learned. The creature was stripped of all love and nurture when he was first brought into this world. His creator ran in fear at the very sight of him with “bitterness of disappointment” (36).

In Frankenstein, written by Mary-Ann Shelley, Shelley portrays Victor as the ultimate monster. Throughout the novel, Shelley tests Victor’s morals and reveals him to be arrogant and selfish. She depicts his immorality through the creation of the creature, his decision to uphold his reputation and sacrifice mankind, and through abandoning his creature.

Nineteen-year-old Mary Shelley didn’t know when she began it that her “ghost story” would become an enduring part of classic literature. Frankenstein is an admirable work simply for its captivating plot. To the careful reader, however, Shelley’s tale offers complex insights into human experience. The reader identifies with all of the major characters and is left to heed or ignore the cautions that their situations provide. Shelley uses the second person narrative style, allusions both to Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” and the legend of Prometheus, and the symbols of both light and fire to warn against the destructive thirst for forbidden knowledge.

Victor at the beginning of the book seemed to be almost obsessed with learning more and making discoveries. Victor says, “As I applied so closely, it may be easily conceived that my progress was rapid. My ardor was indeed the astonishment of the students, and my proficiency that of the masters… Two years had passed in this manner, during which I paid no visit to Geneva, but was engaged, heart and soul, in the pursuit of some discoveries which I hoped to make” “(Shelley, 53). He even describes his fascination with the human frame, foreshadowing his later experiment to create the monster.