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Examples Of Light In Mary Shelleys Frankenstien

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All literature, no matter how dark, has some light.

In Mary Shelleys Frankenstien, she used the dark mood of the book in contrast with light elements of characters to exhibit the theme of appearance. She does this through the characters of Elizabeth, The Creature, and the Delacey Family by contrasting the good and the dark in each character. Elizabeth is one of the few characters in this book that is an outsider treated with compassion, because of her good looks. When Caroline first discovers her she is part of a poor family who took her in after her real parents died. Caroline decides to take her back to the house as a present to Victor, which shows the darkness in the seemingly good intentioned act. “‘I have a pretty present for my Victor- …show more content…

He is responsible for the death of multiple people, and drives victor to death while trying to hunt him down. He is judged throughout the book based on his appearance. When trying to save a drowning girl he is shot because they assume he is attacking her. “This was then the reward of my benevolence! I had saved a human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone. The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind.” (169). In the darkness of the creatures life, being turned away multiple times before, at this point he still decides to try and do good by attempting to save the girl. This highlights the theme of appearance because he is shot because he looks like a monster, even though he is attempting to help the girl. The creature is never shown compassion or understanding by most of the characters in the book because of his appearance, and that unreasonable hatred towards the creature is what takes any light ideals out of him and turns him into a creature filled with hatred towards man and compelled to

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