The novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is a cult classic that was and still is very popular. Many films and knock-off comics have been made of the novel, because of this fact. But, even though we know the story of Frankenstein by heart at this point, can we learn something from it. Lessons have existed since the beginning of man. Lessons have been taught through the Bible, through children stories, and through adult novels. So, what is the lesson Mary Shelley wants her audience to learn? The issue that Shelley is trying to teach us to avoid is ignorance of our mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes, it’s a fundamental trait of every human. So, if nobody’s perfect then own up to your mistakes instead of disowning them and only further damage …show more content…
Victor’s own brother dies by the hands of the creature and Victor still doesn’t react in anyway and goes back to isolating himself and ignoring his mistakes instead of accepting what he has done and prevent anymore consequences. Shelley’s lesson is exactly this, Victor ends up being killed by the creature, so in the end Victor died from his mistake that he never owned up to. In more basic terms, owning up to your mistakes can change the way your life goes. Obviously, Victor’s offense is on the more extreme side of this lesson but nonetheless, the lesson is all the same. A study done on people who watched the film Margaret (2011) and asking for their analysis of the film after it finished. The moral aspect of the film that the test subjects watched was taking responsibility for your actions. Here is a statement, “At its heart, the movie is a compelling parable about the necessity of taking moral responsibility for one's actions…”. As the statement inquires, it is a “necessity” to take responsibility for your “actions”, i.e. mistakes. Another statement from Robin M. Zavod (PhD), who wrote an article about taking responsibility,
Frankenstein is full of ideas and warnings, which are relevant to a modern day audience; in what ways does Shelley explore. Frankenstein Coursework Q. Frankenstein is full of ideas and warnings, which are relevant to a modern day audience; in what ways does Shelley explore these ideas? The novel Frankenstein is set in the pre 1914’s, when there were theories on certain things that they did not understand. It is full of darkness and tragedy in some places.
The novel Frankenstein is wonderful in various ways, from the provoking portrayal of human emotion throughout the story; to the elements of fantasy that stimulate the imagination. However, as one (anonymous) critic put it, “[T]he work seems to have been written… …on a very crude and ill-digested plan; and the detail is, in consequence, frequently filled with the most gross and obvious inconsistencies.” (The Literary Panorama). While the critic attempts to expose some inconsistencies in the story, the acerbity in his review of the novel is unfair based on the support he provides. The irony of this review is that although he tries to expose the plot’s inconsistencies, he uses a non-issue as backing, and yet misses the most glaring oversight in the novel.
However, the results of the creation of the Creature are egregious, as the creature begins to murder people, specifically Victor’s loved ones, including his brother William upon realizing that William is related to Victor. Victor here is partially at fault in his brother’s death, as he abandoned the Creature, leaving it to terrorize the people. Though he is overwhelmingly contrite for their deaths, he neglects to admit who the true culprit is in William’s murder and allows Justine Moritz to take the blame, an example of his morally ambiguous actions. His inconsiderate actions cost Justine her life, though he feels horrible for it. Even then, he argues that the action he regrets the most—the creation of the monster—was the work of destiny, which was “too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction.” (Shelley 23) Again, Victor places blame on fate to justify his obsession with ambition that led him to create the thing he regrets the most. His failure to recognize his role in William’s, Justine’s, etc. deaths while concurrently feeling remorseful for them solidifies his status as a morally
The decisions we make throughout our lives affect us in how we act, think, and feel. This is what Mary Shelley is showing throughout this novel. Victor’s actions, whether they be ethical or not, touch someone in his life in one way or another. It almost always hinders them and helps himself, which is a result of his unethical decisions, like abandoning the monster and essentially killing Justine. However, the one decision he makes to help people, which was to not make another monster, hurts the original monster anyways. Either
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has several literary devices- such as structure, imagery, and many intricate details. She perfectly places words and puts them in such a way that the passage has a dual tone. Shelley begins with establishing the monster’s nature as being peaceful, because he wanted to reason with Victor. Him wanting to reason shows the importance of his decision to meet with Victor and shows that even though he has been through a great deal, he is still respectable to others. The audience gets to see the creature’s humble nature and makes the audience feel sympathetic towards him. This creates a peaceful tone to the passage. The monster wants to be loved by “any being and if they showed benevolence to me, I would return them hundred an hundred fold” (Shelley 148). The creature’s begging makes it sound like Victor will answer his plea. Using a broad term like “being”, demonstrates the monster’s need to be loved, putting him in a position with the audience again feeling empathetic towards him. Eventually, Victor’s compassion begins to fluctuate. The desperation the creature has looks like the desperation a human might have. This only gives the readers another reason to relate to him which leads to the other tone, impossible. Victor’s unreasonableness heightens this shared discontent as not only has the build up of the creature’s wistful nature made him an utmost identifiable character, but our views are adjusted in such as way that Frankenstein is seen
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, alchemy and the science of immortality as well as lies and deceit play an extremely meaningful role in the plot. Frankenstein’s protagonist ruins his life with this physcological obsession of reviving the dead and deceit in form of secrecy. In Never Let Me Go, the characters are clones that live this tragic, short life to help other people become immortal. They live a life of ignorance and order where they’re not really supposed to know what their dystopian life leads to. Lying and deceit are prominent in both novels because this horrific process is not one accustomed to in society nor in contempary society; therefore, it was kept a secret to
“Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow” (Shelley 60). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she expresses her beliefs regarding the danger of pursuing happiness through the attainment of knowledge, because true happiness is found in the emotional connections established between people. The pursuit of knowledge is not necessarily an evil thing, but it can cause destruction when it is pursued beyond natural limits. Victor Frankenstein becomes a slave to his passion for learning in more than one way; first his life is controlled by
Frankenstein’s close-mindedness can definitely cause the reader to think of the creature as a “demon” and a “monster.” From Frankenstein’s perspective, the creature is ugly and vile. However, when the reader finally gets to understand the creature’s struggles, he or she is able to empathize with the creature. For instance, when the creature exclaims “’All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!’” the reader is able to comprehend that people continuously judge him based on his appearance (113). The creature wants nothing more than to be loved and accepted, but instead he is “miserable” because of the “barbarity of man” (123). The creature cannot foster relationships with people because society
For Frankenstein there are a plethora of motifs that can ideally fit into every plot point of Frankenstein but most notably lost innocence. As fictional as Frankenstein can get, there is a lesson to be learned in terms of how Frankenstein was raised by the wild and by the sheer brutal upbringing of nature and being judged everywhere he goes. In chapter 12 there was an incident where The Creature runs into a small little cottage house and when he approaches it to check it out the owner sights the Creature and runs away in fear and although the monster is unaware of why, it all accumulates with people seeing him and running away and when The Creature finally sees himself it all hits him. (Shelley 48) As well as when he saw his
In Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein the creature created by Victor Frankenstein is often misunderstood and mistreated because of his appearance. The people around him around him hurt him and make him filled with anger, causing the creature’s character to flip and out lash and swear vengeance on anyone he sees. This makes the reader see the creature as a morally ambiguous character because he constantly switches between both categories of good and evil. The creature being an ambiguous character helps support the meaning of the work as a whole which is good character can be manipulated by outside forces.
In Mary Shelley's popular novel, Frankenstein, there are many scenes where betrayal is a main problem between the character. Both friends and family betray the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, and each other along the way. Along with the betrayal between characters, there is also evidence of betrayal within the character's own values and self. The nature of the betrayal in Frankenstein is a recurring theme and is present from the first ideas of creating the monster to the destruction of the monster. Betrayal contributes to the meaning of Frankenstein because it leads to extreme illness, and even death in many cases. The novel, which is mainly focused on the creation of Victor Frankenstein's monster, is infused
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
When man decides to assume the role of God, consequences are bound to plague such an ambition. In the case of Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the product of such an ambition is a creature born of the dead. Despite the frightening process of his creation, the creature wakes into the world as a benevolent being. He simply longs for acceptance and friendship, but due to his unsightly features, the world is quick to condemn him as the monster he appears to be. With an unbearable sense of rejection in his heart, the monster begins to turn wicked. Soon enough he is responsible for multiple deaths in the name of revenge. Although many treat him unfairly, the monster is fully aware of his actions
"Children learn to read around ages five and six when they have to attend school because an education is required by law in the United States. People have to read when it is required by school, but why do people choose to read? Reading can expand one’s intelligence and touch one’s emotions when one ponders over characters, topics, and themes. Thinking about emotional topics can lead people towards common views. When discussing the topic of appearance and judgment, one common insight that becomes apparent is that looks do not determine one’s personality. While it is true that appearances can foreshadow danger, it seems evident that judgment should come from personal knowledge.
Victor does not take responsibility for his creation. Victor disrupted the natural order of things by creating the monster. He also knew that leaving the monster was wrong but he did anyway because he did not want to deal with the repercussions of being the person who created the monster. Victor neglects his own moral responsibility in this book. He leaves the monster with no help, no care, and no love (“An Overview of Frankenstein”). Victor is an irresponsible character and that ultimately leads to the major downfall of the book. If Victor would have been there for the monster and taught him things then maybe the monster would not be so angry with the world and would have refrained from killing innocent people. The monster was not trying to hurt these people all he was concerned about what was getting back at Victor for leaving him behind. Victor was obviously a smart man he just made a careless and selfish decision by leaving the monster. He was looking out for himself and watching his own back to protect his reputation and not have to deal with criticism from other people.