Examples Of Moral Ambiguity In Frankenstein

In the religion Taoism, the Yin-Yang represents all the good and evils within humans. However, it is often difficult to tell the difference as good and evil is only based on perspective. In literature, writers and authors use the technique of having morally ambiguous characters to have this effect on readers. These characters are used to discourage readers from being able to distinctly identify if the character is either purely good or purely evil as a way to allow the story become more complex and be based on the reader’s perspective. In Mary Shelley’s classic gothic novel, Frankenstein, the Monster is seen as a morally ambiguous character through Shelley’s use of identity, references to Paradise Lost, and multiple perspectives within the narrative structures to suit the overall theme of good and evil where it is based on morals and beliefs.

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

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley tells the tale of the protagonist Victor Frankenstein and his creation. Both Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s creation’s questionable actions lead them both to be considered morally ambiguous figures. Victor is ambitious with good intentions, but his ambition leads to bad results. The Creature is an innately kind and compassionate person who commits abominable actions due to how others treat him. Their moral ambiguity is significant, as it reveals that an obsession with ambition distorts one’s morals.

Some ways that internal conflict was in the story, Frankenstein is with Victor. Victor had internal conflict with himself about when creating the creature and the death of his friends and family. For example, Victor feels very guilty and that he caused the his little brother William and his younger sister, Justine. William was killed by the creature holding William by the neck and suffocating him. Justine was then convicted for the death of William, founded guilty and hung to her death. Next, Victor’s dear friend Clerval was murdered by the creature, the same was William was killed, this time, this left Victor getting sick and shaking at the sight of his dead friend. Finally, Victor was having a conflict with himself about creating the creature a mate. Victor was wanting the creature gone, but then he did not want the creature to have a mate to reproduce with, then ended up destroying the work he has begun.

person to unleash such a terror on the world to benefit only himself and his

A morally ambiguous character is a character whose behavior discourages readers from identifying them as either purely good or purely evil. The creature brought into being by Victor Frankenstein is the principle morally ambiguous character in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" which is demonstrated through the sympathy that the reader feels at the moment of his creation and instantaneous abandonment, his present but questionable morals, and the feelings of immediate hatred that the reader has towards him as he slaughters everyone that Victor cares about. The creature, or monster as he is referred to in much of the novel, has guilt piled

"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.

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.

As people gain new experiences different losses of innocence come along with that, this is shown in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Throughout the book innocence plays a big role in the characterization of Frankenstein, the monster and most of the other characters in the book. But, as tragedies in the book occur they also symbolize losses of innocence in both the monster and Frankenstein. As these losses of innocence occur the reader begins to realize that each of them also seems to symbolize another loss of innocence but one that is just under the surface of literal meanings. One of the common double losses of innocence is all of the deaths that occur in the book. While examining the characterization and the deaths of Elizabeth and Justine, the reader comes to realize that all of those deaths symbolize the loss of innocence. Through these deaths, it is shown that Frankenstein and the monster continued to lose their innocence until it is nonexistent.

I feel sympathetic for the creature on many occasions in the fiction novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Frankenstein has brought something to life that he cannot even look at without being horrified. I believe it was wrong that Frankenstein played God and created something he didn’t understand. Once you are finished with this essay I believe you will agree with me.

Through psychoanalysis of the character Victor Frankenstein, it is clear that Victor exhibits latent homosexual tendencies. This is not to say the protagonist engages in the creation of the creature simply as an outlet for his sexual inclinations. Rather, his desire to procreate through means other than common human reproduction suggests his desire for legacy, but his aversion to the opposite sex. Victor’s latent homosexuality explains why he destroys the female creature, delays his marriage with Elizabeth, and spends his honeymoon looking for the creature. Victor chooses to suppress his homosexuality because of strict punishments for this sexual orientation in the Victorian Era.

Was Victor Frankenstein a closeted homosexual? Does his more than friendly feelings towards Henry Clerval and his reluctance towards marriage suggest something about his sexuality not explicit in the text? In the novel, the main character, Victor is suggested to be a homosexual through many of his character’s developing plot points, his personal insecurities, and his reluctance towards marriage with Elizabeth. Frankenstein has long standing been a debate about “people playing god”, and “the effect of nature vs nurture”, but the questioning of Victor’s sexuality remains relatively untouched. However, there are many contextual clues that suggest Victor Frankenstein may in fact be gay. With the corroboration of many scholars and professors, along with given historical context of gothic-era text and Mary Shelley’s own life, there is evidence to suggest that there is a reason for his ambiguous sexuality.

Furthermore, guilt is an intense emotion that allows an individual to either confront a situation and free them self of guilt, or avoid the emotion by placing blame onto others. Victor Frankenstein chooses to be reckless but is simultaneously conscious of his faults throughout the novel. After the death of his brother William, and the unjust persecution of Justine, Frankenstein states, “I wandered like an evil spirit, for I had committed deeds of mischief beyond description horrible…” (Shelley 3.61). Guilt stemming from his actions profoundly impacts Frankenstein, as he is now able to reflect on the gravity of the situation and his mistakes; his conscience is now in full command of his emotions, however, due to Frankenstein’s disconnect

In the infamous novel, Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley, there have been a variety of recurring themes throughout the book, one of them being good versus evil. Good versus evil is a popular theme that appears in several movies, TV shows, as well as literature itself. According to Wikipedia.com, it means: “[...] the battle between ideologies, with one side Good, and the other Evil. Another variation is the inner struggle in characters (and by extension, humans in reality) between good and evil.” This theme is specifically crucial to the plot because it ultimately asks the readers what it means to be “human.” Shelley supports her representation by manipulating society’s behavior, questioning the limits of humans, and

These quotes propose the idea that personalities or the way people act, is not something someone is born with, but instead it is something that is created through the endeavors of life and the actions we take place in everyday. In addition, the monster is capable of seeing the mistreatment he is placed with as well as develop morals and ethics. "Do on to other as you would like to be done to you." The commonly quoted bible verse otherwise known as the "golden rule" takes affect in the what the creature is saying. With the most basic knowledge of humanity he is able to depict this idea and apply it to his own life. This could arouse the argument that for someone to be a part of humanity or at least show humanistic qualities, does not require