preview

Fear In Frankenstein Essay

Good Essays

In Western society, fear is displayed through mass media through the mind of the individual and community. The fear item is named and the response is dictated. A supreme example of fear inculcation with a directed response happened after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. From 9/11 came the so called “War On Terror,” the passing of the Homeland Security Act in 2002, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, and its effect on the civil liberties of the American people, exponentially increased national security, and a reawakening of racially motivated hostility and racial profiling. Fear is no longer directed merely toward violent radicals but also toward senseless violence within communities, racism and intolerance, hatred and despair, and the devastation of arable soil. Fear presses in on all sides and thus created a new monster- a human monster. However, arguably, the first prominent monster in English literature was the Monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Additionally, Mary Shelley’s novel discusses fear and the dark corridors of the human heart. Through analysis of Frankenstein, these monstrous catastrophes can be prevented.

Throughout the novel, several characters depict monstrous qualities. One notable example is Victor Frankenstein, the main protagonist. Victor was born in Geneva, Switzerland, with supervision from Caroline and Alphonse Frankenstein, Victor’s parents. During his teen years, Victor becomes

Get Access