Essay about Frankenstein Allusions

There are many allusions used to help develop traits of ambition, intelligence and vengeful for Victor Frankenstein and his creature. Victor as a young boy is interested in the natural philosophers such as Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus. Agrippa first sparked his interest and even though his father told him that “it is sad trash.” (Shelley 24) he continued to research and read his books. Victor mainly ignored his father’s comment as his father just glanced at the book and made that remark, if he had explained his reasoning about why he thought it was a waste of time Victor would have listened. When the Frankensteins return from their trip from Thonon he immersed himself in Paracelsus and Albertus Magnus and spent all of

Shelley draws inspiration from Milton 's Paradise Lost not only for the vicious creator in the stories but also the creations. In Milton’s epic, God creates the father of humankind and the father of all demons. The characterization of Frankenstein 's monster highlights points of both Adam and Satan; even the monster recognizes this within Shelley’s work when he encounters Milton’s

The loneliness of the Creature leads it to unbelievable acts of violence, the first one being the killing of Frankenstein's youngest brother William. The monster describes its terrible act in detail: "I gazed on my victim, and my heart swelled with exultation and hellish triumph: clapping my hands, I exclaimed, 'I too can create desolation; my enemy is not impregnable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him'" (Shelley 97). Shelley is trying to teach the world a lesson by illustrating that the monster is not just a scientific project, the monster is a living emotional being. Frankenstein even further rejects the

Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein in 1816 when she was just 20 years old. Even at a young age, she was able to craft what is considered the first science fiction novel. At this time of her writing, a scientific revolution was occurring and with it came advances in topics like radiation and atomic theory. With this rapid change in science and human understanding, Shelly chose to write a story as plea against unorthodox scientific experiments. She portrays this idea with the use of the characters Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created. Through her use of these characters, as well as her use of allusions from religious texts and other literary works, she is able further her argument against untraditional science.

throughout this novel and the movie. The decline is a less gradual one in the novel but a

Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein, symbolized a person’s necessity for acceptance by society. Society labels everything as good or bad, right or wrong, rich or poor. Although some of these labels may be correct, many are misconceptions. The monster, needed to be accepted by society, but instead was scorned, attacked, and shunned because of his outward appearance. The treatment of the monster was on the assumption that he was actually a monster. The only justification of this treatment was his outward appearance.

     In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explores a wide range of themes concerning human nature through the thoughts and actions of two main characters and a host of others. Two themes are at the heart of the story, the most important being creation, but emphasis is also placed on alienation from society. These two themes are relevant even in today’s society as technology brings us ever closer to Frankenstein’s fictional achievement.

In the gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley weaves an intricate web of allusions through her characters’ expedient desires for knowledge. Both the actions of Frankenstein, as well as his monster allude to John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Book eight of Milton’s story relates the tale of Satan’s temptation and Eve’s fateful hunger for knowledge. The infamous Fall of Adam and Eve introduced the knowledge of good and evil into a previously pristine world.

Mary Shelly uses a number of literary allusions in her novel. She uses the allusion of Prometheus, a created man in Greek mythology. He stole fire from Zeus to give fire to a man, much as acting like a God. As in Frankenstein whole book revolves around bringing or giving back a life. As Victor Frankenstein had brought a grotesque monster to life and suffers for it like Prometheus. Mary Shelly used the allusion of “Rime of Ancient Mariner,” as the mariner brought curse upon himself and everyone else. In Frankenstein, Victor brought a tragedy which he could’ve avoided. Last, but not least, Mary Shelly had also given hints of “Paradise Lost.” The remarks of Frankenstein goes back to Adam and Eve, the garden incident.

After his arrival in Geneva, the monster comes across a boy who reveals that he is related to Victor Frankenstein. He tells the boy “you shall be my first victim” (122), and chokes him till he struggles no longer. As the monster gazes at the lifeless body that lies before him, he claps and shouts in triumph, “I too can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him” (122). This statement clearly shows the he is aware of the crime he has committed and expresses no remorse. Unfortunately the boy is not his last

This innocence allows Adam and Eve to live in the Garden of Eden, free from all conflict under the condition that they follow the only rule God gave them. This rule was to simply stay away from the tree of knowledge. However, Satan came to Eve in the form of a snake and tempted her to eat from the tree knowledge. This tree grants the consumer knowledge and curiosity, which negates the innocence Eve once held. Adam, learning of this, is quite furious, yet he eats the apple as well. The apple granted the two beings the ability to know of lust, shame, and mutual distrust. Their punishment would be banishment from the garden, pregnancy for Eve, and labor work for Adam. Hence the title, Paradise Lost, meaning the simple and gracious life they lead has crumbled due to their actions. With this, we are able to connect the monster to Adam. The quote “I am thy creature: I ought to be thy Adam” (66) is said to Victor by the creature when they encounter each other atop Mont Blanc. This quote essentially explains how the monster began as an innocent creature knowing nothing, much like Adam, and suffers considerably as he discovers how people view him. He is a monster, a symbol of terror to the human race. As readers go further into the book, they learn that the monster reads Paradise Lost

The Creation’s allusions to Paradise Lost in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein play a key role in defining the book’s theme of Isolation. Paradise Lost, written by John Milton, details the heavily religious story of Adam and Eve, their experiences in the Garden of Eden, and their fall from grace when they eat a forbidden fruit. The Creation and character Adam are parallel as both were created alone, and had asked solely for a mate with whom to be alone with. As The Creation states, “Like Adam, I was apparently united by no other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. (Shelley, 118)” Similar to Adam, he feels out of place in the world, but is abhorred by those around him, and in chapter 16, “I am alone

The lack of an origin causes the monster to exhibit characteristics of Satan. While talking to Victor the Monster states, “Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel”(81). The monster demonstrates feelings of betrayal and abandonment as he is seen by Victor as a lesser being due to his “fallen angel”(81) status. A continuous reference to Adam demonstrates the Monsters desire to be loved by Victor for being a successful creation. However, the Monster faces reality in that he was abandoned, since Victor was “unable to endure the aspect of the being [he] had created”(44). The Monster’s expulsion from Victor’s life fuels his insecurities as he begins to “considered Satan as the fitter emblem of [his] condition”(110). Victor’s abandonment parallels to the story of Satan as he was cast out of heaven by God, similarly to how the Monster was cast out of Victor’s life. Not only, does the Monster take on the name of Satan, but also a few of the

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has become a classic in modern literature. Her tale is full of moral lessons that encompass a wide variety of subjects but one of the most prevalent is the theme of knowledge and its pursuit. Frankenstein, Walton, and the Monster all have an appetite for acquiring knowledge and actively pursue their perspective interests, but it soon turns to the obsessive and proves to be dangerous. Each of the character’s desires demonstrates to be detrimental to them when no boundaries are established. Through the use of consequences, Shelley’s Frankenstein shows that the relentless and obsessive pursuit of knowledge can lead to dangerous and disastrous situations.

when he felt lonely and when he was hungry there was no one to guide