Frankenstein - Every One Needs a Family Essay

   Frankenstein can be read as a tale of what happens when a man tries to create a child without a woman. It can, however, also be read as an account of a woman's anxieties and insecurities about her own creative and reproductive capabilities. The story of Frankenstein is the first articulation of a woman's experience of pregnancy and related fears. Mary Shelley, in the development and education of the monster, discusses child development and education and how the nurturing of a loving parent is extremely important in the moral development of an individual. Thus, in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley examines her own fears and thoughts about pregnancy, childbirth, and child development.

Several fields have studied the relationship between creator and creation. The most significant aspect of this research considers the difference between nature and nurture. Sociologists, psychologists, scientists, and other professionals have tried to pin down the exact distinctions between these two types of upbringings. In literature, the same questions have been asked and studied using fictional characters, most famously in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, in 1667, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, in 1818. The complexity of the characters in these texts creates the theme of nature versus nurture before they diverge and arrive at differing conclusions.

His fear inducing appearance adds to his state of isolation, so much so that even his own creator “found himself filled with horror and fear at the hideous thing he created.”(Nardo 51). His abruptly ended friendship with the blind man only worsens his painful desolation since he now understands what a true friendship is like. The monster longs for a companion and begs to Victor “You must create a female for me with whom I can live” (Shelley 144) and pleads with him for a mate of the opposite sex. When this demand is not met, the monster fills with rage toward Victor, and he vows revenge upon

Most novels are based on character interaction and the developing relationships between characters. Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein demonstrates numerous family dynamics and relationships between characters. There are many different types of relationships throughout the novel Frankenstein, many of which experience typical society stereotypes. Victor and his childhood family, the monster and Victor, as well as the monster and the cottagers are three of the main relationships in the novel.

Throughout the entire book, it becomes obvious that family is important to both Victor and the Monster. Victor greatly values his family and

Frankenstein pushes the blame of disregarding his own family onto his father and the pursuit of knowledge. He chooses to not accept responsibility for ignoring those closest to him. He chooses to be apart from all of them. After returning home, Frankenstein?s isolation continues due to him knowing

In many situations today, the children most common problem can be trace back to their family issue. Without a strong bond of relationship between their parents can consequently cause a destruction of children’s future. Even more, the children grow up unsteadily with aggressive behavior and the sign of depression. This has come to be a controversial issue and as well the depth of the story that is contain in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. To many misinterpretations from the movie, the creature itself was to accused to be a villain in the plot. As it show in Mary Shelly’s novel a deeper analysis has reveal that Victor Frankenstein is the real blame for

The fact that his creation was not given a name is another significant example of Victor’s indifference for his “child”.  “The absence of a name denies a child the knowledge of his origin and familial connection.” (Defrain 21)  Not only does the monster lack a name and place in society, but he never experienced motherly-love and tenderness upon his birth, which is crucial to the healthy growth and development of any new being.

	Near the end of the novel, the Monster requests from Victor to create for him, a female counterpart. When the Monster says, "You must create a female for me, with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do; and I do demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede"(140). The Monsters longing for a person he can communicate with is very important. It

A predominant theme throughout the novel Frankenstein is that of a parental figure, poor parenting techniques and furthermore the rearing of the child. The main family that brings this theme to light in the novel is Victor and the monster’s, where there really

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley mostly revolves around Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist, and the plot focuses on his creation of the monster, the antagonist, and the tragic consequences that arise from his actions. As the main focuses of the novel, both Victor and the monster are dynamic characters, and throughout the story, their actions reveal moral dilemmas. Walton, a ship captain, saves Victor in the North and while he is absent during most of the narration, Walton still makes significant appearances at the beginning and the end of the novel. He is a developed character that serves to contrast Victor’s. The minor characters include Elizabeth, Justine, William, Alphonse, and Henry, and while they make sporadic appearances in the novel, they are still significant. As close friends and family to the protagonist, their unwavering concern for Victor’s well-being ultimately influences some of his decisions. However, due to Victor’s guilt-induced isolation from society, their characters are not focused on or explored in depth. Most notably, they function to add to Victor’s misery, and their unfortunate deaths contribute to the novel’s depressing tone.

It is because of this that Shelley seems to suggest that Frankenstein overstepped his boundaries as a man by trying to create life. In the critique, “Female Gothic: The Monster’s Mother,” Ellen Moers points out that “Frankenstein’s exploration of the forbidden boundaries of human science does not cause the prolongation and extension of his own life, but the creation of a new one. He defies mortality not by living forever, but by giving birth” (220). Clearly Frankenstein realizes he has overstepped his boundaries as a man as those to whom he is closest are killed one by one as a result of the creation of the monster: first his brother William, then Justine, Clerval, Elizabeth, his father, and, ultimately, himself. This could be seen as analogous to men in society during the nineteenth century and before: overstepping their boundaries by creating a patriarchal society. Shelley seems to suggest that if men were to continue to take as much control away from women as they were back then, society would eventually become a “monster” that would destroy everyone.

The story of Frankenstein is one that focuses mainly on the idea of losing touch with the reality of what is family and love whilst in the pursuit of knowledge. This can initially be experienced in the beginning of the novel in the letters Walton sends to his sister Margaret Saville. In this case, Walton, in search of a passage to the Pacific, risks his life without much regard for how his sister may feel. During his voyage Walton eventually gets into a situation, being trapped in the ice, that jeopardizes not only his main objective to find the passage, but the relationships he has at home, specifically his sister.

With her husband, Shelley shared the tragic losses of their children, leaving them only with one child. The losses didn 't end here, they endured an endless struggle with money, which is parallel with the monsters struggle to find food. "Frankenstein" is also defined as a rather feminist novel. The most fascinating concept in the story is the developing intention to form life. Victor takes the maternal role of a woman in producing life. He

The novel has a strong family influence throughout the entire book. Frankenstein’s parents have great appreciation for their family. “No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence.” (Shelley) His mother, Caroline was always trying to help others and got