Although Frankenstein was castigated by critics when it was first published, it set the precedent for many gothic novels afterwards. Most characters in novels can be easily identified as either good or bad, but in Frankenstein the personalities of Victor and his creature are ethically equivocal. Their good deeds and bad strike an unsettling balance, causing the reader to be perplexed about who to support. However, this vagueness is what makes the novel distinctive; at the end, the reader is left with conflicted feelings and the need to blame someone, but not knowing who. Moral ambiguity is vital to the work as a whole because it sanctions the reader to see everything in an unbiased perspective, acquire more from the central themes, and …show more content…
To some, his exploits might be rendered to be immoralities because of the varying ways people interpret things. For example, while he is constructing his creation he says, “…many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. (Page 48.)” This could be deciphered two ways; one that paints him as a hero with untainted objectives, and one that captures him as someone who is arrogant and thinks he is entitled to go beyond the customary limits of what is traditionally mortal. On one hand, he plainly states that he wants to create humans that are better for the overall benefit and happiness of mankind. But on the other hand, he sounds brash in the sense that he wants people to be indebted to him for creating them this way. True good intentions don’t have visible rewards, but there is no absolute way to find them. That is what makes this novel so unique, it leaves some of the most important decisions to the reader. A few people may see Victor of the creator of problems as he could have just contained his interest and redirected his passions. He also could have guided the creature through life, so he wouldn’t feel as wretched or abandoned. The creature might also be at fault, for keeping such a deep hatred in his heart for Victor, and could have pursued other paths in life to find another purpose. The deliberation about their conduct can seemingly go on
In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the unnamed creature brings terror to civilians and commits horrific acts against his creator, Victor Frankenstein. However, his redeemable acts of kindness makes his character morally ambiguous. He struggles between doing well and causing trouble because of isolation, the excerpts of society, and his pursuit for love.
Frankenstein is a classic written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley that has captured readers’ imaginations since the nineteenth century. The moral of Frankenstein was that a lack of companionship will lead to self-destruction. Lilo and Stitch, the Disney adapted version, has the same moral. Each teach the same, basic lesson that companionship and friends are generally positive things, yet they told different stories. Their stories, at first glance, are almost unrecognizable from each other. When comparing the two versions, one might ask how the morals remained the same despite the drastic alterations that Disney made. However, if one were to take a look at the changes that Disney made he or she would understand how. In Lilo and Stitch, Stitch (Disney’s equivalent of Frankenstein’s monster) is a protagonist while the monster is the antagonist in the original, Stitch makes friends whereas Frankenstein’s monster suffers throughout the entire book without so much as a friendly gesture, and as a result, the endings are completely different as well.
What differentiates Mary Shelly’s novel, Frankenstein from the majority of horror novels are the very real and timeless themes it explores. The overriding theme of the novel - scientific investigation without consideration of morality and responsibility is still an important topic in today’s world. “Perhaps the reality of cloning and genetic engineering makes this theme more relevant today than when Frankenstein was first published”(Patterson). This theme, along with the more subtle themes of revenge, the inability to accept those who are different, and the inability to control one's destiny are all themes which separate Frankenstein from other novels in the genre.
In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the character Victor Frankenstein can not be identified as purely evil or purely good. An interest in science leads Victor to create an evil monster, however midway through the book Victor develops sentimental feelings for the monster, even though he has committed many acts of pure evil. Victor abandons the monster which contributes to the overall theme, regarding nurture vs. nature. Throughout the novel, Victor is faced with challenges and hardships as a child that causes his character to become morally ambiguous.
Victor’s questionable actions are apparent, however his benevolent qualities are greater. Victor truly does possess a lot of good qualities, but sadly, the creation of another human tainted him. One of his most predominant moral characteristics is his love and cherish for Elizabeth Lavenza. For example, Victor states “I would die to make her happy” (Shelley 167). This is evidence that he cares about others and he is not entirely immoral. On the other hand, Victor’s only major evil quality was his desire to become God. “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me” (Shelley 48). This is proof that he wanted to become godly and control life and death which ultimately caused his downfall.
Victor Frankenstein’s moral ambiguity lies in good intentions with bad results. Victor evolves from an intellectually curious, innocent and blameless man to being remorseful, secluded and obsessed with the
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
Mary Shelley expresses various ethical issues by creating a mythical monster called Frankenstein. There is some controversy on how Mary Shelley defines human nature in the novel, there are many features of the way humans react in situations. Shelley uses a relationship between morality and science, she brings the two subjects together when writing Frankenstein, and she shows the amount of controversy with the advancement of science. There are said to be some limits to the scientific inquiry that could have restrained the quantity of scientific implications that Mary Shelley was able to make, along with the types of scientific restraints. Mary Shelley wrote this classic novel in such a way that it depicted some amounts foreshadowing of the
The book Frankenstein is considered a gothic novel do to the facts of the gloomy settings throughout the story, Mary Shelley always wrote in a gothic manner more times than not in her career, and during this time period scary stories were very relevant. The fact that Doctor Frankenstein is creating a “monster” is very gothic in itself but the way he gathered the parts to assemble this creation, or as some may like to call it a “creature”. People argue that just because he created this thing that does not make him the father-like because he made it in inhumane way but nobody knows what is considered wrong or right to someone. In order for something to get the consideration
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.
Questions of morality did not enter Victor's mind a single time before the creation of his "human being." He did not ponder the effects of his creation. Victor had a goal - to create life. By doing so we would be "godlike" for just one instant. He successfully
In Mary Shelley´s Gothic novel, Frankenstein, the Monster once claimed, “The fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone.” Frankenstein, since the 1910 film adaptation, has known a series of several adaptations that changed drastically, not only the plot but one of the main characters, the Monster, from stealing its creator´s name to being portrayed as a cold villain. Though, in the original storyline, the biggest threat to society is the creator itself, the one pretending to play as God, Victor Frankenstein. This essay will discuss the nature of the main characters of the novel and conclude who is the “real monster” in the end.
Mary Shelley’s ability to create such multidimensional characters in Frankenstein proves that writing is a powerful tool that has the ability to provoke vastly different opinions amongst readers. Even though each individual reading the story is reading the exact same words, their interpretation of those words often leads to opposing views in regards to the fate of the characters. The creature, in particular, has been a popular topic of discussion when conducting a close read of the novel due to his arguable versatility as a victim and villain. The concept of the villain has evolved over the years, however its basis still rests upon the simple fact that as a character in the story, their actions are a result of malicious intentions
For as long as man has encompassed this world, the divisive enigma of humanity has prevailed. Seeping its way into each generation, while sparking heated conversations, it has become evident that there is much we do not know about what truly makes us human. Regardless of our genetic composition, philosophers often ponder the deeper meaning of humanity. We know that, biologically, recreating the genetic makeup of a human does not yield humanity, so what is the missing aspect? Humans -have the ability to contemplate their own existence in this world. Awareness of existence. This driving force enables us to analyze situations while placing ourselves within them. Our involuntary ability to understand the impact of our actions and the affect they have on others causes us to be inherently human. Our actions evoke strong emotions within us that allow us to learn through our experiences. We retain the resonated feelings of certain occurrences and apply them to others in order to deduce outcomes. Often this facet of mankind is taken for granted, yet we are reminded, through both literature and hypothetical scenarios, of its importance. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, constitutes as one of these profound reminders. Shelley develops a theoretical story in which the humanity of Frankenstein’s monster is questioned. Despite having the accurate organs and framework of a human, Shelley causes the reader to seek the missing aspect that is preventing the monster from being human. Likewise,
Books, written in different styles, keep up their reputation since each one gives the reader a new idea to consider. Occasionally, instead of explaining a completely new style to "propose an idea" novelists get distinct concepts from other books to help convey their ideas properly. These acquired characteristics take on a new shape. Continuing to help model the story telling process, and making the story that much more enjoyable to read. This is evident throughout Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein, bringing elements of Romanticism, Social Justice, Psychological, Science Fiction, and Gothic styles into her masterfully crafted work. Frankenstein is a prime example of what a Gothic novel should present to its reader. From the genre’s twisted themes to a continued sense of fear and uneasiness, Frankenstein fits the Gothic model flawlessly.