In reading Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly, a motif of distance and separateness can be discerned from the text. In the structure of the narrative, the reader is distant from the action. The setting of the narrative is situated often in isolated and nearly inaccessible areas, creating separateness between the action of the story and the everyday world. The Frankenstein monster is remote compared to the rest of world by narrative structure, geographic area, and his namelessness. The reader must look through several lenses throughout the novel. The letters that begin the book are addressed to Mrs. Saville from Robert Walton. So already in the beginning, the reader is asked to participate in voyeurism, looking in on a world through letters …show more content…
The light of the story is passing through the lenses of Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and finally the antagonist of the story: the nameless Frankenstein monster. Shelly gradually drops these lenses once again until we are back to Walton’s letters to Mrs. Saville. The three main lenses of this narration are also separate in space from the rest of humanity for the majority of this novel. Walton first sees the Frankenstein monster and then Victor on his voyage north into the ice. It is only these two creatures, and the adventurers of Walton’s crew that would travel this far away from the comfort and companionship of humanity. The first spoken encounter between Frankenstein and his monster occurs on the icy glacier in the Swiss Alps near the source of the Arveiron. After Victor’s ascent into the mountains he is confronted by the monster and is led to an even higher peak to the hut of the monster where the he begins his tale. The monster exists outside the sphere of humanity, right on the fringe. He spends his formative months in the woods or inside his hiding place outside the cottage of the exiled French Nationals. The only people who ever hear the monster are Victor, the blind father of the cottage, and William right before he dies. The rest of humanity, even if the monster tries to speak, is unable to hear him. The monster is so far from what is right and normal that the capacity for understanding is not within the grasp of normal human experience. The
Besides, the creature was the kind of person that if someone taught him beautifully, he would pay back by admiring and loving this person. By this media, the creature learned to admire people's grace, beauty, and delicate complexions. The creature understood one language, which was French and quickly he could say some words like sister, brother, fire, milk, etc. This language was taught to him by a French family who he loved: "The French family was the school where the creature studied all the science that he knows and learned history as well." Also, the monster thought this family was the most kind and excellent in the world; but, the same family also taught and showed him how humans could be hurtful, when the family refused to become his friend. On the other hand, the knowledge and education that the creature received from the French family, was not enough to prevent his bad attitude in his personality that came within his creation. The creature was not a great person all the time; he was someone who could murder anyone at anytime, just because he was making revenge against Frankenstein. Besides, the creature was someone who felt alone in earth by the fact that he did not have friends and relationships; he was questioning why he had no father watching him when growing up or a mother taking care of him. "The creature thought his past life was a blemish where he did not distinguish anything."
Frankenstein, a novel first published in the year 1818, stands as the most talked about work of Mary Shelley’s literary career. She was just nineteen years old when she penned this novel, and throughout her lifetime she could not produce any other work that surpasses this novel in terms of creativity and vision. In this novel, Shelley found an outlet for her own intense sense of victimization, and her desperate struggle for love. Traumatized by her failed childbirth incidents, troubled childhood, and scandalous courtship, many of Shelley’s life experiences can be seen reflected in the novel. When discussing the character and development of the monster, Shelley launches an extensive discussion on the
Frankenstein fulfilled his destiny and made his creation despite his suffering and misfortunes. However, his influence on Walton is paradoxical. One moment, Frankenstein exhorts Walton’s almost-mutinous men to not stray from their path courageously, regardless of danger. The next, he serves as an abject example of the dangers of heedless scientific ambition. Walton serves as a foil to Victor, either not obsessive enough to risk almost-certain death or not courageous enough to allow his passion to drive him. Walton ultimately draws back from his treacherous mission and returns to England, having learned from Victor’s example how destructive the thirst for knowledge can be.
However, it could also be argued that Frankenstein’s settings augment his monstrousity- we see a sense of isolation- “solitude” is repeated, implying that by imposing self-exile, Frankenstein detaches himself from society and its rules and that he has become an “outsider” (McCrae)- much as the monstrousity that Victor calls the Creature, is also an outsider. Indeed the connection between the two is best examined by the Shelley use of the mountain-top- “Chamonuix, where I saw him”- which alludes to the idea of the Creator and Creation meeting (Hayward), both as equal, with both,
Mary Shelley introduces the story of Frankenstein with an exchange of one-way letters from Walton to his sister. In these letters, Shelley introduces the main themes of the novel via the character of Walton and his letters, in that he presents many of the themes later explored in ‘Frankenstein’ such as thirst for knowledge and power, isolation and nature, in his own story. These opening letters thus have an impact on the reader as they will influence their view of the rest of the novel in ways that will bring them to ask themselves important questions valid for any are ad society, and bring them some understanding of what is to come next in the novel.
Mary Shelley’s story of internal turmoil, the cruelty of altering the laws of nature, and the consequences of redefining the laws of nature is a harrowing one, known widely by many audiences, yet it is never the nature of the characters that is discussed, only the outcome. Shelley’s deliberate use of different character foils portrays the deeper connections and themes in her 1818 novel, Frankenstein. The creation and presence of Frankenstein’s monster directly foils the character of Victor Frankenstein himself, illustrating overarching themes of self inflicted isolation and internal conflict, exposing the dangers and consequences of complete and total narcissism, and revealing a truth many still refuse to accept: we, as humans, are capable
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has a very complex narrative structure: “the narratives seem to grow organically from one another”. Within the novel, Shelley weaves characters and their different narrative perspectives together, creating a cyclical, triplicate layout to the story. Her use of multiple narratives provides a range of perspectives on the story, allowing us insights to the
The novel begins with an explorer, Robert Walton, writing letters to his sister about his travels to the North Pole. Connections to the novel are made within these letter through discussion of loneliness and a desire for companionship, passion for studies, etc… In the last letter, he writes to his sister about a stranger he found and helped and later on became friends with. This stranger later on is going to be known as Victor Frankenstein.
4. She includes this so you understand her reason for wanting to write the novel.
When the monster returns, he learns of the family’s sudden plans to move away. With no other direction, the monster seeks out answers from his creator. He comes across Victor’s papers, which reveal his identity and residence. With his newfound information, the monster decides to find his way to Victor. Throughout his journey his curiosity begins to turn into hatred and rage towards his creator. As he treks across the continent he discloses, “the spirit of revenge is enkindled in my heart” (119). This shows the monster’s capability of harboring dark emotions; it shows his benevolence quickly slipping away.
(Favert 1) We must begin to read Frankenstein more as a well-wrought "baggy monster" of correspondences, and less as a singular, alien phenomenon. If we read it as an interactive combination of tales, rather than one linear narrative, we can refrain from casting the novelist into the narrow role of a "young girl" with "so very hideous an idea." Frankenstein is Mary Shelley's novel; it is no more her story than Walton's, Victor's or the monster's. Within the text, the various narrators slide from their own stories into the histories of others, and with each movement, we are asked to extend our "willing suspension of disbelief." As the novel multiplies its story-tellers and listeners, it renews the problem of narrative authority. Whose story do we believe? -- the novel defuses such a question. The fantastic nature of the stories preclude rational explanation or judgment, and we do not,
Who is the real monster?” acts as the dominant question throughout the novel “Frankenstein” written by Mary Shelly as the reader explores the protagonist Victor Frankenstein and his nameless creation. As the novel progresses, the reader notices how the relationship between the two characters goes far beyond a neglectful creature and resentful creation, for the two influence the thoughts, actions and emotions of each other. Furthermore, the creature’s physical appearance acts as his purpose throughout the novel as well as a mirror of Victor Frankenstein’s true identity. Additionally, the creature’s lack of identity begins to initiate Frankenstein’s shame towards his own identity, revealing the flawed character of Frankenstein and determining the resolution to the question “Who is the true monster? Who is the true catalyst of destruction?” During the novel, the reader is able to identify the creature as the most effective foil for Victor Frankenstein because the creature causes: Frankenstein to view the action of the creature as his own work, the shift between pride and shame in Frankenstein, and his physical appearance demonstrates his purpose to reveal the true character of Victor Frankenstein.
The entire story is told through the letters of Robert Walton to his sister, Margaret Saville. Walton’s letters start and end the novel, which sets up the framework for Frankenstein. Walton shares a few similarities with the characters of Victor and the monster. For instance, much like Victor’s character, Walton has an inquisitive nature and he loves to explore. In his first letter he writes, “I shall satiate my ardent curiosity with the sight of a part of the world never before visited” (Shelley 16). While Victor has a deep interest in new sciences, Walton has an interest in exploring new places. This curiosity drives both men to take their interests to the limits. Walton’s character also shares some similarities with the
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.
Walton sees Frankenstein as a companion equal in ambitions. Walton confides his dream with Frankensteien although he responds in dismay, as it was an ambition and a dream, which drove Frankenstein to near destruction. On the way Walton saw a being of gigantic proportions. A question which comes into the readers mind is 'what was the human-like creature?