Victor's Use Of Ethos In Frankenstein Research Paper

In chapter 4, Victor explains the importance of success in reanimating life. For Victor, the reanimation insures that he will be known as a creator in comparison to god. (Shelley 32). In chapter fifteen, the creature states that his life is like Adam because there is “no link to any other being in existence” (Shelley 92). Apart from that, Shelley connects the creature to Satan in regards to the fact that “for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protector, the bitter gall of envy rose within me” (Shelley 93). This shows the conflict within the creature between good and evil.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has several literary devices- such as structure, imagery, and many intricate details. She perfectly places words and puts them in such a way that the passage has a dual tone. Shelley begins with establishing the monster’s nature as being peaceful, because he wanted to reason with Victor. Him wanting to reason shows the importance of his decision to meet with Victor and shows that even though he has been through a great deal, he is still respectable to others. The audience gets to see the creature’s humble nature and makes the audience feel sympathetic towards him. This creates a peaceful tone to the passage. The monster wants to be loved by “any being and if they showed benevolence to me, I would return them hundred an hundred fold” (Shelley 148). The creature’s begging makes it sound like Victor will answer his plea. Using a broad term like “being”, demonstrates the monster’s need to be loved, putting him in a position with the audience again feeling empathetic towards him. Eventually, Victor’s compassion begins to fluctuate. The desperation the creature has looks like the desperation a human might have. This only gives the readers another reason to relate to him which leads to the other tone, impossible. Victor’s unreasonableness heightens this shared discontent as not only has the build up of the creature’s wistful nature made him an utmost identifiable character, but our views are adjusted in such as way that Frankenstein is seen

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. Frankenstein’s direct association with fundamental Gothic literature is extremely renowned. However, the novel’s originality is derived from the foundational thematic values found within the relationship (or lack there of) between Victor Frankenstein and the monster he had created, in combination with a fascinatingly captivating plot. Understandably, Frankenstein can often be associated with a multitude of concepts; however, in this particular instance, the circumstances in the book seemed remarkably coherent with Shelley’s Romantic beliefs in preserving the natural world, and one’s natural existence. These values present themselves as metaphorical symbols that

Shelley addresses romantic conventions in Victor to convey his loss of identity. Victor is impatient and restless when constructing the creation, so much, that he does not think about it’s future repercussions. One of the great paradoxes that Shelley’s novel depicts is giving the monster more human attributes than to it’s creator [p. 6 - Interpretations]. This is true as the monster seeks an emotional bond, but Victor is terrified of it’s existence. The monster later reveals, “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurred at and kicked and trampled on [Shelley, p. 224].” Victor’s lack of compassion is rooted from the inability to cope with his reality. He distances himself from others and is induced with fainting spells [Shelley, p. 59]. From this, the nameless creature exemplifies Victor’s attempt to abandon his creation to escape his responsibilities. His creation is described as, ‘wretched devil’ and ‘abhorred monster,’ eliciting that the unobtainable, pitied identity [Shelley, p. 102]. The act of not naming the creature reveals Victor as hateful, and unnaturally disconnected to his own created victim.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, illustrates an interesting story focusing in on many different themes, but what most readers may miss, is the similarities between Victor Frankenstein and the creature he created. As the story develops, one may pick up on these similarities more and more. This is portrayed through their feelings of isolation, thirst for revenge, their bold attempt to play god, and also their hunger to obtain knowledge. These are all displayed through a series of both the actions and the words of Frankenstein and his creature.

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.

Recalling the dismal night when life entered the creature, Victor expressed, “Breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room.” From the first glance upon his creation, revulsion filled the heart of Victor. He indeed despised the being he had formed. Immediately Victor fled from the creature, deisiring to never lay eyes upon the grotesque form again. He thus rejected the creature upon which he toiled for so long.

In this Essay I shall explore the reasons for Victor Frankenstein’s emotional turmoil in chapters 9 and 10 and look at how some events in Mary Shelley’s life mirrors some events in the book. I will also look at a few of the themes running through Frankenstein. Such as religion, parenting, hate, revenge, guilt and compassion.

The creature yearned for compassion and acceptance, but soon those feelings turned to rage and vengeance. The creature, having withstood rejection and mistreatment, knows no other means of seeking attention other than striking fear into his creator, Victor Frankenstein. According to the novel, Victor Frankenstein says, “Abhorred monster! Fiend that thou art! The tortures of hell are too mild a vengeance for thy crimes (81).

In the Gothic novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley integrates the rhetorical devices figurative language, imagery, and tone to impart the concept that the desire to acquire knowledge and emulate God will ultimately result in chaos and havoc that exceeds the boundaries of human restraint.

An example of this is when the Creature is first introduced to Victor’s younger brother, William, in the fields where the Creature was attempting to seek refuge. The Creature attempts to stop the boy with hopes of befriending him, when instead, the boy screams at the Creature, telling him he was the son of a Frankenstein. This triggers the Creature, recognizing the name an becoming enraged. He proceeds to kill the boy, with hopes “this death will carry despair to [Frankenstein], and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him,” (Shelley 155). These emotions internalized in the Creature cause him to commit heinous acts in order to ruin the life of his nemesis. The negativity of the Creature demonstrates an even further rise in his emotions, giving way to a tension between the characters that is furthered as the text proceeds.

As Victor states, “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me” (Shelley 13). It shows Victor’s great ambition to succeed from his creature. Moreover, Victor recognizes this creature as his “child”, by using the word “child” Shelley implies that monster will inherit the thoughts of Victor (Shelley 14). Victor states that he wants to “claim the gratitude” from the child he creates, it shows that Victor is a selfish man because he only focuses on gaining the benefit from his creature (Shelley 14). When Victor finds the "dun white" eyes of the creature (Shelley 87), it means that there’s something wrong with the creature, but Victor completely ignores the potential danger of creating this monster; he decides to go ahead with satisfying his own desire without having a deliberate intention to create the monster. In short, the intention of creating the monster brings out Victor’s selfishness and irresponsibility, and this determines the reason for the monster to be a disaster in the

The creature is renounced by Victor throughout the book, which removes any positive role model that the creature might have had. The two encounters that Victor has with the creature when it is first created are evidence of his rejection. The first is when Victor finishes creating the creature. During the process of creation, Victor dedicates himself so greatly that he "pursued [his] undertaking with unremitting ardour" (32). He puts aside everything else in his life, and concentrates completely on his purpose, which is to bring a being to life that would serve him. In order to do so, he spent an entire summer "engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit" (32). Because of the hard work that Victor puts into his work of creation, he never really examines the fruits of his labour. He is too caught up in his work, and has "lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit" (32) of finishing his work on making the creature. So in the process of his creation, Victor is never really aware of what he is creating because he is too focused on the actual act of creation. However, when Victor finally finishes the work of making the creature, and takes time to look at what he has done, he is horrified by his accomplishment. As the creation opens an eye, and

Recognising the true feeling of his creator towards him the monster beings to inflict pain on to Victor by hurting his loved ones. Revengeful, Victor wants to“trample [his creation, the creature,] to dust” (Shelley 97) for the murders the wretched monster has done and fully intends to commit, similar to how a God in many religions may deliver divine retribution onto its creation. Victor’s supposition of authority over whether his creation will live or die is another attempt to play God. Victor plans to kill his own creation to protect the lives of his family and friends, however, as Victor pursuits after his creation, other humans are endangered and Frankenstein’s attempt to prevent the monster from harming any more of Victor’s loved ones is