Summary:
Includes a number of reflections on Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein. Includes an analysis of Victor Frankenstein. Explores Shelley's use of language. Relates the change of seasons to Victor's changing mood in the story.
Victor's attitude towards the pursuit of knowledge is inexorable; he is blinded by his obsession to succeed and his fear of failure to some extent. In my opinion, Victor is also driven by his inclination to create life and his desires to exceed the boundaries established by man and, surpass the expectations of his professors and peers. Although once engaged in his pursuits Victor was entranced, he had a long ethical hesitation, on how morally correct of him to create his 'greatest work'. In the passage, when Mary Shelley uses the word cowardice, it can be interpreted as a means of mocking people who do not pursue all knowledge, and suggests that all knowledge should be pursued. In my opinion knowledge should only pursued if it does not offend a group of people and if it is of some profit to mankind. Even Victor realizes the propensity of the task which he is about carry out, and he also realizes the criticism and persecution he could receive if found out, and this is reflected in the text, by the secretive nature in which he conducts his experiments. Victor also realizes that there are ethical limits set by his society in those times, which is why he confines him self in secrecy, and those limits are somewhat found today, but in different context. For example today in 2005, there are discussions taking place about whether it is ethically right to use stem cell research, or for people to be able to have designer babies.
The setting in chapter 4 is very morbid throughout. Mary Shelley uses negative diction and twists them to have a positive effect. Frankenstein's description of certain objects is gruesome and macabre, or would have been considered so back then, for example, he seems to glorify death when speaking of the worm... (pg. 50) "I saw how fine the form of man was degraded and wasted; I beheld the corruption of death succeeded to the blooming cheek of life; I saw how the worm inherited the wonders of the eye and brain."
Mary Shelley uses vivid diction to depict Victor's deteriorating state, which has been brought about due to his own greed for knowledge, obsession and strive for success. While Frankenstein is creating his monster, Mary Shelley provides slight detail to this by using diction to emphasize the magnitude of the task and the actual physical changes take place with the monster's and Victor's body, the text reads; (pg 52) "My cheek had grown pale with study and my person had become emaciated..." Mary Shelley also uses metonymy when describing Frankenstein's grave robbing (pg. 52) "I collected bones from charnel-houses and disturbed, profane fingers..."
As Victor excels in his quest, his body begins the process which a dead decaying body goes through. Mary Shelley shocks readers, because of Frankenstein's surprisingly uncontrollable incapability to draw back from his work after several months of intense labour. We can see that as Frankenstein begins to give life to this monster, he himself, begins to decay, bringing the inanimate object to life deteriorates him, nearly bringing him to his death. His lack of self-control comes as another shock, because although his aware of his body becoming emaciated he does not dare cease his work, he seems sanctimonious and prideful of his works, which are signs of the intensity of his obsession.
3. The changes in the seasons seem to occur very conveniently with the changes to Victor's physical and mental state, or maybe his mood is simply affected by the changes in the seasons, for example; when Clerval nurses Victor back to health, the season changes to spring and in my opinion, can be interpreted as a sign of new beginnings. Clerval is an agent to Victor's recovery, he helps him return to a more wholesome lifestyle not only physically but he also helps Frankenstein re-discover his love and appreciation for the natural world which he lost in his quest for creating life.
In chapter 4, Frankenstein is completely devoted to his work and begins to neglect his health, his general surroundings and he also neglects natures taunting. There is a paradox at the bottom of page 52, Frankenstein does not notice anything of the seasons but, he describes the beauty of the summer season in great detail. He seems to count the days as a timeline to his success. The monster is created in November and in my opinion Mary Shelley has created an ideal setting for the creation because it is the season where the weather begins to turn cold and the days are short and the nights are long. In chapter 5, there is a mood of melancholy and fear, his dream, which was beautiful, has turned dark, like summer gives in to winter, which is a contrast to chapter 6, the rebirth of his health and the return of the seasons of life and new hope, in Frankenstein's case; desperate hope because Victor has brought himself into an illusionary world full of self denial, and self pity, it seems as though he just expects the monster to never be a part of his life again. The reality of the monster in chapter 5 horrifies the creator himself, and when he returns to his home to find that it is gone, he seems to carry an attitude of; 'out of site out of mind.' Mary Shelley uses the seasons and the weather to express a lot of Victor's emotions, for example; on page 57 he says "although drenched by the rain which poured from black and comfortless clouds." And then he goes on to describe how he feels at that time "my heart palpitated in sickness of fear..."
4.Mary Shelley shows that victor was driven because he says he deprived himself rest and health, at the beginning of the chapter 5, Victor is unable to rest and he hides from the monster which he has created. He is deeply disturbed and the thought of the monster seems to haunt him, he tries to forget it momentarily which is a sign of victor's weakness; facing the consequences, which he obviously did not consider or foresee, his attempt is in vain. Victor also makes several mentions to the dull watery eyes which seem to haunt him. At the beginning of chapter 5 Victor is unable to compose his mind to sleep, but when sleep arrives, he has a nightmare which Mary Shelley links to his latter infatuation with decaying bodies; his dream has become his torment and so brought him tumbling into psychological despair. Victor has a variety of mood swings, his feelings fluctuate and he seems to be indecisive about how he really feels and in my opinion that's the reason he becomes incapacitated; because of his emotional and mental imbalance which could be accorded for through his lack of health and sleep over a great period of time. An example of his fluctuating moods in when he meets Clerval, his mood is still dull, weary and worried, but when he discovers that the monster is no longer at his apartment, his mood takes another U-turn and even Clerval notices his sudden change in mood, he says "Clerval at first attributed my unusual spirits to joy on his arrival, but when he observed me more attentively, he saw a wildness in my eyes for which he could not account, and my loud, and unrestrained, heartless laughter frightened and astonished him." Victor seems even more mentally debilitated, as he starts to imagine that he sees the monster. This comes as a shock to him and he goes into a fit.
Mary Shelley uses language like disorder, to describe Victor's condition and at one point she describes him with a number of mixed emotions; "It was not joy only that possessed me; I felt flesh tingle with excess of sensitiveness, and my pulse beat rapidly." She also describes his failure to remain still, "I was unable to remain for a single instant in the same place; I jumped over the chairs, clapped my hands, and laughed aloud." Mary Shelley also describes him trembling excessively after his encounter with his creation.
Justine was the third child of a widow, her father who loved her dearly; died, and she was left with her mother who could not endure her. Pg 63 "this girl had always been the favourite of her father, but through a strange perversity, her mother could not endure her, and after the death of M. Moritz, treated her very ill." This is evidence that she had a tough upbringing. Justine was then adopted by Elizabeth's aunt, who loved her so. She was then received into the Frankenstein's home as a servant. Victor favoured her in the household. Elizabeth's aunt loved her so much that she gave her an education which she showed great appreciation for by not leaving the Frankenstein's service and not pursuing a career. Justine remained a loyal servant and loved all the members of the house. Elizabeth's aunt then dies and Justine suffers greatly because she loved her, life becomes harder for her and she falls ill. Then the rest of her family dies, her brothers and sisters. Justine is then called back home by her mother and is heart broken to part with the Frankensteins. When she arrives her mother dies shortly after. Justine then returns to the Frankensteins and continues to serve them loyally.
The tone of the letter is mainly concern but it brings victor's spirits up and helps him in his recovery, Victor is just beginning to enjoy and appreciate nature. The letter acts as a reminder of all the things he has forsaken and taken for granted since he began creating his monster. Victor, since his arrival at Ingolstadt, has shown little or no concern for his family because of his strong will to acquire new knowledge; this had led him to ignore everything around him; which arose some worries and concerns in his peers and family.
Victor's professors seem to be very impressed by Victor's progress. Both his teachers praise him, Mr. Waldman tortured him with praise and kindness and warmth. Mr. Krempe on the other hand was blunt and harsh in his praises, he even went on to say that he had outstripped everyone and was at the head of the university, and he also complemented Victor on his modesty as a fine quality in a young man. Both professors hold a high opinion of Victor and have very great expectations of his future.
At the end of chapter 6, there is a party and everyone is in high spirits; rejoicing and dancing, which is in contrast to the letter in chapter 7 from Victor's father, bearing news of William's death. Chapter 6 builds up with a lot of positive events occurring in favour of Victor, and then in chapter 7; Victor receives the new of his brother's death, which is a huge contrast to the events at the end of Chapter 6. The end of chapter 6 sets up false hope for the readers, who are then brought back to reality in chapter 7, because the death of William is the cause of the monster which Victor has created and Justine is wrongfully blamed, due to strong evidence, and she is later killed for the crime she did not commit. Chapter six is much like the summit of a mountain because once it hits the top, the direction changes drastically as does the direction the story, everything begins to go down hill and things begin to turn for the worst for Victor.
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