Detestable Monster Theme in Frankenstein

The sample paper on Read This Excerpt From Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: I Have Good Dispositions; My Life Had Been Hitherto Harmless, And, In Some Degree, Beneficial; But A Fatal Prejudice Clouds [people’s] Eyes, And Where They Ought To See A Feeling And Kind Friend, They Behold Only A Detestable Monster (176–177). Which Theme Is Best Conveyed By This Quote? familiarizes the reader with the topic-related facts, theories and approaches. Scroll down to read the entire paper.

‘I am an unfortunate and deserted create; I look around and I have no relation or friend upon earth.

These amiable people to whom I go have never seen me and know little of me. I am full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world forever. ‘ This shows the understanding from the Monster, De Lacey responds with sympathy and comforts the monster as he un-prejudice due to his loss of sight. ‘They are kind – they are the most excellent creatures in the world; but, unfortunately, they are prejudiced against me.

I have good dispositions; my life has been hitherto harmless and in some degree beneficial; but a fatal prejudice clouds their eyes, and where they ought to see a feeling and kind friend, they behold only a detestable monster’ Here the monster describes the De Lacey family, although his companion does not know that it is his family. Sympathy is created as the Monster expresses his love towards people whom he has never met, and talks about the kind deeds which he has indeed done for the De Lacey family with no acknowledgement.

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Read This Excerpt From Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: I Have Good Dispositions; My Life Had Been Hitherto Harmless, And, In Some Degree, Beneficial; But A Fatal Prejudice Clouds [people’s] Eyes, And Where They Ought To See A Feeling And Kind Friend, They Behold Only A Detestable Monster (176–177). Which Theme Is Best Conveyed By This Quote?

The man asks for the name of the ‘traveller’ and he decides to uncover his identity, ‘You and your family are the friends whom I seek. Do not you desert me in the hour of trial. ‘ At this time the De Lacey family arrive in which they presume the Monster is attacking the old man and with a supernatural force tore him from his father, and struck him violently with a stick. The Monster describes the feeling of despair he has at the moment although does not endeavour to gain over their love, nor does he use his abnormal powers and capability to murder. ‘I could have torn him limb from limb, as the lion rends the antelope.

But my heart sank within me as with bitter sickness, and I refrained. ‘ The Monster gains sympathy as the reader realises of his capability of destruction although he chooses not to, as the reader also knows that the Monster has been aiding the family with wood and receives a terrific violent response when he attempts to make an acquaintance with them. After the rejection from the De Lacey family the Creature expresses his feelings to the reader and describes the despair he is feeling, he also comments that ‘the mildness of his nature has fled, and all within him was turned to gall and bitterness.

‘ This comment suggests that The Monster turns violent because of the actions of human beings and the rejection from society. Whilst he is still feeling deep remorse from the actions of the De Lacey family he witnesses a girl who falls into a rapid stream, on seeing this The Creature saved her and dragged her to shore. Another human approached and presuming the Monster was the reasoning for the child’s unconsciousness, he tore the girl from his arms and when the Monster drew near, aimed a gun and fired at the Creatures body.

This shows that even though the Monster was still recovering from the effect of the De Laceys he helped a human being, although he still received the treatment which he had already encountered. ‘This was then the reward of my benevolence! I had saved a human being from destruction, and as recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone. The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed hatred and vengeance on all mankind.

‘ The reaction of the human being creates feelings of sympathy towards the Monster and by vowing hatred and vengeance on all mankind it proves that the actions of human beings have pressurised the Monster to become violent, and use his capability of destruction. A few moments from re-covering from the wound which he received and vowing hatred on mankind he glimpses a young child. The Creature concludes that the child is too young to be prejudice so wishes to educate him as his companion and friend. He attempts to seize the young boy before the child begins struggling and says ‘Let me go, monster! Ugly wretch!

You wish to eat me and tear me to pieces. You are an ogre. Let me go, or I will tell my papa. ‘ Yet again the Monster is faced with rejection although he at first reacts calmly, but after the child proclaims that his father is Frankenstein he shows a different personality and turns violent. The child also uses the words ‘Ugly wretch’ and ‘Monster’ which the creator, Frankenstein, also used to describe the Monster; this also could also have added a negative effect on the Monster. ‘Frankenstein you belong then to my enemy – to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.

‘ This provokes the thought that the Monster knew he was going to act violently and have a ‘first victim. ‘ It can be argued that this does not create feelings of sympathy towards the monster and in some cases, could withdraw them; although the impact of human kind is what led the Monster to his feelings and actions of violence and anger. The Creature could be compared to other characters from the novel. There are several characters which have had a deficient upbringing, and could be said to be similar to Frankenstein’s creation.

Other characters have had a cherished and loved up-bringing which contrast with the Monster, such as Frankenstein – this could also have provoked such a negative dislike and hatred between the two characters. Frankenstein’s mother, Caroline, was a beggar and orphan, forced into the life of poverty after her father died in her arms. Overall Mary Shelley is an extremely innovative writer; she created the characters as sometimes contrasting and sometimes comparable. She employs our sympathies for Frankenstein’s creation frequently through his actions and thoughts as well as the reactions of the human beings which he encounters.

The Monster receives a general rejection from society due to his appearance. He is commonly misjudged and regarded as an evil wretch; simply because of his appearance also when there is a un-prejudice viewing of him he is given sympathy by another human being. He could be considered as a Romantic Hero because of his rejection from society and his un-cherished up bringing; the novel Frankenstein was also writing in the Romantic era. http://www. bookrags. com/notes/frk/CHR. html http://www. bookrags. com/notes/frk/PART12. html http://www. bookrags. com/notes/frk/SUM.

html ‘I began to distinguish my sensations supplied me with drink and the trees that shades me with their foliage’ We begin to feel sympathetic towards the monster in these few early chapters due to his lonely childhood, where he must learn about each sense which sometimes result in him being hurt, for example (QUOTE HEREEEEEEE ABOUT SOMETHING TO DO WITH FIREEE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. ) Notes Social context? Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was written at a time of rapid change throughout the world. At the end of the 18th century, the French Revolution was taking place.

Meanwhile, the Declaration of Independence was passed in the United States. Also, there were scientific breakthroughs including Dr James Lind’s experiments using electricity to animate dead frogs. This was the inspiration for Mary Shelley to write a fantasy novel about a doctor who creates a ‘monster’ from dead body parts. As a result of some of the scientific developments, attitudes were changing towards Lind and others, and Shelley took advantage of these changing attitudes to get them to sympathise with the two main characters from her novel, Frankenstein, namely Victor and his creation.

At certain points within the novel, the reader is encouraged to sympathise more with Victor, and at others, the reader may be more sympathetic towards the Monster. Sympathy is created by the author both by making the readers pity the monster’s loathsome existence and by leading them to understand his violent and cruel actions. We pity the creature because of the way he is treated by mankind and we can identify with his feelings and reactions and understand why he behaves as he does. Shelley uses different narrators throughout the novel and the reader sympathises with the views of these people to differing degrees.

The language used when describing the physical appearance of the monster and his feelings is very strong and evocative. The settings and motifs with which the monster is associated are very dramatic and add to our sympathy for his lonely existence. Read more: http://www. coursework. info/GCSE/English_Literature/Prose_Fiction/By_Author/Mary_Shelley/How_does_Mary_Shelley_create_sympathy_fo_L47691. html#ixzz0nuMFqy4L Created by Victor Frankenstein in Ingolstadt, the monster is a conglomeration of human parts with inhuman strength. He is so hideous that Victor, his own creator, cannot stand to look upon him.

He is loving and gentle at the beginning of his life, childlike in his curiosity and experiences, but after several harsh encounters with humans, he becomes bitter. He seeks revenge on his creator for making him so hideous and rendering him permanently lonely because of his ugliness. He offers Frankenstein peace in exchange for a companion of like origin, but when Frankenstein does not comply, he vows to destroy him and begins killing off Frankenstein’s friends and family — those figures he most envies because he does not have them.

After finding Frankenstein dead aboard Walton’s ship, the monster goes further north with plans to destroy himself and end the suffering that Frankenstein began when he created him. Victor Frankenstein’s original reasons for creating life from dead parts are noble. His driving force is the desire to help mankind conquer death and diseases. But when he finally reaches the goal of his efforts and sees his creature and its ugliness, he turns away from it and flees the monstrosity he has created.

From that moment on he tries to suppress the consequences of his experiments and wants to escape them by working in other sciences. Victor even withdraws from his friends and psychological changes are visible. Mary Shelley seems not to condemn the act of creation but rather Frankenstein’s lack of willingness to accept the responsibility for his deeds. His creation only becomes a monster at the moment his creator deserts it (1). Thus Frankenstein warns of the careless use of science – the book was written at an early stage of the Industrial Revolution, a period of dramatic scientific and technological advance.

This is still an important issue, even 200 years after the book was written. Taken into consideration what many inventions of the last 50 years brought upon mankind, one must assume that many scientists still do not care much. (E. g. the splitting of the atom was turned into nuclear bombs and the invention of the computer resulted in an eerie dehumanisation of our society). Most scientists seem to be like Victor Frankenstein, who finished his work in the prospect of achieving fame. Only when he realizes the repulsiveness of his creation, Victor comes to senses.

Intended as a warning, Victor tells his story to the polar explorer Walton: Social Historical and Cultural Context – what kind of things were happened at the time, social, historical, science cultural events that you can include. The romantic movement, one area the idea that people are interested in learning for themselves. People became interested in how they could restore the dead to life, historical events and scientific movements. Galvani – electricity, the frogs experiment. Don’t write a whole paragraph, include in various different things.

‘Frankenstein is obsessed with creating life this reflects historical events at the time such as Galvani who experimented on electricity with frogs. ‘ Language – extract quotations and talk about language, suggested areas – description, shelleys use of description, gothic imagery, gothic style, when he speaks to his creator for the first time the religious imagery and ‘I ought to be thou adam but I am sumit angel’ look at the differences with the monsters childhood description, nature and nurture, innocence compared to frankensteins – demons, wretch, devil.

Emotional language, referring to language in order to achieve top grades.