Relationship problems?
Being rejected from your family or friends can hurt and make you feel like you did something. It is even worse when you were created as an experiment and your creator runs away terrified. In the famous Romanticism novel, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, it shows how this man-made monster gets rejected by his own creator and society. although the monster is not the only rejected by society or his family. For my romanticism class, we had to read Frankenstein and it was my first time reading it. I was a bit nervous reading the story because I only it was about a scary looking monster and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy reading the book. But the more we talked about the book and a discussion whether we do feel sympathy for the creature. This question opened my mind to other books from the science fiction genre like The Giver by Lois Lowry, where the protagonist from the story doesn't really fit in their dystopian world and are pushed away from society and their family. The creature and Jonas, from The Giver, are stuck living in a world where their emotional needs are pushed away and are rejected by those around them. But the main focus of this project will be on Frankenstein.
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelly's inspiration for Frankenstein, is said to be inspired by a summer vacation she had with her husband and friend. They were all telling scary stories and she was challenged to write a ghost story. Ever since that infamous night. Mary had a nightmare with and she woke up with a monster for her story. The story of this famous monster is still talked about 200 years after its debut. Mary created a story that would be considered one of the first science fiction books. Frankenstein was published in 1818 anonnmysly.
The question of life
Victor Frankenstein was a college student that was became obsessed with the creation of life and death. He decided to take philosophy classes to expand his knowledge of life. Victor questions "One of the phenomena which had peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human frame, and, indeed, any animal endued with life. Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed? It was a bold question, and one which has ever been considered as a mystery; yet with how many things are we upon the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries"(50-51). He wonders how we came to be and what is the purpose of our life. Why hasn't anyone experimented with the theory and what exactly is stopping us from testing that theory. I think Victor is bold is asking that type of question.
The Creation
Once Victor starts to inspect the human behavior , he has an idea of experimenting with life and starts working on this project that keeps him occupied for two years. This shows the dedication he has for this experiment. Now that his hard work has paid off and now we see the creation scene of this thing. The scene is a depressing November night, "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips"(58). The creature's creation is both horrific but amusing. How can this man have done this all on his own and hide it from everyone. The humanistic details of this monster demonstrates how much attention Victor gave to his creation. He could have made him all ugly with missing limbs but Victor did not want that. He played God by creating this monster in his own eyes and gave him life but once the monster wakes up, Victor regrets his work.
The Regret
After the monster has came alive, he regretfully says, "He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard be longing to the house which I inhabited, where I remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to announce the approach of the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life"(59-60). Now Victor has abandon his creation and decides to run away leaving it behind alone. I think Victor is a coward for he has done. He could destroyed his creation when it came alive but out of fear and regret, he runs away. Victor didn't even attempt to stay and see what he could do with this monster. Victor abandoning his child, in a way, has ruined a potential relationship they may of had. The monster has now been disregarded by his own and now he will have to live in a society, unwarted and hated by everyone.
Reunited at Last?
The monster has searched everywhere for his owner and at least when they are reunited, their reunion doesn't go so well. Frankenstein tries to fight with the monster but it is much stronger than him. The creation cries out to Victor saying, "I am thy creature, and I will be even mild and docile to my natural lord and king if thou wilt also perform thy part, the which thou owest me. Oh, Frankenstein, be not equitable to every other and trample upon me alone, to whom thy justice, and even thy clemency and affection, is most due. Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.'(115). The monster is pleading with Victor, asking why he abandoned him. Why spend two years creating this monster and leaving him behind with no answer? I love when the creature compares himself to Adam. God made man and did not abandon him even when he sinned. So why did Victor do that to his own creation? If he was ashamed of his monster, why didn't he kill him? The creature asking for happiness and a relationship is interesting because what did he know about love, joy or being good. How was the monster able to have feelings when he left behind? It shows how desperate he was to meet his creator and say why did you abandon me. The monster is like a child wanting to be accepted by his only family yet he is not.
The video above shows the care and love the man gave the monster. Although he was blind and couldn't see how hideous the creature was, the man took him in still. The old man talks to the creature whiteout judging him and nurtured him as if he were his son. The demon perhaps didn't deserve all this attention and care but someone was willing to help him. I think that is what the monster craved the most from Victor, someone that was going to be there for him as a father figure and nurture him. Unfortunately in the book, the old man's children arrive to the house and kick the monster out. Now it is left abandon again and once again seeks his creator.
the betrayal
The creature has found Victor one more time and now is questioning if Victor will take him back one more time. The creature tells Victor that he searched for him and spent many nights alone questioning his purpose in life. Why be made as a companion if he was going to be abandon in the end. Why walk and search for hundreds of miles for a creator that left him? It shows the human side of the thing. He wants someone to be there him, to accept and take care of him. The monster confesses he wants a companion for himself and demands Victor to make him a wife. The thing says, "I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my archenemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred. Have a care; I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth.’(175). He will destroy Victor's relationship for his own happiness and he does. He murders Victor's wife and it depresses Victor. Victor again regrets all he done and now has no choice but to kill his creation.
The final goodbye
Victor has been on the run trying to get the monster and avenge the people the monster had killed. Unfortunately he gets lost at sea alone and is barely alive when he gets rescued. Victor tells the captain of the boat that rescued him, his life story and dies without killing his creation. The captain does not believe but one day the monster is found inside Victor's cabin. The monster regrets all the murders he had committed and now cries for the death of his creator. The creature mourns saying ,"‘Farewell! I leave you, and in you the last of humankind whom these eyes will ever behold. Farewell, Frankenstein! If thou wert yet alive and yet cherished a desire of revenge against me, it would be better satiated in my life than in my destruction."(276). He now wishes Frankenstein would have killed him. Now he has to kill himself and hope that he will be able to die peacefully. I think this is such a sad ending. All he wanted was to be accepted and love but he never was. he had to live many years in misery and in th end for him to kill himself. What a tragic story.
Credits:
Created with images by Majid Rangraz - "Catch the light" • Archivist - "Frontispiece illustration from Frankenstein. Date: first published 1818"