Frankenstein Chapter 5

Authors Avatar

Frankenstein; Chapter 5

In the few moments after the creature has been brought to life, Frankenstein realises that he has been deluding himself; he did recognise that the creation was not as beautiful as he wished it to be whilst he was putting the body parts together. However, once life was instilled in his creation he realised that it was truly ugly. “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?”

     His most immediate response is running away from the creature. He escapes to his bedroom where he has a dream. Here his subconscious mind responds to the horrors of the sight he has just witnessed. The body of Elizabeth turning into his mother’s rotting corpse is interpreted in various ways. It may show guilt, pre-eminently at neglecting his family for so long; it may also represent guilt at going into charnel houses and graveyards. The images of the grave worms in the dream show that the experience had a profound effect on his imagination. His imagination could be expressing itself in the nightmare because of its lack of use due to the dominance of the scientific and rational side of Frankenstein’s mind.

Join now!

     The feminist view is also relevant, stating that the dream represents his crime against both the feminine principal of the mother and birth-giver, and against nature, which is often portrayed as feminine. This also signifies that Frankenstein’s response is one of guilt.

     Frankenstein wakes, escaping the nightmare of his dreams but entering the nightmare of reality. The creature is almost childlike in its behaviour, but from the moment he wakes Frankenstein negatively interprets the actions of the creature. “He muttered some inarticulate sounds”, “one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me.” His inarticulate sounds are ...

This is a preview of the whole essay