Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley was written at a time of great change and controversy
Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley was written at a time of great change and controversy. Mary Shelley was a member of a group called the Romantics. They were writing and discussing changes in life, particularly in terms of science and technology.
Science and controversy were progressing hugely at the time, and the Romantics were writing about what could materialize.
This is when Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, as the professor, Victor was medalling with science and technology and the monster was the consequence. Mary Shelley is showing the abysmal ways, in which science and technology can change people's lives. It is not always good to medal in the unknown. Mary Shelley readers, who were backing the changes, may now feel let down and disappointed in now knowing the disadvantages, the changes would spark off. For example in the novel, the progression was the monster. However he was attacked and cast out of society. The citizens in the novel who attacked the monster, may well be the people in real life who stand up for the changes not taking place. Whereas, the people who left the monster alone, may have not minded the changes taking place.
Chapter 5 starts off by giving the reader an image of the weather; "on a dreary night..." straight away this sets the scene for things to come.
Virtually straight after Victor gives a clarification of the monster that he has created. There are many quotes that underline this, "dull yellow eye of the creature," "lifeless thing," "shrivelled complexion," and "yellow skin."
However, there is a quote, which really strikes me "hair was lustrous black," and "straight black lips." Both of these two quotes I feel resemble death because of the word black. The death then relates to hell. I think that hell is a very powerful word. At this moment I feel no sympathy for the monster, as his features explained by Victor are hideous and inhuman. However, I feel sympathy for Victor because he was trying to be famous by exploring science and technology, but it all went very wrong.
In chapter 5 Victor describes his feelings in great intricacy. "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe." I believe Victor is so astounded by what he has created, that his feelings are too immense and cannot be expressed. Victor had dreamt of becoming a great and famous scientist, and making this monster was the answer to his dreams. How wrong was he? He shows his emotions about this as well, "beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." Here I feel sympathetic towards Victor and none for the hideous beast, he ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
In chapter 5 Victor describes his feelings in great intricacy. "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe." I believe Victor is so astounded by what he has created, that his feelings are too immense and cannot be expressed. Victor had dreamt of becoming a great and famous scientist, and making this monster was the answer to his dreams. How wrong was he? He shows his emotions about this as well, "beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." Here I feel sympathetic towards Victor and none for the hideous beast, he had created. This is because all Victor wanted was to succeed in his life and the monster has ruined his chances of that. However, it was Victor who created the monster, so in theory this is his own fault.
Right at the end of chapter 5, the weather is described as being "a divine spring." I deem this to relate to the monster, having a new start in life. Spring is a start to the happy and bright seasons, a new start. This is what the monster wanted.
Chapter 10 commences with Victor explaining about his day. "I spent the following day roaming..." Victor in this chapter expresses his feelings a great deal. Victor is describing the scenery and relating to his thoughts. There is a quote that really emphasises this. "They did not remove my grief, they subdued and tranquillised it." I feel this quote really shows that Victor cannot forget what he has created but just try and take his mind of the monster by thinking of other things. The monster will always be playing on his mind.
There are many references to the word 'mist'. For example, "thick mists," "misty veil" and "mists were rising." I have come to the conclusion that the mist is setting the atmosphere and scene for something bad to happen.
About a quarter of the way through chapter 10, Victor is portraying the environment and nature around him, "wandering spirits, if indeed ye wander..." Victor is talking about natural things. Straight after he portrays this, he spots the monster advancing towards him at "super-human speed." The monster is not natural. This is a huge contract, between natural and unnatural phenomena.
The monster has found Victor. "Mist" has been brought up in the sentences again, "a mist came over my eyes." The repetition of mist did set up something horrible to happen for Victor.
The two characters get talking, hurling insults at each other, "devil," and "vile insect." These are Victor's words thrown at his own creation. However, the monster doesn't become agitated or hurt instead he exclaims, "I expected this reception." This gives a feeling that the monster agrees with Victor.
The monster I feel bribes Victor, as he says "If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them (his family and friends) and you at peace," I feel a little sympathetic for the hideous creation because all he wants is a companion and friend to have of his own. But if he does not get this, he will make Victor pay a huge sum.
Towards the end of chapter 10, I feel even more sympathy for the monster, as he explains to Victor that he has suffered enough. "Have I not suffered enough, that you seek to increase my misery." The creature doesn't want Victor to make him more miserable, he has been miserable enough. This misery has come from the attacks, loneliness and all the ridicules spat at him from his fellow man.
Right near the closing of chapter 10, the monster calls himself Satan. "But I am rather the fallen angel." The monster now has no self-belief or enthusiasm for life.
Everyone hates the monster, including himself, so he lives and hangs out where men do not go, he can talk to the mountains and they talk back (echo). "They spurn and hate me. The Desert Mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge." I have huge amounts of sympathy at this point, because I finally see how alone he is. The only person that talks to him is his own echo, bouncing off the vast mountains.
At the beginning of chapter 11 the monster is talking about the senses on the human body. "Multiplicity of sensations seized me, and I saw, felt, heard and smelt at the same time." My perception of this is that the monster has come so far in his loneliness and horrid life, at first he could not talk, could not hear, and could not do anything when Victor had first created him. But now he has the senses all working together. The monster in my eyes has learnt so much.
This chapter is in the eyes of the monster and he is telling the story.
About half way through the chapter, the monster states how he was cast out of society and attacked. "I had hardly placed my foot within the door before the children shrieked, and one women fainted." I feel great sympathy for the monster here because he had done nothing wrong and still he is alone and rejected.
The monster is treated like an animal and is forced to take refuge in 'a hovel' just like an animal. "Fearfully I took refuge in a hovel."
In this chapter, the monster follows and lives next to a small family in the woods. He watches them through a small hole and lives in a sty shared with pigs.
The sympathy I feel from now on in this chapter has greatly increased, as he had done the further I read into the book. "The aged cottager won my reverence, while the gentle manners of the girl entices my love..." For the first time we finally see, that the monster can express his feelings. The monster is watching the family expressing their feelings for each other and caring for each other, he does not have this. It's something that he wants to have and experience so badly.
Virtually at the end of chapter 11, there is a contrast and a real blast of sympathy. The contrast is between old and young. "Nothing could exceed in beauty the contrast between these two excellent creatures..." I believe that the young and old contrast links emphatically to the monster learning and maturing. When he was first created (young) he didn't know much or could not do anything. But now he can feel and do everything (old).
The last enormous feeling of sympathy that I feel for the monster is when night falls and the family go to bed, he is left alone in his sty, thinking about what he has seen that day "the setting of the sun did not put an end to the pleasure I experienced in watching my human neighbours." This is so intriguing and emotional, although he is still alone and cast out of society, he can still feel happy. This happiness comes from the human family he is spying on.
To conclude I do see the monster as a sympathetic figure. I think this is because I have looked at the amount of times I have and have not felt sympathetic towards him.
The times I sympathise for him far out way than when I felt unsympathetic towards him.
All the times I don't sympathise with the monster is when Victor is describing his features and actions, "black lips" etc. This is unsympathetic as Victor only tells of the bad things and not of his emotions and feelings. Whereas, the times I felt sympathy for him is all the times when he shares emotions and tells of how he is ridiculed and cast out of society, "divine sounds that had enchanted me in the morning." This shows he has feelings; human feelings and he can express them.
I think the main message or moral of the story is that "you shouldn't judge a book by its cover" and that "looks and appearance are not always what they seem." The monster was judged and he hadn't done anything wrong, he just wanted to be accepted for what he was and wanted just one companion that would accept and love him for what he was. Although the monster looked different, inside he had the same emotions and feelings as any other human being.
