When Victor dabbled in the monster’s creation, he has violated the nature and nurture role of parents and child. Firstly, it is not of natural birth. Secondly, the creature is not related to him in blood. (Shelley,pp. 36,40) Thirdly, he did not nurture or casre for it as a father to a child, instead he sees it as a spectre and treated it badly, as he never expected his creature to be so hideous, eg. “his yellow skin”. (Shelley,pp.39,42) Fourthly, he abandons the creature rather than take social responsibility in its upbringing. Fifthly, the creature is not created to be beautiful so it could not integrate with society. As a result, the naïve caring creature turns monstrous against its creator. This is unlike God’s treatment of Adam, (Shelley pp.105,140-1; Allen,63,71) as seen from the creature saying “You are my creator, but I am your master-Obey!” Sixthly, he violated his promise and failed to create a mate for the creature, it resulted in a threat “I will be with you on your wedding night” (Shelley,pp140,141). Ultimately, the creature started to persecute members of his family. Victor was so distraught that he swore vengeance to the extent of becoming more deranged, which was noted by even his father. (Shelley, pp157) Victor not only made efforts to destroy the monster, he even enlist Walton’s help too.
To give the gothic novel a gothic and surreal mode to express the theme, Shelley used different characters narration to show third person singular account, letters with date and place shown (Allen, pp.63;Shelley, pp.5) Victor’s character has been darkened by his environment. Shelley created at atmosphere if fear through collection of body parts, describing the creature as 8 feet and hideous and situated his experiments in Ingoldstadt, which is described as a castle in a wild landscape as he stayed alone by himself. (Shelley pp36-39) There is also the eerie place mentioned of rummaging to collect an 8 feet creatures body parts. (Shelley,pp.36-37) This gothic and surreal mode used gave a more enhance realism and help create a feeling of fear, which would otherwise be rather unbelievable. (Allen,pp94,140.) After he agreed to the demand of a mate for the creature, he started to isolate himself again, such as staying on a little boat. (Shelley,pp.124)
Shelley gave her views n the scientific and political revolution by using her characters Frankenstein and the creature. Firstly, she denounces the French revolution, where the king was beheaded as a result of armed insurrection. She denounces democracy and supported regal control, as revolution is like a child going against their parents, even if there is a justifiable reason. She did it by showing Victor’s refusal to create a mate to the creature, despite being threatened. (Allen,pp.76,78,80) Secondly is Shelley showing support to racial division as a means of England’s consolidation of power in India in 1760’s instead of racial integration by having Victor’s ill-treatment of the creature. In the field of science, Shelley shared that being ambitious and going against the order of nature in the name of science. Instead people should seek happiness. (Shelley pp.186) If one is ambitious, it can lead to the consequences, such as Charles Darwin’s book “Origin of Species”, led him to face certain consequences.
Victor finally showed that he had developed morally, such as agreeing to give him a mate to show his “duties of a creator” (Shelley pp.121-2) He even took up civic responsibility by refusing to continue creating the creatures’s mate. This is in fear that the mate may be “ten thousand times more malignant” than the creature and the possibility of procreation of the creature’s offspring that could threaten the future of human just for his own benefit. (Shelley,pp 138) He even went to the extent of risking his family and personal safety and ultimately attempting to eliminate the creature to the extent that he died from sickness. He even asked Walton to help him get rid of the creature and when he realized that Walton’s ship was in trouble, he showed understanding and asked him to give up the chase. (Shelley pp.140-1,184-6)
After looking at how Shelley’s Frankenstein have shown how gothic and surreal modes that can mould an individual’s development, we do find certain similarities in a more down to earth version in Dicken’s Great Expectation. Unlike Victor Frankenstein, Pip started off as a naive child from a lower class family. From young, Pip lacks parental care and attention as his parents had died or proper guide from those around him. Thus his childhood is subjected to being denatured and corrupted. From young, his sister had ill-treated him, while his childlike brother-in-law did not give good guidance. Pip was even bullied by everyone except Joe during Christmas Eve dinner, except by Joe, into learning what is virtue. (Dickens, pp.8) So Pip grew up to be so sensitive that Magwitch could threaten Pip in a graveyard at a desolated Marsh landscape, to steal or pilferage from Joe and his inability to confess his misdeed and even align himself with the convicts. (Dickens,pp.3,8;Allen,pp.141;Said,pp.250)
As for the parent’s child relationship, unlike Frankenstein, Pip has a surrogate like parents such as Magwitch, and Miss Havisham, though they are unrelated to Pip by blood. However, Miss Havisham helps to pay for his apprenticeship with Joe. (Dicken, pp.6,15,99,104) However, Pip’s decision to changes his ambition to be a London gentleman than a blacksmith, unlike Frankenstein, is due to his the people around him. For example, Estella made him ashamed of his lowly status after calling him a “common labouring boy”. (Dicken,pp.59) As Pip took a fancy of Estella, he felt ashamed of his lowly status and wanted to be a London gentleman and gained Estella’s love. (Dicken,pp.88,104) In addition, Magwitch helped to sponsor Pip’s transformation into a gentleman, which Pip accepted as he dislike to work. (Dicken’s pp315) Pip, like Frankenstein, avoided family members like Joe and Biddy for fear of losing social status being associated with a lower class. However, he soon found out that his sponsor is Magwitch, a person whom he despised, he tried to send him off.
However, Pip, like Frankenstein, soon acquires moral development. For example, Pip acquires a sense of guilt for his treatment of his sponsor Magwitch, that he tried to help him to escape when Magwitch presence in England was discovered. With the capture of Magwitch, Joe being penniless was left in despair until Joe came to rescue him. (Walder, pp.152-3) Pip achieves greater moral development when Joe helped to pay for his debts and became like a father that Pip never had. Thus he sought forgiveness from Joe. (Dickens, pp,474-5) and even developed religiously by saying “God Bless this gentle Christian man”. (Dickens, pp.458) Ultimately, Pip realized the folly of being a false London gentleman. He avoids the danger of wealth and turns to hard work, manage his finances well and ultimately meet ends need. (Dickens, pp.474-5) He not only refuses Miss Havisham help when offered, despite knowing that he could soon be penniless. (Dickens, pp393) He even became selfless, like Victor Frankenstein, by saving her and thus injuring himself when she burnt herself. (Dicken’s pp.397)
In Great Expectation, Dickens showed the society where the attitude of Britain to Australia is that of less tolerance. That is why Magwitch return from Austalia upon beng discovered resulted in forfeiture of Magwitch property. As for business with the east, Pip success in his business signaled the arrival of British promotion of trade with the East. (Walder, pp162)
Counter Argument
Everyman has a right of a decision, so when the decision results in consequences, man should only have himself to blame. He cannot blame it on his environment just to justify his action. Secondly, Man has only himself to b
It is not right to say Victor has violated the parent child relationship by trying to kill the creature, as he has a greater role to play in save guarding the interest of society. However, the realism of the creature’s ability to develop so much knowledge and eloquence by himself in such as a short time is unbelievable and its ability to track down Frankenstein and his family to persecute them is questionable. As for Great Expectation, Pip being sponsored for his assumed kindness to Magwitch when he was young and the risk of property forfeiture to visit him is quite unbelievable. If these had been addressed, the realism of the novel would have somewhat risen in the eyes of the reader.
In Conclusion
Unlike Prometheus, Frankenstein did not seek to create life with noble intend. As a result, he paid a heavy price for violating the beauty of creation.
References
Dickens, C. (1998) Great Expectation. Oxford University Press. United States. New York
Shelley, M. (1998) Frankenstein. . Oxford University Press. United States. New York
Allen, R. (1995). Approaching Literature- The Realist Novel. The Open University. Routledge. London. Great Britain.(Chapter 3).
Walder, D. (1995). Approaching Literature- The Realist Novel. The Open University. Routledge. London. Great Britain.(Chapter 5).
Said, E. (1995). Approaching Literature- The Realist Novel. The Open University. Routledge. London. Great Britain.