“I beheld the figure of a man… advancing towards me with superhuman speed. He bounded over the crevices in the ice, among which I had walked with caution; his stature… seemed to exceed that of man. This quote comes across as a beast overcoming humans. It seems unstoppable, unbreakable and invincible.
“Listen to my tale: when you have heard that, abandon or commiserate me, as you shall judge that I deserve. But hear me”. These articulate words from the Monster’s mouth shocked the daylight of Vector as this same creature could only murmur but not only that he had learnt to communicate and at least has the standards of his creator.
His isolation was more of a danger to himself, than, others, he needed some one of his kind, someone to love and companion with. Shelly’s statement of a superhuman shows no empathy was given to the monster therefore the monster could evolve even further and destroy a major proportion of nature. Her use of gothic genre shows how disturbing with nature could utterly reflect upon with the civilization.
Since Shelly’s time, science has become more dangerous and developed significantly. If she looked at science in modern terms, would she still be against interfering with nature? Science can be a risk but depending upon the level of sophistication. In the 1800s people living to be 45-50 but now life expectancy has increased. A part of her argument is carried through to the modern era. In Shelly’s opinion, transplants, cosmetic surgeries and treatments are ambiguous because they are all a risk to the natural order of things as well as being beneficial to people’s health. Vector Frankenstein took the creating life matter to extremes. She never faced a particular dilemma where up to date treatments can extend the length of lives. Marry Shelly could have been a member of the 20th century religion entitled the ‘Seventh Day Adventists’. This group believe that if they interfere with nature by using modern medical advances then their souls will be banished to hell for eternity.
The main scientific interests at that time was bringing things back to life and an experiment apparently was undertaken, where a piece of vermicelli was animated. In 1816 at Eton, Percy Shelly, Mary’s husband becomes interested in experiments with electric shocks, which caused the muscles of frogs to twitch. It is possible that Percy demonstrated the technique to Mary.
The monster was released from deep down in graves of departed souls just like the genie from the bottle. Once a will being is unleashed it cannot be put back in the bottle forever and the impact on the society and their memories cannot also put back in the bottle. While Vector was resurrecting a female monster his Id spoke and made him realise how the human race could be taken over by super beings. “A new species would bless me as its creator” this illustrates his first motivation was to become the leader of the new species but in time his “one thought” reversed. His creation would change nature; thy death is the only answer. In reality the ‘hydrogen bomb’ could elevate the sea over Mount Everest and endower the world by embossing its name by touching any surface. The scream would be sent out of the world and dust wouldn’t even settle in a thousand years. It will shake heaven and hell and death would be a plague upon mankind but its objective is only to bring harmony. Conversely, Frankenstein wanted to lead a new super king race that would bring a new world. The comparison between them shows they were both meant to be beneficial to mankind but both in truth became a danger to the human race.
It comes down to blood; we can never undo a creation but to lock away this hideous, vitreous mortal, death for both; the creator and the monster will need to be undertaken. Even after the deaths, the fear of one concept of the devil returning will be in people’s reminiscences. Shelly convicts, the more cautious you are in applying science, the happier the paradise you live in.
Frankenstein’s celestial creation devoted his whole life and as an individual consequences are proceeded. Initially he was horrified by the very look of the monster. He became dizzy with the immensity of his sins. The seizing view of “his yellow skin. Scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, his teeth of a pearly whiteness”. A more horrid contrast with “his watery eyes… and straight black lips”. This punishes his creation of the fretful wretch staring at him. “I had worked hard for nearly two years… but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room”. It was unbearable to look at, he was unsightly, scandalous, uncivilized my dream of beauty is a nightmare. This was just the start, the start of brutality.
The outcast of the world escaped on the pleasant world. Emotionally it affected his soul. He was unable to study and lay sick with terror about the monsters solitude. Another exhausting side effect came upon swift wind to what he had invented. A child, his brother who hasn’t met life yet but only just began his childhood. Murder of William his beloved brother, by the vile Monster; it was like a poison dagger touching his heart.
“…I suffered living torture. It was to be decided, whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of two of my fellow-beings: one smiling babe, full of innocence and joy; the other far more dreadfully murdered”.
These words from Vector were not only words but every syllable was dreadful.
This possibly was the worst ever thing could happen but no, a valued member of his family was to be blamed and knowing the perpetrator he was powerless. Justine was going to be executed for something, which Vector enforced. Who would believe his solitude, his creation? Who would believe such a story could possibility be true.
A magnified moral problem is between the matter of life and death. A mutant species could bring our natural life to an end. A choice had to be made, to be or not to be. If he, the creator of will beings satisfied the wretch’s desire of a female monster then he would be the monster that mankind would be after. If instructions by the powerful creature were not complied with then “I shall be with you on your weeding night”. The verdict of this threat is to show a serious tragedy will be inevitable in the future if the sanctity of the monster may not meet. This means he has no love relation. He needs companionship to end his desolation. This deprived his remaining life, until the day of his weeding night. The monster satiated his words and devastated the life of Victor by murdering Elizabeth. Furious, murderous, insane, lifeless wretch “ I fell senseless to the ground”. The emotional grief put Victor in a mental institute. No words could describe his agony, the incoming pain, mental pain is more demoralizing than physical pain. His emotions made him Scio. He felt like committing suicide and homicide. Now there is only one course of action – revenge. His “one thought, one conception and one purpose” had now switched and the only thing left was for him to end his creation, the beast with his bare hands.
Victors devoted his remaining life to end this paranormal creature. Finally the time came to put Frankenstein’s Monster; the genie back in the bottle where it belongs but not only that but Victor’s worthless life needed to be condemned. “I confess that it is the devouring and only passion of my soul. My rage is unspeakable when I reflect that the murderer, whom I have turned loose upon society, still exists”. This is Vectors debut, he made the monster from his bare hands and thereby he will destroy it with its bare tenders. The creator and the creation can be masked but the people of Geneva will always have the memories of the Monster. Shelly also put the idea across that you start with nothing and you finish with nothing. Hence, his greediness was an outcast to his life. Through her novel, Mary Shelly shows the readers potential dangers of science interfering with nature both globally and individually.
The brutality of this novel about the fact that people are born evil is a modern day quarrel that this belief is true. The monster was made up of body parts and organs of different people and turned into a monster through the combination of genes from unknown mothers, fathers, grandparents etc. Us as humans are all so made up of genes therefore he is completely human. The discussion about evilness inside can determine on the person. If the Monster’s facial characteristics were humanised then he would able to live ordinary human life.
Logically everyone has the potential to become a monster; therefore there is a monster inside of us. If this so-called monster is unleashed then it causes devastations, bad crimes, murders, etc. The monster is unusual; it comes over and out as temper but hardly ever steps out of boundaries as we have been through childhood unlike Frankenstein’s Monster. The theme suggests that anybody could become a major act in a criminal form but many would disagree with this statement. Shelly shows the effectiveness of the Monster but also shows it has intelligence.
The language of nature differs from Shelly’s use of dramatic language. Her use of language is taken to extremes, which emphasises the image. Her language of nature has different contrasts, at times the image is very tranquil and subtle but near a silent or crescendo scene the captured moment is sluggish.
“The abrupt sides of vast mountains were before me, the icy wall of the glacier overhung me; a few shattered pines were scattered around; and the solemn silence of this glorious presence- chamber of imperial Nature was broken only by the brawling waves.” The image from this brawl of nature shows hatred is captured in the surroundings.
Dramatic language shows the intensity, it makes you twitch, it makes to understand the grudge but also it says crawl in my skin and feel what I feel, weep when I weep.
“CURESD, CURSED CREATOR! Why did I live? Why, in that instant did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed? My feelings were those of rage and revenge”. The motions behind this show how distributed and horrifying spark turned into exploding flames. The first three words mask the dramatic sense; it feels like they were driven out from the oesophagus in the gravest tone of voice.
Religious language was also part of Shelly’s way of describing the fretfulness and sanctity of characters. The meaning of religion was a great passion in Shelly times.
“I did confess; but I confessed a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins”. Religious language was defined to be the power of all. It shows only God, you must pray to him and only him, it shows there is no other way for salvation.
A way of showing emotions and likewise the elements behind those emotions is illustrated by similes. It accumulates the emotions and explains it by using the surroundings atmosphere.
“Elizabeth also wept, and was unhappy; but her’s also was the misery of innocence, which, like a cloud that passes over the fair moon, for a while hides but cannot tarnish its brightness”. Wept and unhappy doesn’t suggest the strength of fear but the moon hiding behind clouds still shows its brightness. Using a simile can convey the point deeply.
To personify an object to give human characteristics shows the resemblance between the objects and humans.
The pines are not tall or luxuriant, but they are sombre, and add an air if severity to the scene”. A sad person gets smaller, their heads drops down they are like a pine hard and sombre.
Shelly uses poetic language but in an exclusive way. Poems in the middle of chapters allow the story to move forward in time. Each word has a great shadow behind it; they have control over the situation.
The 1931 edition of Frankenstein is sub-titled ‘The Modern Day Prometheus’. The Greek mythology says that gods existed before mankind and they were the leader to heaven and hell. Zeus was the leader of all gods who had the power of insensibility. Prometheus at that time was a minor God who had less power over the world. His ambitions were different and so he distinguished humans from animals by talking the qualities from animals and donating them to humans. Due to his action he was banished for many years. This was the worst possible chastisement received in Gods. Prometheus and Victor have the same ordeal who both; tried to create super humans but in Victor’s case the punishment was the death of him and his beloved family. Gods are meant to be infallible and logically this would suggest if Victor succeeded then he would have the attributes of a god:
The world is deeply disturbed,
by the dusk of the reckless creation,
as the ruthless solitude is adhered.
The enforcement of darkness masks nation.
Nightmares begin as graves settle
The shadowy figure appears at bedtime in their shelter.
Death games come in darkness from hell.
Lead me to under siege; to help her.
Lay in terror or fear
both; are your greatest defeat.
Death is closer than you can hear.
Help me; save me; from this heat.