In your view how do you think Mary Shelley wanted her readers to respond to the character of Frankenstein?

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FRANKENSTEIN

In your view how do you think Mary Shelley wanted her readers to respond to the character of Frankenstein?

Justify your response by use of quotation and by close reference to the text and any relevant background information.

Mary Shelley is an author who wrote the novel of Frankenstein. Mary Shelley herself in her life, experienced many deaths of close friends and family. When she was first born her mother died, furthermore Mary had a baby, who died 12 days later and her husband Percy Shelly drowned. Maybe it was these experiences, which led Mary Shelley to write such a novel of great horror published in 1818. Frankenstein itself is called ‘the modern Prometheus’. Prometheus in Greek myth stole fire from Zeus and gives it to humanity but was then eternally punished by Zeus. In the Latin version Prometheus created man from clay and water. Victor Frankenstein is seen as a modern Prometheus as he rebels against nature by making an unnatural man because he would be of benefit to mankind and he is then punished by his creation.

Frankenstein is an account of the life of Victor Frankenstein as related to him by the British sailor, Robert Walton, by whom he has been found on the ice floats of the Antarctic Ocean. Frankenstein, when first introduced, is weak and worn. ‘Only one dog remained alive on entering the vessel Frankenstein faints’. Walton says he has never seen a man in such a ‘wretched condition’. This description makes us evoke sympathy for Frankenstein. It shows something bad has happened in the past and it is this that makes the reader want to read on. Rubbing Frankenstein with Brandy, Walton manages to revive him and so they wrapped him up in blankets and put him near the fire. This shows Frankenstein is in a bad state. When one of the sailor says ‘Here is our captain and he will not allow you to perish on the open sea’ Frankenstein probably saw himself in the captain as he himself wanted to stop death. This is an admirable quality although it is this idea, which puts Frankenstein in this position.

When someone shows an act of kindness towards him, his whole countenance lights up. This is probably because all of his friends and family have died.

Walton fears for Frankenstein, as he says,

‘Two days passed before he was able to speak and I often feared that his sufferings had deprived him of understanding’. Even without knowing Frankenstein’s full story Walton knows he has been through a lot and this makes the reader appreciate this. Walton sees Frankenstein as a companion equal in ambitions. Walton confides his dream with Frankensteien although he responds in dismay, as it was an ambition and a dream, which drove Frankenstein to near destruction.

On the way Walton saw a being of gigantic proportions. A question which comes into the readers mind is ‘what was the human-like creature?

The reader feels involved and it as if we have been placed in the character of Walton and we want to know what the source of Frankenstein grief is.

As a young boy living in Geneva Frankenstein dreamed of discovering new things. He had all the facilities and money and one day wanted to banish disease from human frame and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death. This is an admirable quality and the reader feels great interest on Frankenstein part. He can be seen as a heroic quester after knowledge, refusing to accept limitations, seeking to benefit humanity.

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When his mother dies, it seems she took with her the illusion in which Frankenstein thought he had control. Now Frankenstein is left with the sad fact that the sound of a voice so familiar and dear to the ear can be hushed never more to be heard. These descriptions by Mary Shelley make us feel sorry for Frankenstein and it is this that drives him to this project of discovering a way to prevent death. A quotation, which supports this is, ‘he wished to pour a tolerance of light into our dark world’. This put the readers curiosity ...

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