“I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open…” This quote presents us with a terrifying situation for Frankenstein. The quote “…dull…” implies that this creature is not truly alive, that it should and technically still is dead and gives a religious message which implies that only God can give a person that life full glimmer in their eyes and that this should not be attempted by any other for fear of extreme consequences. This invokes great fear, a fear that if nature is tampered with terrible things will happen.
“I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! – Great God!” Now this quote isn’t widely regarded as frightening as some other quotes, but this is a very chilling quote in my opinion. “Beautiful – Great God!” When Shelley writes this, it really gives us the idea that only god can create things that are beautiful, that nature will intervene and destroy your efforts to create beauty “I had selected his features as beautiful.” and twist them into an abomination that will eventually destroy you. This, if interpreted in the right way, really brings Shelley’s message home that if you mess around with nature, it will turn all it’s efforts to destroying you with your own creation.
This quote, “… endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness. But it was in vain…” is a very disturbing quote.
Frankenstein is trying to rest, to take things off his mind but still a higher power will not let him. It seems that as long as he has betrayed nature, his monstrosity shall always be with him, constantly preventing him having any peace. This pushes along the message that you simply can’t mess around with nature; it will have its revenge and use what you have created as its minion to do so.
The next quote “…disturbed by the wildest dreams.” again implies what the last quote does, that nature will not let Frankenstein rest for he has defied God in creating life.
This quote can be interpreted in many ways, “…but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death…” this quote implies that whatever Frankenstein now holds dear, his friends and family, will now suffer for what he has done along with him. This does actually become true, as by the end of the book, all of Frankenstein’s family are dead! This could also be interpreted as that everything will seem to be dead for Frankenstein “…livid with the hue of death…” and that nothing will live for Frankenstein, that he may as well be dead for what he’s done. Two both very chilling sentiments to have to deal with.
The next quote presets the fact to Frankenstein that now he has created the monster, nature will struggle to be around him, “…dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced it’s way through the window shutters…” Frankenstein must realise that his life will no longer be the same now that he has committed such an act of treason against God and nature.
The quote “His jaws opened…” can be interpreted that the creature that Frankenstein created is primordial, animalistic and as such very dangerous but what’s even more shocking is “His…” this presents Frankenstein with a terrifying issue. This creature is technically human, yet inhuman at the same time. It is neither dead nor alive, it cannot be reasoned with for it is an animal yet has the intelligence of a human. That’s a terrifying concept; it instils the idea into the reader that somewhere in the world there could be a murderous beast with the appearance of a human, and of an ungodly nature.
This quote “I passed the night wretchedly.” implies that Frankenstein is linked to the “wretch” that he has created, this gives the idea that your worst fears will always be with you and that you are never truly safe for the monster can still destroy you from the inside.
