Frankenstein Paper - Book Report/Review Example

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein novel. The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a ical work of literature that belongs in the genre of Gothic horror. It tells the story of a scientist called Dr Frankenstein, who makes a creature out of various body parts and brings it to life using some mysterious new technology. The structure of the book is interesting because it puts the main story inside an opening and closing section that is set on a ship. In fact the book moves back and forth between time periods in rather confusing way, so that the reader has to work out what the chronological order of events actually is.

The main message of the book appears to be that science is an exciting but dangerous new discovery, and that men are not yet able to take responsibility for what they can create. The character of Dr Frankenstein is introduced as a lonely individual out on the ice of the North Pole, being rescued by a ship’s captain Mr Walton. His strange appearance and very worried attitude is due to the fact that he is searching for his created creature who has fled to the far north. Gradually he tells his story, describing how the creature was terribly ugly, and how he rejected and neglected him, calling him names like “abhorred monster” (chapter 10) and “devil”.

In the middle of the book there is a scene on a mountain top where Dr Frankenstein and the monster discuss what has brought them together, and the monster pours out his anger and disappointment, saying “Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel.” (chapter 10). The monster only wants to have a share in the good things of life, like having the love of his creator, and fellowship with another creature just like him. Dr Frankenstein does not allow this, however, and turns his back on the very being that he brought to life.

The book ends where it began, with the ship’s captain reporting on the death of Dr Frankenstein. The fate of the creature is uncertain, since he is still raging, and wandering around the North Pole, possibly grieving the loss of his creator, and possibly also plotting to kill himself or to have revenge on human beings. He is, to the end, a pitiful and also dangerous creature. It is possible to read the book as a metaphor of the destructive power of science to create things with good intentions which turn out to have very dangerous consequences.

During the period when this book was written, in the early nineteenth century, modern science was still in its infancy, and forces like electricity and disciplines like chemistry and biology were only just being discovered. Mary Shelley presents a prophetic vision of what can happen as a result of science. Looking back at her work with a modern perspective, in the light of inventions like the atom bomb and biological warfare, it seems that she was right. New technology can be dangerous. Her depiction of the monster can also serve as a warning against thoughtless exploitation of such experimental work as cloning and genetic research.

Human beings have a history of inventing things that they cannot control, and Frankenstein is a constant reminder of this uncomfortable and frightening thought. ReferencesShelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Available at: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/84/84-h/84-h.htm