Frankenstein Novel Analysis - Research Paper Example

Number Frankenstein Novel Analysis Introduction The aim of this paper is to analyze the major elements in the novel with an aim of interpreting the theme of the book in general. The authors main aim of writing this book was to portray how evolving society embraced science and nature, and how these two aspects influenced the society and its inhabitants. The novel was written between 1816-1817 by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in both Switzerland and London. The book’s genre is about gothic science fiction and its major themes are science, nature, and the society (Bloom 61). The primary narrator in the novel is Robert Walton, who quotes Victor Frankenstein’s first-person narrative in his first letters. On the other hand, Victor quotes the monster’s first-person narrative as well as Elizabeth Lavenza. In addition, Alphonse Frankenstein chips in and narrates parts of the story through their letters to Victor. The book interpretation or analysis During the author’s time, the power of human reason through technology and science was a challenge to vast traditional principles of the world as well as man’s relationship with his creator and the nature within. The author was concerned about the use of knowledge for good or evil purposes, especially with the invasion of technology and science in modern life. The author was also worried about the impact of invented knowledge to the future generation. This concept explains why the book genre is about science fiction. More so, the books alternate title “the modern Prometheus”, explains the author’s emphasis on the upcoming scientific knowledge, a concept that the book’s title “Prometheus” holds, and meaning a somewhat stolen the idea of creation from God. Ideally, Shelley portrayed the effects of science or modernization by bringing out two characters whose quest for knowledge turned sour. The first character named Victor had already felt the effects of his knowledge creation after he created a monster that brought nothing but havoc and death. His fellow friend Walton was on his way to the North Pole to look for adventure in an unknown land. Since the first character had done his part of looking for knowledge after creating a monster, it was Walton’s turn to search for knowledge. This is when the author introduces Captain Walton, who writes a letter to his sister Margaret Saville. The letter describes a Robert Walton’s desire for knowledge to discover the native territory as his top priority. His quest for knowledge is unstoppable and he says; “One man’s life or death was but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race” (Shelly, Letter 4, p. 20). The quote depicts how Walton was willing to risk anything or even die for the sake discovery. The obsession of knowledge blinded Walton to the extent that Victor became concerned because Walton was ready to sacrifice anything that mattered to fulfill his desire. Victor’s concern is seen through his advice that asserts that, "You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been" (Shelly, Letter 4, p. 23). Victor was worried that his friend would follow his footsteps of searching for knowledge in the negative way, especially when considered that his experience in knowledge searching turn out negative. Prior to knowledge quest, the author brings in nature to balance how the two aspects coexist. Shelly depicts that natural environment or unperturbed nature was the only alternative to calm down human beings especially when the natural world has stripped an individual off the moral forte. This shows when Victor seeks solitude in the mountains of Switzerland and down the Rhine River in Germany, in pursuit of refreshing his soul and mind. This is evident when he says, “I climbed as high as the valley of Chamonix. There, a long- lost feeling of joy came over me from time to time as I watched the sun sparkle on the glacier all around me” (Francis and Shelly 15). However, he did not enjoy the peaceful nature for long before the monster he had created attacked him. This means that knowledge affects the natural world negatively because if Victor had not created the monster, he would have enjoyed his natural bliss for long. The author goes further to elaborate how the created knowledge not only affects the nature but also the society. The monster, which was Victor’s creation through scientific knowledge lies at the center of the action throughout the novel. First, the author wanted to depict that excessive knowledge is not good because Victor’s scientific knowledge disrupted the peaceful nature, just as the monster disrupted his quest for nature’s peace. This means that too much knowledge disrupt the peaceful nature that existed before the invention of knowledge. Secondly, the author wanted to show how too much knowledge affects the society and the people living in it. The novel shows the monster’s disturbance throughout, because it disturbed the major characters and even killing them. This means that not all invented knowledge helps the society to progress, but rather most of this invented knowledge through science and technology could be harmful when properly evaluated. In another note, the author aimed at portraying how improperly utilized knowledge yields to incomplete outcome. The creature is ugly and huge and above all he is feared by society not only because of his appearance but also because of its unnatural manner of creation, given that Victor created him; hence is a product of not only scientific efforts, but also dark supernatural workings. Literally, the monster is shunned away from the society, no one wants to see it, and when he tries to fit into the community, it cannot because it does not befit the social graces simply because of “devilish” look and character. The character who said that depicts this scaring look of the monster; “I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtains of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped... Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance" (Shelley Chapter 5). According to the author the ugliness, evil and the influence brought by the ugly monster depicts the woman of the author’s time, whose knowledge or evolvement would literary disrupt the men dominated society. The men at the time viewed women as unworthy vessels that had no position in the society they dominated. The men perceived that women were incapable of contributing to the progress of the society and thus why they faced extreme rejection. The monsters experience of rejection depicted how women were misunderstood and side looked by the male dominated society. This aspect resulted from the author’s view of gender marginalization basis because during her time they were few female writers in comparison to men in the writing profession (Boom 61). More so, and the upcoming female writers depended on men writers to accomplish their work because the women were not involved in any social progress and were left to learn on their own just like the monster had learnt by observing Delacy family behavior, social structure and other activities through a tiny hole. Hence, just like the monster learnt to analyze its own situations in life, the woman of the authors time followed suit, and that is why Shelly felt for the women by saying that “Fatherless and motherless, the monster struggles to find his place in human society, struggles with the most fundamental questions of identity and personal history. Alone, he learns to speak, to read, and to ponder "his accursed origins”. All the while, he suffers from the loneliness of never seeing anyone resembling himself" (Lederer et al 27). The men selfishly dominated the world and did not take time to understand the woman because she was seen as a threat to the society. Nevertheless, the author knew that just as most of the critics of the monster died leaving the monster to reign, so will the men’s marginalization, because the author seemed to see beyond the then eighteenth century by quoting that; “Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? He appeared at one time a mere scion of the evil principle, and at another as all that can be conceived of noble and godlike (Shelley 10)”. Therefore, though the author depicted the woman’s plight of marginalization during her time, she had a dream that a time would come for everyone to embrace knowledge as part of development and that it is through this embracement of knowledge that the woman would equally dominate the world alongside the man. Conclusion The author’s balance of nature, knowledge, and society are perfectly set apart with each aspect influencing the other. The main message the author wanted to portray was that knowledge of any sort was extremely crucial especially when properly utilized because if Victor had used his knowledge more appropriately by taking time to understand his creation, the society, the nature and the monster would have lived in harmony. However, the creators or most evolved creatures would later come to realize the importance of knowledge centuries later just as the author had depicted the importance of embracing knowledge for the sake of generations to come. . Work Cited Bloom, Harold. Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 2007. Print. Francis, Pauline, and Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. London: Evans, 2010. Print Lederer, Susan E, Elizabeth, Fee, and Patricia.Tuohy.Frankenstein: Penetrating the Secrets of Nature : an Exhibition by the National Library of Medicine. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 2002. Print. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. North Terrace, Adelaide: University of Adelaide, 2013. Print. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: or, the modern Prometheus. Oxford: Oxford University, 2006. Print. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Plain label books, 2012. Print Read More