Frankenstein Novel Critique - Essay Example

Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the conflict between the subordinate character—the monster and the dominant characters—human beings runs from the beginning to the end. The human beings are the dominant power because the society belongs to them, and they get to decide who’s accepted and who’s not. The behaviors of the monster trying to get involved to fit in with the human society is a reflection of human being’s dominant power and thus makes the monster subordinate. It sounds impossible for people in the 19th century to embrace a disfigured monster, despite the fact that he acts like the human. Through the novel, it looks like the mainstream remains its dominant power but, in fact, the subordinate monster in some way successfully threatens its stability. The author emphasizes the human beings’ mainstream power as dominant, and the monster fights to break away from his subordinate identity. However, the progress of recognizing his identity is gradual, and the first is through developing the relationship with nature. The monster comes to the forest soon after he was born, hears the birds tweeting, his heart filled with joy, sometimes even tries to imitate the pleasant songs of birds (71). Later he learns to distinguish various kinds of insects and herbs. This is his recognition of the nature. The monster’s mental state at the point is like a child, he regards himself as part of the nature, and he does not realize that he might be “human”. When he walks into the village, people are panic and flee with screaming just like Frankenstein. The monster is instead frightened by the people, and then comes to a conclusion that he must not be seen by people. The peacefulness and tameness of the monster are like animals in the forests, and he lives his life as the animals as well. He steals food from the people in the village when he is hungry just like mice. The monster compares himself to the donkey in his description “It was like the donkey and the lap dog, yet surely the gentle ass, whose intentions was affectionate—even if his manners were crude—deserved better treatment than to be beaten and cursed”. The monster remains a natural love and intimacy toward the nature. The first half of the novel narrates several times of the monster’s enjoyment of the beautiful scenery. Merely, through his mental development, just like many people, along with understanding more about the world, he develops more dissatisfactions and confusions likewise. The problem is, he is the part of the nature, and yet he has to go beyond the nature. It can be noted that the monster identifies human beings. Ever since the monster moves into a hovel adjacent to the De Lacey old man’s cottage, he starts to get in touch with humans. He learns the human language and manners, develops human’s various complex feelings and thoughts. He admires the perfect forms, grace and beauty of the cottagers (78), but at the same time realizes that he looked like a monster and filled with bitterest sensations. The monster imagines thousands of pictures of being accepted by De Lacey’s family, that he should first win their favor with “gentle demeanor and conciliating words” (79), and afterwards even win their love. The monster at this moment often refers himself to Adam, as a created man. Increase of knowledge only let him discovers what a wretched outcast he is (91). There is no Eve to soothe his sorrows, or share his thoughts (91). The monster’s thoughts and manners both meet human standard. Knowledge is his imaginary pass, yet he lacks the point everybody agrees, he does not look like a human. Therefore, he is labeled as “different” at the moment he was born, with this label the possibility of his acceptance from people is deprived long ago. The monster is desperate to overcome the isolation from outside world and himself. After De Lacey family moves, he burns their cottage with supercharged anger, which indicates that his spiritual development stagnates, moves towards spiritual destruction. More interesting, the monster’s mental path has some coincidences with the books that he finds in the wood. “Plutarch Lives” inspires him to “admire and love the heroes from the past ages” (89), this book represents the monster’s ideal in his subconscious mind; “Paradise Lost” allows the monster identify with Satan, foreshadows his later crazy revenge; “Sorrows of Wetter” predicts the monster’s final suicidal behavior. Acquiring the knowledge comes along with men’s fallen. In this novel, knowledge is a cost for both Frankenstein and the monster. Specifically, the spiritual falling of the monster shows at his attempt to take refuge in his “father”, adopts acts of destroying after he gets abandoned by the society, and finally the desire of death. An attempt to seek refuge in a father is a degenerate action in order to connect to parents’ embracement or orders. Those who want to stay in their parents arms are permanently dependent babies, once they have to leave their parents, they are filled with anxiety. Those who follow their parent’s orders might crawl forever under the domineering authority who gives orders, rewards, and punishments. The monster is infected by De Lacey’s family, he comes up with the thought several times that he should have a father: “I remembered Adam’s supplication to his Creator, but where was mine” (92)? The monster thought about Frankenstein after the family moved, wandered days to come to Frankenstein: “be not equitable to every other and trample upon me alone, to whom thy justice, and even thy clemency and affection are most due. Remember that I am thy creature: I ought to be Adam” (68). The monster wants a female as companion and promises that they can hide in South America. This is a way to get rid of loneliness and at the same time the plan of seclusion demonstrates that he is prepared to retreat from social live. The act of degeneration aims to destroy every human and object in order to get over the sense of isolation. If a man cannot create lives and love, then destruction also makes him surpass lives, this is the monster’s mentality. “Paradise Lost” makes the monster identify with Satan, he thinks “Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, But I am solitary and detested” (91). Following with his misfortune the feeling becomes stronger until he becomes a real Satan. At the night Felix strikes him out, the monster feels he is like Satan full of rage, “wished to tear up the tress, spread havoc and destruction around me” (95). The next day when he notices that the De Lacey family leaves, he burns their cottage in his wrath. From that time, he kills three human beings. Death is the monster’s final and most negative degeneration way, dominated by the desire of return to the matrix, the earth. The monster chooses to commit suicide on account of loneliness and desperation; the only person Frankenstein he can communicate is dead, although Frankenstein is his revenge target. Like said before, this might be under the influence of “Sorrows of Werter”: “I thought Werter himself a more divine being than I had ever beheld or imagined; his character contained no pretension, but it sunk deep.” “I did not pretend to enter into the merits of the case, yet I inclined towards the opinions of the hero, whose extinction I wept, without precisely understanding it” (89). And yet, the insistence of committing suicide is not only a degenerate human strategy, but also a return to rationality. In the end, the monster confesses his sins in front of Frankenstein’s body and finds there is no peace for him besides death. The regrets and sorrow of the monster are, in fact, is his identification and conversion towards the beauty part of human nature. There is no extreme evil and no truly happy character in Frankenstein; also there is no absolute dominant or absolutely subordinate character. Everyone is governed by his/her ideology, and no one can detach. Perhaps this is the tragedy of that period, the tragedy of Romanticism. The enthusiasm and advocate for irrational human emotions are against of rationality. But rationality itself could be a cage too. People should not be constrained by mainstream ideology, which could only lead to a break of human’s ability of criticizing and pushing beyond. The practice and existence of people are not determined, completed, closed, but rather than an always opened progress. We should encourage the subordinate group to stand out to share and give them a chance to shape our culture together. Read More