Dominant Themes in Frankenstein - Term Paper Example

Frankenstein is atypical in the litany for a to produce an archetypal character. Most scribes spend their entire careers in search for an audience that would simply embrace their work. They never envision that through imagination and invention there is still a way wherein myth can be fashioned or icon through mere words. The dominant image of the Frankenstein monster from Mary Shelly’s memorable novel has always been a source of inspiration. The main theme that is ever prevalent is life and death. This pursuit of knowledge is found in Frankenstein and Victor, for Victor knowledge was the surge beyond the acceptance of human limits and the access to the secret of life while for Frankenstein knowledge was viewed in a manner that would make humans accept him as he was. The monster due to his grotesque appearance is rejected by society and therefore becomes an integral part of the action. Why grotesque? Victor creates this monster from his unnatural manner of his creation which entails the mystifying animation which is a combination of embezzled parts of a body with bizarre chemicals. Therefore one can state that the monster is a combination of scientific work which enfolds the dark and the supernatural. Does not this description fit Victor too? Victor the creator also exhibits monster qualities. His aspiration, mystery and egocentricity kind of estrange him from society and his family. His creation of the monster also creates a monster within himself for eventually Victor is consumed by hatred for his creation. Abortion an ever prevalent occurrence wherein the innocent is mercilessly killed is still found in today’s world. This abortion can also be witnessed in Victor as well as the monster who express the monster’s gruesomeness. Victor looks at his creation he states “When I thought of him, I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed, and I ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly made”. The monster who hates himself cries out “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.” This idea of abortion can also be traced to Victor’s destruction of the female monster wherein Victor aborts the act of creating the female counterpart of the monster. An explanation can be found in Victor’s description of philosophy “I at once gave up my former occupations; set down natural history and all its progeny as a deformed and abortive creation; and entertained the greatest disdain for a would-be science, which could never even step within the threshold of real knowledge.” (Shelly, 1818). Comparison can be traced with Adam and Eve. The question that arises is what would have happened if Eve was not created? No doubt Adam would have continued to live in the Garden of Eden in a total state of innocence. Perhaps then there would not have been the committing of original sin and there would not have been the creation of Frankenstein. This state of the sublime natural world that is witnessed in Romanticism expresses an individual’s emotional experience which transcends into spiritual renewal. And this state can be witnessed in Victor who mourns and feels responsible for the death of William and Justine, travels to the mountains for renewal of spirit. Similarly after winter of cold the monster welcomes spring. “Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay, To mould me Man, did I solicit thee, From darkness to promote me? (Shelly, 1818) I guess till date there are many who keep asking this question of being created and undergoing pain and suffering. These lines also appear in John Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ wherein Adam laments his state of sin. Similarly the monster understands that he is a tragic hero and compares himself to Adam state of sin. Both Adam and the monster are dejected by their creator. But a certain difference can be drawn for Adam was created in the state of no sin but in the state of total innocence. It was because of Satan’s temptation to eat the forbidden fruit that caused sin to befall Adam and mankind. But for the monster from the very beginning of his creation did his master Victor detest him and rejected him from the very beginning. “So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation” (Shelly, 1818) These words uttered by Victor forms the basis of humanity search for the truth-truth towards fulfillment of life or truth that leads to destruction. Acquisition of knowledge ignites the passion and thirst in man for the ever pervading knowledge augments that mankind becomes magnificent. "The ancient teachers of this science," said he, "promised impossibilities, and performed nothing. The modern masters promise very little; they know that metals cannot be transmuted, and that the elixir of life is a chimera. But these philosophers, whose hands seem only made to dabble in dirt, and their eyes to pore over the microscope or crucible, have indeed performed miracles. They penetrate into the recesses of nature, and show how she works in her hiding places. They ascend into the heavens: they have discovered how the blood circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe. They have acquired new and almost unlimited powers; they can command the thunders of heaven, mimic the earthquake, and even mock the invisible world with its own shadows” (Shelly, 1818) These words also formed the crux for Victor’s enhancement and charge of knowledge that lead to the creation of the monster. “A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind, and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquility. I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule.” (Shelly, 1818) This thirst for knowledge and power that envisions Victor declares “for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body.” A very bold and repulsive adventure that was undertaken by Victor wherein the animal in Victor is portrayed and which finds the making of another animal-the monster. “…..my attention was the structure of the human frame, and, indeed, any animal endued with life. Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed? To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death.” (Shelly, 1818) The established idea is that Victor was intrigued by life and death and through his experiment indeed wanted to deal with infusion of life. Victor experiment led to the creation of the monster who due to his horrifying appearance was rejected by his master Victor and mankind. “The Monster clearly understands his position in the world, the tragedy of his existence and abandonment by his creator, and is out to seek either redress or revenge.” (Shelly, 1818) The monster also requested Victor to create a female monster who would be his companion. “For the first time, Victor starts to realize that what he has created is not merely the scientific product of an experiment in animated matter but an actual living being with needs and wants.” Soon the monster becomes human because he learns to study and feel emotions. “He also learns about the pleasures and obligations of the family and of human relations in general, which deepens the agony of his own isolation”. These emotions lead to the monster requesting for a female. “The monster tells Victor that it is his right to have a female monster companion. Victor refuses at first, but the monster appeals to his sense of responsibility as his creator. He tells Victor that all of his evil actions have been the result of a desperate loneliness. He promises to take his new mate to South America to hide in the jungle far from human contact. With the sympathy of a fellow monster, he argues, he will no longer be compelled to kill.” (Shelly, 1818) “While working one night, Victor begins to think about what might happen after he finishes his creation. He imagines that his new creature might not want to seclude herself, as the monster had promised, or that the two creatures might have children, creating “a race of devils . . . on the earth.” In the midst of these reflections and growing concern, Victor looks up to see the monster grinning at him through the window. Overcome by the monster’s hideousness and the possibility of a second creature like him, he destroys his work in progress.” (Shelly, 1818) “Just as the monster, a product of knowledge, spins out of Victor’s control, so too can knowledge itself, once uncovered, create irreversible harm.” (Shelly, 1818) This forms the crux of the entire philosophy of man and knowledge and his survival in the world. The ending finds the monster killing everyone in Victor’s family as an act of revenge and when Victor dies the monster “"Farewell! I leave you, and in you the last of human kind whom these eyes will ever behold. Farewell, Frankenstein! If thou wert yet alive, and yet cherished a desire of revenge against me, it would be better satiated in my life than in my destruction. "I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly, and exult in the agony of the torturing flames. The light of that conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds. My spirit will sleep in peace; or if it thinks, it will not surely think thus. Farewell.” (Shelly, 1818) Mary Shelly proposed a very sad, heart breaking and emotional ending to Frankenstein. Utilizing imagination one can change the ending of Frankenstein. Victor creates the monster and shouts “EUREKA”. But the monster is horrifying in appearance. Science and experiments combined with human knowledge and thought can evolve the unimaginable. But not all in the world are beautiful, thinks Victor, as long as their heart is like gold. Therefore Victor filled with emotions and inspiration begins to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of his creation. Victor understands that his creation is under his control similarly to a human emotions and movements being controlled by the brain. Victor spends months and years perfecting his creation as well as teaching and providing knowledge for the monster to incorporate in his mind. Having accomplished the perfection of his creation, Victor now decides to show the world his masterpiece wherein he proclaims that his experiment proposed to control life through death. Victor thus begins to inform everyone about his experiment and advertises that on a particular date he would show the world his design. In every human being there is dire as well as good. So even though a monster is considered as an evil person, still behind all the ghastliness, there is a human being that has feelings and emotions. Victor tells the monster “You are a God. You are not evil. You are good.” The invitation distributed to one and all reads “Tonight only Victor Presents The Creation” A Startling new experiment In Reanimation which proves that a monster also is entitled to fun and that most experiments are successful. Let’s imagine all the guests have arrived and the time to begin has come. Smoke effect pervades the atmosphere which characterizes the uncertainty and doubt in every individuals mind. Victor appears but his facial expressions portray a sense of hesitation. His eyes are highlighted in a manner which expresses doubt about the future occurrences that is to take place. Victor takes a fleeting look around him. Victor’s face gives the architect a prominent place and his words a weight of significance. Victor begins “I began an experiment, though skeptical it may sound an experiment to prove the reanimation of dead tissues.” This stage would find the audience laughing for they all think that Victor has gone crazy and they all mention to his father “your son is sick”. Imagine ‘reanimation of the dead’. But this does not hinder Victor and uninterrupted he says “mere impossible indeed. No doubt what I have done might be possible towards the gateway to immortality”. These words proclaim and portray Victor quest for knowledge and his search for the essence of existence and demise. Victor proclaims “All of us are not broods nor are we scientist”. No doubt this enhances that the time spent on the experiment was somber and not child’s play. Further the fact that is established is that life, love and laughter is the quintessence of existence. Why does Victor emphasize that fact of utilization of valuable time and effort? Perhaps Victor is apprehensive on the reaction of the people towards the monster and he is also requesting indirectly for the people’s consideration at the same time cautioning them about the events that are yet to happen. Now complete silence and everyone awaits the arrival of Victor’s creation. Soon the monster appears and????? What happens? What is everyone reaction? How would one react on seeing a monster? For Victor his creation is ‘Eureka’ but for the people it is witnessing horror right in front of their very eyes. Panic is prevalent in the atmosphere and all begin to shriek and scream. “What in the world is this?” “What the dickens just happened?” “Is he mad”? Are some of the questions that are shouted out by the people? Victor of course in such a situation can act in two ways i.e. he can abandoned the monster and run away from everything or he can stand there supporting the monster and making every effort in persuading the people that though the monster looks grotesque he is at heart a human filled with emotions and feelings. Victor begins to shout and say “please be calm, the monster will not attack anyone”. Victor father moves around to seek control over the panic disorders that are found in the people on seeing the monster. Now let’s shift the attention to the monster. He was created by Victor much against his own liking of his looks. But he accepts reality and placing all his trust in Victor provides support to Victor and stands there unassuming and unpredictable to all. Once again on witnessing the people’s reaction the monster could have freaked out and run helter skelter killing whatever appears in his pathway. But that did not take place. So Victor still standing as he was with the monster along his side continues to pacify the people. In order to break this monotony and state of shock Victor begins to command the monster starts to sing. SING! How can the monster sing? Well the monster is human remember. “You wrote a song in my heart, Set a tune dancing in my mind, Together we live in harmony, With you Im Lovin Life” The song silences everyone who stares in astonishment. Gradually they begin to see the humane side of the monster and one by one they walk up to him to get a closer look. Some touch the monster and feel him and as they feel him they begin to understand the probabilities of the experiment. Wow should one state that a miracle has occurred for soon the monster is found being accepted by society and everyone begins to interact with him. This experiment made possible a creature that was deformed, who had love in his heart and who wanted to be loved but was misunderstood, achieved his passion for living life and having fun through performance and song. Victor’s experiment is a success and soon from this scenario Victor’s fame together with his monster begin to travel the world. Science, knowledge and experiments of life and death are investigated in detail and this quest for knowledge gives rise to new medicines being found that would assist to fight worldly diseases. Now Victor and his monster have become worldly heroes who travel far and wide exploring different societies and humanities. But loneliness of the heart can kill a person emotionally. Spending ones life in exploration and experiments which is void of companionship can become a silent killer. Victor of course has Elizabeth to turn to in times of humanistic needs. But the monster, whom does he have? All the fame and worldly attributions cannot provide and serve as an emotional cup for the monster. This loneliness Victor soon finds in the monster. What should be the solution for the monster seems to be pre-occupied and lacks concentration. So the next experiment to create a female monster thus emphasizing the fact the life is associated with humanistic qualities. And exactly on the same date that the monster was created, Victor surprises the monster in introducing him to his female counterpart. As witnessed in Adam and Eve wherein God takes one of the ribs of Adam and creates Eve, similarly Victor removes a rib from the monster which assists in the creation of the female monster. One could just imagine what the monster would be feeling on seeing his women. By now I guess instead of the word ‘monster’ for the monster has transcended from being a monster to becoming a human feeling hearted individual. Therefore I guess names should be granted to the monsters thereby enabling individuality and identity being adorned on them. After a period of time, one day the scene opens with music, flowers and grandeur. What is happening? Why is everyone dressed and happy? What is the setting, a setting in a Church? Why is the Church decorated? Is it some Christian feast? Wait, who is standing at the Church alter? Oh no is that Victor and the monster? What are they doing all dressed, dressed as bridegrooms? The organ begins to play, “Here comes the Bride”. Bride what bride? Who’s the bride? Don’t say that a wedding is taking place? Turn and see as the Church doors open and in walk Elizabeth and the female monster dressed as brides. So what is occurring here, the marriage between Victor and Elizabeth and Cephalus and to be Mrs.Cephalus. The monster has been named Cephalus for this name means ‘head’. And in Greek legend Cephalus remained faithful to his wife Procris even though he was pursued by the Goddess Eos. Thus Cephalus who has attained human qualities and who will be true to his wife and humanity can prove that every monster has a heart. References Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones. 1818 Read More