Frankenstein and How to Read Literature Essay

The pursuit of knowledge is the very heart of Frankenstein. Mary Shelley depicts how the very pursuit, thirstiness for knowledge ruined one mans flavour. sea captains life is consumed by a want for more knowledge and Mary Shelley shows the in the first place and after effect of that relentless pursuit. Robert Walton life could also be ruined by an endless need for more knowledge. The ruthless pursuit of knowledge, of reaching for a distant light proves dangerous to both superior and Robert. The monster, Victors act of creation, eventually results in the destruction of everyone dear to him and Roberts expedition is hazardously encased sheets of ice. It is here that the two characters pursuit of knowledge diverges.Victors telling of his chronicle shows the dark path his need for knowledge led him trim and ultimately his obsessive hatred of the monster, his creation, leads to his death. It is the telling of Victors story that pulls Robert back from his single minded mission and shows him the destruction that can lead from a blinded need for knowledge. Although the monsters learning experiences and knowledge atomic number 18 not as advanced as Victor and Roberts it is significant in this book. The monsters thirst for knowledge was driven by a need for acceptance and understanding of his creation and ultimate rejection.Chapter 10 Its to a greater extent Than Just Rain or SnowMary Shelley uses the weather as a metaphor throughout Frankenstein. It is coupled with Victors sickness as a foreshadowing of coming events. The storm that occurred on the night of Williams murder is an example, a foreshadowing, of the misery caused by the monster that night. Another example of seasons and the effects of them on this story is seen when both Victor and the monster feel the lifting of their spirits during warm weather. The Alps show a spiritual awakening and self-reflection, whereas, the cold and surging weather of the north arctic or the rain of Victors wedding night show depression and thoughts of death. Both examples underscore the desperation of Victor and the monsters circumstances and remind them of their own coming doom. It is clear that the weather directly corresponds to the attitudes and feelings of the characters.Chapter 11More Than Its Going to Hurt You Concerning craze The use of gloomy imagery reveals the creatures feelings of abandonment and how much his bruise was greater than that of Victors. The creature goes through a great plow of hatred brought on by his feelings of suffering and abandonment. As the book develops Shelley uncovers levels of sadness in the creature. An observation discovered through Mary Shelleys writing name is how she uncovers the sense of sadness in the creature. His feeling of abandonment is seen when he talks of his emotions to Victor stating, Be calm I entreat you to hear me, before you delve vent to your hatred on my devoted head.Have I not suffered enough that you seek to increase my misery? Life, although it may only be an accretion of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it (68-69). The theme of no one listening to the monster, thereby excluding him from society, is scene throughout the book. During this passage between the creature and Victor, he explains his feelings throughout his journeys using dark imagery in his attempt to make Victor understand what he felt inside. An attempt to show Victor that his pain was greater and would hurt him more than either pain he inflicted upon Victor. The creature says that even though his life is an accumulation of anguish, he will proceed to live because he cares about his life even though no one else does.Chapter 12 Is That a Symbol?Touches of violent imagery are presumption to the reader throughout the book. The violent side of the creature is unleashed and shown to the reader as he tries to find a moment of acceptance by the human community. An small example of this is the portion of the monsters story where he is sharing the cottage with the Delacy family. After being rejected by society, the monster took refuge in a little barn adjacent to a small, humble cottage. Through a gap between the barn and the cottage the monster observed their behavior. He was amazed that despite their poor circumstances the Delacy family still maintained a loving relationship.The creature remarks, When I slept, or was absent, the forms of the venerable blind father, the gentle Agatha, and the splendid Felix flitted before me. I looked upon them as superior beings, who would be the arbiters of my future destiny. I formed in my imagination a thousand pictures of presenting myself to them, and their reception of me. I imagined that they would be disgusted, until, by my gentle demeanor and conciliating words, I should first win their favor, and afterwards their love (72).Chapter 19 Geography MattersIn a persons life social geography plays a huge role. Included in social geography are segregation, economics, class, and race . All which play a part in how a person lives and how they are treated by society. In addition to the fore mentioned factors, a persons looks play a part in how they are looked upon by society. Deformities, monstrosity, can directly affect where a person lives and even their class. In Frankenstein, Shelley used the monsters looks to single him out in society. The origins of his looks were the paranormal manner of his creations, and it was this origin of his looks that made everyone want to get out of his path, to cross the street to avoid contact.The monster was immediately abandoned by Victor without any direction and left to deal with preconceived prejudices people had based on his looks and no personal knowledge of his situation. The monsters lack of knowledge as how to handle these reactions from society pushed him to commit crimes. The monster said, I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on (Shelley 19). This eruption of self-pity by the monster in questioning the darkness of his treatment by society and his creator displays his inner life, giving Walton and the reader a look into the monsters suffering and his motivation behind his crimes.Chapter 20So Does SeasonThe changes in Victors physical and mental state seem to mirror the changes of the seasons, or maybe these states are simply touch on by the change of the seasons. An example of this would be the period in which Clerval nursed Victor back to health. During this period the season changed to spring and could be seen as signs of advanced beginnings. Clerval helps Victor regain his physical health and re-discover his love for the natural world he lost during his quest for creating new life. Shelleys use of the excerpt that Winter, Spring, and summer measure passed outside during Victors puddle, does more than just inform the reader of the passing of time preciselys reminds the reader of the imagery relating to each of the seasons.In additi on, the phrase passed away indicates that time Victor could have spent enjoying nature died while he was closed off in his laboratory. Furthermore, the excerpt describes that The leaves of that year withered before my work drew near to a close The use of the word withered hints to Victors body becoming frail and unhealthy during that time. The imagery showed that Victor was in an unhealthy state of body and mind.Chapter 25 Dont Read With Your EyesMary Shelleys Frankenstein, as many other deeds of its time, have been taken apart and studied repeatedly for underlying meaning by the author. Scholars look for an understanding of what they believe Shelleys views and what message she was trying to snuff it to the reader. So many have taken apart this novel, analyzing it over and over again, from many different angles, yet her work still remains a work over to solve. Could this perhaps be the result of over-analysis? Are scholars looking too carefully and too deeply for a meaning more e laborate than a story told by a teenager?Mary Shelley was eighteen at the time she wrote Frankenstein. Taking into account her age, is it more likely that Shelley was not commenting on social aspects but expressing feelings felt by all teenagers. Almost all of us can relate to a time when we were young and misunderstood by our parents. A time when feelings of isolation, separation and being misunderstood, were common experiences. These feelings being attributed to the monster could be nothing more than the feelings that Shelley was herself feeling at the time.Works CitedFoster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature alike(p) a Professor A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading between the Lines. New York Quill, 2003. Print. Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus. Berkeley and Los Angeles University of California Press, 1984.