| Passage |
Pg. # |
Comments & Questions |
|
"I confess that neither the structure of languages, nor the code of governments, nor the politics of various states possessed attractions for me. It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn;"
|
19
|
Early on, Frankenstein isn't as nearly interested with mainstream discussions as nearly as much as others. Ever since he was young, he's shown a passion for the sciences of life, and this quote marks one of the key moments that highlights this eagerness to learn.
|
"Some miracle might have produced it, yet the stages of the discovery were distinct and probable. After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter."
|
31
|
After studying countless philosophical writings and discussing the topic of life with his colleagues, Frankenstein is finally able to understand how to create life. He touts his discovery as spectacular nonetheless, but will he come to regret having a power shrouded in mystery?
|
"Write, dearest Victor - one line - one word will be a blessing to us. Ten thousand thanks to Henry for his kindness, his affection, and his many letters: we are sincerely grateful. Adieu! my cousin; take care of yourself; and, I intreat you, write!"
|
42
|
I found this quote brief, but fascinating. Elizabeth and Victor's family crave hearing from him whenever they can - so much as to where they must essentially beg him to write even a few words at the least and have Clerval report to them on his stature. I understand he's ill of what he's created, but why doesn't he write to his family? Why must he enclose himself off from the world?
|
"William is dead! - that sweet child, whose smiles delighted and warmed my heart, who was so gentle, yet so gay! Victor, he is murdered! I will not attempt to console you; but will simply relate the circumstances of the transaction."
|
46
|
This also illustrates that there is indeed a certain 'staleness' between the interactions of Victor and the rest of his family. His own father isn't writing to necessarily comfort him, but only inform him and long for a response about the family tragedy that was secretly caused by his own doing inadvertently. Why does he yet again shut himself away from explaining his emotions and feelings to those who need it most?
|
"From the tortures of my own heart, I turned to contemplate the deep and voiceless grief of Elizabeth. This was also my doing! And my father's woe, and the desolation of that late so smiling home - all was the work of my thrice-accursed hands!"
|
60
|
Victor blames himself for the deaths of others because they were killed by his creation. He feels as if he's responsible because he believes he has created a monster that is set solely on destruction, and nothing else, and this will most definitely impact how he views his creation further. He only sees destruction in what he's made with no light in sight.
|
"By degrees I made a discovery of still greater moment. I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds. I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hearers. This was indeed a godlike science, and I ardently desired to become acquainted with it."
|
78
|
Frankenstein's monster is inspired by what good he sees in humanity. He strives to learn compassion and most importantly how to interact with others. To him, he just wants to feel as if he's loved or able to express his own emotions to others that he cannot presently do as a result of the way he looks.
|
"... I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man. I was more agile than they and could subsist upon coarser diet; I bore the extremes of heat and cold with less injury to my frame; my stature far exceeded theirs. When I looked around saw and heard of none like me. Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?"
|
85
|
The monster has nothing in his life. He's forced to hide from view simply because others scream with one glace at his features. As a result of the reactions of others calling him a 'monster', he starts to view himself as one by listing off comparisons between himself and those he simply just wants to interact with. He feels as if he's different in a negative connotation only because society forces him to. In reality, he's doesn't want to be a monster, but he can't understand how to express his emotions towards others because they shun him away.
|
"But it was all a dream; no Eve soothed my sorrows smiles nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him."
|
93-94
|
Frankenstein's creation aspires to be viewed and cared for like others, and compares his creation and expressions to others in a biblical sense. Ever since his creation, he's felt like society hates him because that's all they've ever shown him. He was abandoned and detests his creator as a result.
|
| "I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all of mankind? You, my creator, would tear me pieces, and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me?" |
104 |
The reactions expressed, and the acts committed, were in part by his treatment. He believes he wasn't born as this 'evil' society perceives him to be, but his being was created and molded by the treatment he was surrounded by ever since he can remember. When he confronts Victor with this, he just blows him off and calls him what society already has before. His good cannot be shown because he himself hasn't been shown any. |
| "I was now about to form another being, of whose dispositions I was alike ignorant; she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate, and delight, for its own sake, in murder and wretchedness. He had sworn to quit the neighborhood of man, and hide himself in the deserts, but she had not; and she, who in all probability was to become a thinking and reasoning animal, might refuse to comply with a compact made before her creation." |
120-121 |
Victor contemplates creating another being such as his latter. He's formed a prejudice against his potential future creations just because he's only witnessed the destructive nature that his other creation had endued. He obviously cannot predict what this other new being will be like, but it's this prejudice that has formed that ultimately sways him away from going through with his deal he made. |
| "... the sun and the heavens, who have viewed my operations can bear witness of my truth. I am the assassin of those most innocent victims; they died by my machinations. A thousand times would I have shed my own blood, drop by drop, to have saved their lives; but I could not, my father, indeed I could not sacrifice the whole human race." |
137 |
Victor once again blames himself for his creation. He views 'it' as a non-stop killing machine of his own, and therefore places massive amounts of regret and remorse for something he still didn't quite understand. He understood the creation of life, but he couldn't understand the care a nurture for it necessary. It is because of this that he believes his creation will plague every bit of humanity it comes into contact with. |
Comments (12)
Sharon Murchie said
at 11:18 am on Aug 7, 2019
Is this story Mary Shelley's re-creation of the origin tale? An attempt to understand a "god" who creates life?
Tyler Wargo said
at 11:15 pm on Aug 15, 2019
I think this book was written to help Mary cope with her own self in understanding life. If Shelley was as depressed as she was in real life as she was described, I think one can almost assume that she relates herself to the monster attempting to understand their feelings while the world around them just continues to go on. It's sort of poetic.
Sam Sanderson said
at 5:34 pm on Aug 7, 2019
I agree with your statement about page 85, it's quite evident that Frankenstein's creation longs to be human and to be accepted into society. However, he is seen as a fearsome monster simply because of how he looks, and by shunning him society is only going to turn him into the monster they see him as.
Tyler Wargo said
at 10:54 pm on Aug 15, 2019
Exactly! It's not even as through Frankenstein's creation is that different from the rest of society either! His differences are so minor, only being physically different, from others that this automatic assumption that he must be a monster, and is to be shunned by society, is absurd. I definitely think you can relate this to today as well where society automatically creates prejudice just simply based on the appearances of others.
20clopez@... said
at 7:49 pm on Aug 11, 2019
For the page 137 quote, I totally agree. Frankenstein felt so horrible about how his creation went and killed so many people, including his own family. I actually feel really bad for Frankenstein because all he wanted to do was create this great thing... which he did, but it just backfired. Then, Frankenstein really just blamed himself, which I personally think is dumb. The monster had the capability to make his own choices, ut instead he chose to manipulate and give ultimatums to his creator. Like "Oh, it's YOUR job to decide whether I kill people or leave them alone." Like I said on mine, it's probably really difficult for Frankenstein to choose whether people live or die. The monster could choose to do good on his own, but instead he’s putting pressure and blame on Frankenstein
Tyler Wargo said
at 11:03 pm on Aug 15, 2019
I think it definitely has something to do on how the creation is treated though. He only gives Frankenstein an ultimatum because he's scared. In my eyes, it reminds me of this this one video where this man goes into a police station with a knife drawn. He obviously has the intention of getting something out of it, but we see the officers slowly calm him down, and then the man begins to cry. He was scarred because he had nowhere else to go in society. He wanted to die because he thought his life was deemed meaningless by others. This is the same with Frankenstein almost, just in a different situation.
Frankenstein's monster, where society appalls him so much as to where he doesn't even have a name, is the way he is because he's alone. He does indeed view himself different towards the end because he's told he's different. While this does not entirely justify his wrongdoings, I think his wrongdoings are a direct result on how society as a whole raised him to be the monster they always viewed him as. He's scared and lonely, which is no way for anyone to live.
Tyler Wargo said
at 11:04 pm on Aug 15, 2019
Scared*
(Sorry, can't edit)
20mdiedr@... said
at 8:30 pm on Aug 13, 2019
I agree with you on page 85, it's similar to what I wrote too. He really had no choice but to make the best of what he had. I think that Victor should have created a girl for him.
Tyler Wargo said
at 11:06 pm on Aug 15, 2019
I would have totally loved to see the other creation come to life in a sequel or something similar if the story were to be played out differently! I genuinely believe he'd stop, or at least hesitate, killing if he had a companion. Victor has a good point when he debates about forcing another creature into a relationship before they're even created, but I still would have loved to see if the behavior of the creation would have changed if he had someone to talk to about his feelings.
Marco De Leon said
at 12:16 am on Aug 15, 2019
I agree with your multiple analyses of Victor seeing his monster as only a being of destruction. So it's interesting that because of this view, Victor becomes a being of revenge, spending literally the rest of his life trying to kill the monster.
Tyler Wargo said
at 11:11 pm on Aug 15, 2019
I know, right? It's super interesting to see how Victor sees his creation that only causes chaos, but he himself also becomes victim to this in his revenge. I think this only goes to show that we create the being we are through who we interact with, and how we interpret these feelings and emotions.
AJ Skidmore said
at 9:33 am on Aug 19, 2019
The page 104 quote really hit me because the way people treat him makes him the way he is. I feel like a lot of the time we see it as the other way around. He is malicious so people shun him, but in reality its the way people treat him that makes him who he is.
You don't have permission to comment on this page.