Frankenstein also known as the “Modern Prometheus” a famous gothic novel, first published in 1818 by Mary Shelley, born august 30th 1797 and married at sixteen to the well known poet: Percy Bysshe Shelley, who published the poem; “Prometheus” in July 1816.
The novel is set around the cultural and historical events that took place during the late 18th and early 19th century. Shelley was reflecting on the changes that she had experienced in her own life. At the time Europe was going through great change: the industrial revolution, civil war, advances in science and philosophy; a period known as the Romantic Movement.
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The novel uses an embedded narrative style; it is narrated by three characters. A great explorer Captain Robert Walton narrates the story through letters to his sister: Margaret Saville, who lives back in England. Victor Frankenstein a Swiss scientist who retells the events of his work, where he created a creature from lifeless body parts and lastly, the creature, who then seeks revenge from him after being abandoned and rejected by society.
In this essay, I will be discussing the different techniques that Shelley uses to build up the reader’s sympathy for the creature as well as sympathy for Frankenstein.
Main Body:
Firstly, Shelley creates sympathy for the creature throughout the novel using techniques such as language, imagery and strategic repetition of the key descriptions of its actions, which mostly represent its suffering. She shows the reader that the monster has good reasons to be pitied, by dismissing its crimes.
At the beginning of the fifth chapter, when the monster is being created Shelley describes the atmosphere as “a dreary night” creating sympathy through the use of “Pathetic fallacy”. This evokes different ideas for the reader suggesting that the creature may not be who Frankenstein is expecting him to be. It is later used in the sixteenth chapter to mirror the creature’s mood: “nature decayed around me and the sun became heatless.” Shelley uses metaphors: “weather and Nature” to foreshadow the coming events.
The reader is made to believe that this is true, based on Frankenstein’s biased point of view: “I saw a dull yellow eye of the creature open” and “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe…the wretch. Victor is so horrified at what he has created that he decides to run away from taking responsibility, he describes his work as a waste of “rest” and “health” filled with such regret: “but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” The use of negative language, gives an indication to the reader that, the so called: “monster” is actually very harmful and should be feared, but at the same time creates sympathy for its creator as his dream has formed a nightmare.
Additionally, in the tenth chapter the reader is introduced to the character of the creature during its confrontation with Victor; reacting to the horror of what he has created he vilifies the monster saying: “Devil…be gone vile insect! Or rather stay, that I may trample you to dust!”
Here, although the reader can understand how Frankenstein feels, it is clear that his reaction is inappropriate; after all he created the creature and should take responsibility for his actions. The creature bearing no malice aforethought replies simply by stating: “I expected this reception.” Gaining the readers sympathy through its demonstration of calmness, it shows that no matter how it has been treated by humanity it can still show the better traits of humanity.
This is emphasised strongly in the following quote: “All men hate the wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us.” Here the creature backs up his statement through the use of authority, showing how confident he is and by stating: “You purpose to kill me. How dare you sport thus with life? Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. If you comply I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends.” The creature is showing the reader his intelligence by using interesting but complex words: “glut” and “Maw” which also creates sympathy because it shows that has had to learn from his experiences as his creator never bothered to teach him anything.
Furthermore, sympathy is created for the monster throughout chapters eleven to sixteen when the monster is re- telling his experiences to victor. In these few chapters the reader gets an insight of the suffering the creature has endured.
The creature talks about being deserted by humanity, giving a glimpse of what has motivated his crimes:”I am an unfortunate and deserted creature, I look around and I have no relation or friend upon earth. These amiable people to whom I go have never seen me and know little of me. I am full of fears, for if I fail there, I am an outcast in the world forever. “The use of strong emotive language emphasises the creature’s feelings, he longs to be accepted by humanity, but everywhere he goes no human being seems to understand him.
The creature begins to realise this that humans do not understand him, so he turns to nature for comfort: “The desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge…these bleak skied I hail, for they are kinder to me than your fellow beings. If the multitude of mankind knew of my existence, they would do as you do, and arm themselves to for my destruction. Shall I not then hate them who abhor me? I will keep no terms with my enemies. I am miserable, and they shall share my wretchedness.” Here the reader sees two sides to the monster, they start to see hate rage and anger which shows that the creature does have feelings and has good reasons for committing the crimes; he has tried to gain society’s acceptance and has failed so the only option in his point of view is to take “revenge”.
In chapter thirteen, the monster erupts with anger and self-pity, as he questions his existence: “but where were my friends and relations? no father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses.” The themes of friendship and loneliness represent the creatures’ heart desires creating sympathy; he longs to be loved and accepted by his creator, like a mother and father would do for their child.
In contrast to this, the creature seeks a companion; someone that can understand and associate with him: “‘I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create.” Here the creature tries to keep the peace between himself and Frankenstein by giving him an option between life and death for both himself and his friends and family, showing how considerate a being he is despite how Frankenstein has treated him.
In chapter twenty four in Walton’s last letter, the recount of the monster’s words spoken over Victor’s body: “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.” Although this quote may evoke the idea of abortion for the monster, who is unwanted and abandoned by his creator, it also the issue that Frankenstein’s death was most obviously caused by the creatures choice of actions. The reader may start question: “did victor deserve to die this way?”
Additionally, the reader also Sympathises the creature’s creator “victor Frankenstein” Through the use of powerful emotive language such as: ‘parched with horror’, ‘shuddering and agony’, ‘anguish’, ‘the agonizing suffering that I endured’, ‘my ravings … were frightful’, ‘the fiend by whom I was tormented’ and ‘screamed aloud with agony and terror’. The reader begins to understand that Frankenstein’s expressions of anger and hatred towards the monster are down to his experience of mental and physical illness.
In away, like “prometheus” victor stole the idea of creation from God and used it for his own ill-advised purposes and is now beginning to suffer the consequences.
In chapter five, after victor has created the creature the reader sympathises on the fact that Frankenstein’s dream has now vanished before him: “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” Victor starts to show signs of distress; mentally and physically, he falls into illness straight after his creation, indicating to the reader that not only has the situation it destroyed his dream, but it has also began to destroy his health.
Looking back at one of Walton’s letters: “two”, Mary foreshadows the situation Walton is experiencing to that of Victor: “I have no friend, Margaret: when l am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection.” Linking the two together, the reader is made to sympathise with victor, based on the fact that he pushed away all his friends and family to focus on his work.
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Still experiencing nothing, but horror and disappointment victor narrates: “Mingled with this horror, I felt the bitterness of disappointment; dreamns that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were now become a hell to me; and the change was so rapid, the overthrow so complete!” the use of strong negative feelings shows the reader how desperate Frankenstein feels about escaping his disappointments; he just wants to bury everything but the disappointment keeps haunting him.
The creature’s statement adds on to his distress: “Prepare! Your toils only begin. Wrap yourself in furs and provide food, for we shall soon enter upon a journey where your sufferings will satisfy my everlasting hatred.” Sympathy is created in this quote, as the creature is given a powerful speaking voice that shows that Frankenstein has no say in the situation, he is being treated as a slave:
“Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proven yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!” The use of language, the repetition of words such as, “wretched” and “miserable” show the reader that the tables have now turned and Frankenstein is left with nothing.
Lastly, in chapter 10, Frankenstein is so overwhelmed by his experience that he begins to reflect on the situation, by questioning the purpose of his life in the following quotation:
“We rest; a dream has power to poison sleep.
We rise; one wand’ring thought pollutes the day.
We feel, conceive or reason; laugh or weep,
Embrace fond woe, or cast our cares away;
It is the same: for, be it joy or sorrow,
The path of its departure still is free.
Man’s yesterday may ne’er be like his morrow;
Naught may endure but mutability!”
This last quotation suggests to the reader that, Frankenstein’s source of making himself feel better is to talk about his issues even though he knows it wouldn’t change the circumstances he got himself into.
Conclusion:
In conclusion from what has been presented in this essay, it is quite clear that the author has created a platform whereas sympathy can be attributed to both characters; Frankenstein and his creature. This is represented in Walton’s last letter, when he re-tells the creature’s words:
“Still I desired love and fellowship, and I was still spurned…. the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.” And: “I have devoted my creator, the select specimen of all that is worthy of love.”
Her use of writing techniques, such as emotive language captures the reader’s heart to sympathise with both characters, which makes the end of the story more interesting and thought provoking.
Personally, although I can sympathise with each character, my overriding feelings lean towards the creature. This is because the creature had no choice in being given life and then be abandoned by his creator.
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