Analysis of the novel
“Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” is an outstanding work by Mary Shelley who focuses on the deep exploration of various feelings, emotions, motives, and actions pervading the human mind. At first glance, the book appears quite simple, and the characters are easy to criticize and judge. However, by the end of “Frankenstein,” I was impressed by its depth and major topics covered by the writer. The style of this masterpiece also impressed me. Besides, Mary Shelley has a great ability to present details and depicts the Swiss scenery in a highly vivid manner. In my opinion, with the achievements made in technology and science today, this novel warns people not to do numerous things from a scientific point of view. Therefore, it is always important to think about consequences of our actions. What is more, the brilliance of “Frankenstein” lies in the author’s presentation of the characters, especially the creature. Shelley could have depicted him as a typical murderer; however, instead she attributed the creature with a clever mind and a sensitive heart. The suffering he feels seemed so real to me that I could not help but empathized with his arduous predicament and painful existence. In many ways, the creature is more sympathetic than Victor, his creator, and this is the thing that makes a novel extremely fascinating to read.
Mary Shelley was born to liberal parents with progressive ideas because her mother was a famous feminist who wrote “A Vindication of the Rights of Women,” and Mary’s father was a philosopher and journalist. He insisted that individualism and egocentrism would lead to a moral breakdown. Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus” was written in the nineteen century. A major historical movement of that time was the Enlightenment. It was a time when people tried to answer numerous questions concerning nature and religion. The representatives of that movement focused on analysis, reason, and scientific knowledge. By creating a monster and giving him life, Victor serves as a prototype of the scientists of that time because due to their experimentation, they wanted to become gods. Moreover, they were skeptics and always doubted popular beliefs regarding religion and the fact that people were created by God. Besides, the book is full of other the pervading ideas of the Enlightenment including progress, liberty, and optimism. In “Frankenstein,” Shelley raised such important issues as whether science is harmful or beneficial, and the future of scientific experiences. What is more, “Frankenstein” also showed several aspects of Romanticism. The main aspects of the writing of that era were feelings, emotions, and a constant struggle against the whole world, which was viewed as hostile. Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist of the novel, tries to apply his knowledge and creates something unusual due to his high intellectual level. However, like all romantics, he experiences disillusionment with his dreams and the creature as well. Thus, in “Frankenstein,” the writer combines both movements and depicts their pitfalls. Shelley presents Frankenstein as an extremely emotional and sensitive person who is only interested in science and acts relying both on emotions and logic decisions.
Mary Shelley seems to incorporate her experiences and feelings into the writing of this novel. For example, when her mother died, her father married another woman with her own children. Both Victor’s and Mary’s mothers were concerned about helping the poor and the uneducated. Besides, Mary’s father disclaims her when he learns that she decides to run away with Percy Shelley. Bloom (2006) states that “Here Mary Shelley unearthed her own buried feeling of parental abandonment and forced exile from her father. Her creature, disappointed in his long-cherished desire for a welcome from the De Lacey family, feels anger, then a desire for revenge, and finally are violent severing from all that is human, civilized, cultural”. What is more, Mary also gives birth to two children, but they soon die. This fact influenced the woman’s understanding and rejecting of motherhood as the thing to be afraid of.
In “Frankenstein,” Mary Shelley deals with numerous themes, giving the reader a possibility of numerous interpretations. The theme of parental responsibility and responsibility in general are one of the major topics of this masterpiece. The theme of parental responsibility is closely related to the theme of birth and parental neglect. The main crime of Victor is that he violated natural laws, attempted to take the role of God and created a monster. As a rule, parents are fully responsible for nurturing their offsprings till they fully get acquainted with the surrounding world. Victor animates a dead matter and in extreme fear abandons him in the world where the creature is totally extraneous. Frankenstein’s decision to create the monster and then doing nothing to look after it demonstrates the man’s selfishness and unwillingness to understate and accept the consequences of his act.
There are many ideas presented in Shelley’s work that are still relevant today and have modern applications, especially in terms of ethical and moral responsibility of scientists. Mary Shelley emphasizes the fact that the results of experiments that are left to the mercy of fate can lead to disastrous consequences. Cloning, interbreeding of species, genetic engineering, and other fields of science need to be paid more attention as well as the range of the things that can be accepted. Besides, the writer also demonstrates that people’s attempts to obtain power usually corrupt their morals. Victor wants to have unlimited power, instead, it costs him the death of his dearest people and ultimately his own life. People should dream big dreams, but they must do it carefully.
The deeper analysis of “Frankenstein” helped me to gather information concerning numerous aspects of the novel. First, it gave me the possibility to learn more about different movements of the nineteenth century. Now, I am able to find elements of the Enlightenment and Romanticism in this piece of fiction. Secondly, I have studied the biography of Mary Shelley whose life was impressive but not easy. I was surprised to learn the background of “Frankenstein,” Mary’s friendship with Lord Byron, and their contest for writing the best horror story. Thirdly, it was extremely interesting to explore the themes and the relevance of this novel because it opened new horizons for my deeper understanding of its message and main idea.
References
Bloom, H. (2006). Frankenstein - Mary Shelley (Updated Edition). New York: Infobase Pub.
