Sunday, March 17, 2019
Victors Destruction in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay -- Frankenst
originals Destruction in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Mary Shelley, in her account book Frankenstein, makes several allusions to the fact that Victor Frankenstein is usurping the role of god in lending his creature to life. The point of the book seems to be that a human who attempts to usurp the role of theology pull up stakes be heavily punished. Victor Frankenstein is severely punished. He loses everyone he loves onward perishing himself in the arctic wastes. But did he really play God or did he merely unleash his sustain id and destroy himself?Allusions to Frankensteins credit with God are sprinkled liberally throughout the book. From an early age Frankenstein identifies himself with God through his study of metaphysics. It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to hire (23), Frankenstein says. From an early age it was the metaphysical secrets of life and death that obsessed Frankenstein. It was this stake that led him to study the alchemists. A choice that h e believed brought about his hold downfall.Frankenstein fears for his sanity. He exhorts us more than once to remember that he is non recounting the visions of a madman (37). Yet he fears so more that he will be super Cght mad that he doesnt bankrupt that his creature killed William, even though it means the death of Justine, who was wrongly convicted of the murder. Frankenstein protests his own sanity so strenuously throughout the book that one begins to enquire if he is, in fact sane.The image of Frankenstein as God is built in the dialog between Victor and the creature when they meet on the summit of Montanvert (Chapter 10). The creature saysI am thy creature, and I will be even mild and docile to my natural lord and king if thou wilt also perfo... ...d friend, and the destined mate -- rivals for the affection of his parents and for success. It is significant that Frankenstein, although he knows of the creatures threats, does nothing to protect Elizabeth on their wedding night. In this way he is complicit in her death, and in his own destruction.Frankenstein spends the rest of his life chasing the creature. He seems to postulate to confront and kill him, but it is not destined to be. In reality Frankenstein ostracizes himself from human society, even traveling to the uninhabitable North Pole. He neer catches his creature. Instead he wears himself out, dying more of guilt and exhaustion than anything else. The creature, freed by Victors death, retreats from the inhabited world searching for the death that he hopes will bring him relief.Works CitedShelley, Mary, Frankenstein. (Bantam Classics, NY), 1981.
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