Though the books were published almost seven decades apart the monsters in Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde share many similarities: They were both created in laboratories by European scientists for somewhat morally suspect purposes, both were outcasts of society, and murdered characters secondary to their creator. Even in their final days they followed a similar archetype by taking the lives of their creators before ending their own. One should ask the question why these stories have stood the test of time while countless others fall by the wayside. In Frankenstein, the monster is created by Victor Frankenstein in an attempt to do what has never been done before, create life from death. “Victor’s thirst for knowledge led him to serious questions about the nature of life and souls.” (Holland, Tiger. “Book Review: Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.” All-Consuming Media, 18 February 2012. Web.) By way of ancient scientific disciplines, the monster is reanimated from a hodgepodge of different body parts Victor assembles. But, upon seeing his creature’s grotesque form, he is so terrified by the magnitude of his accomplishment the doctor flees the laboratory and has subsequently fallen ill and is bedridden with nervous fever for months. This, however, is just the beginning of the creature’s ill-fated interaction with the population of Europe. Standing well over seven feet tall and sewn together like an ill-proportioned, patchwork quilt, the residents of the villages and
Victor Frankenstein, engulfed in the obsession of creating life out of death, resurrects a body composed of multiple parts from different origins. Victor “had worked for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this [he] had deprived [him]self of rest and health;” this madness is Victor’s desire to become a creator that people envied (Shelley 57). Victor creates a monster, one that is the “outcome or product of curiosity … pushed to an extreme” (Brooks 387). Resembling an infant perceiving its surroundings through its parents, the monster’s entire perception of the world is centered around Victor Frankenstein due to . The monster tries learning about his creator
In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein initially sets out on a rational quest “to examine the causes of life,” but his excessive ambition slowly turned into an irrational mission. Victor’s passion sent him into isolation, bordering on obsession, and “… dizzy with the immensity of the prospect …” (I.iii.3) of “…infusing life into an inanimate body” (I.iv.3). Victor’s quest for knowledge about the supernatural caused him to sacrifice, Victor sacrificed his health and family to further his scientific knowledge by experimenting on the dead. When he finally achieved his goal, “the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (I.iv.3). The rational scientist, achieved his goal, but is immediately horrified by the final result.
The pursuit of discovery and knowledge are thrilling aspects of human achievement, but can also be very dangerous if not handled correctly. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” Shelley portrays these two aspects of accomplishment as dangerous, destructive, and even fateful. Shelley begins her novel with an ambitious seafarer named Robert Walton. Walton is determined to reach the North Pole, where he may “tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man” (6). During his journey, he writes constantly to his sister, Margaret Saville. Unfortunately, due to the laws of nature, sheets of impassable ice enclosing on their ship soon interrupt Walton’s mission. Trapped, Walton meets
Victor Frankenstein and his creation surprisingly share many of the same characteristics. Even though Frankenstein is an ugly, unwanted creature, he and Victor withhold an obvious connection throughout the novel. However, Victor and Frankenstein also share their differences as well.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has undoubtedly withstood the test of time. Frankenstein’s direct association with fundamental Gothic literature is extremely renowned. However, the novel’s originality is derived from the foundational thematic values found within the relationship (or lack there of) between Victor Frankenstein and the monster he had created, in combination with a fascinatingly captivating plot. Understandably, Frankenstein can often be associated with a multitude of concepts; however, in this particular instance, the circumstances in the book seemed remarkably coherent with Shelley’s Romantic beliefs in preserving the natural world, and one’s natural existence. These values present themselves as metaphorical symbols that
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are two horrific tales of science gone terribly wrong. Shelley?s novel eloquently tells the story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who creates a living monster out of decomposed body parts, while Stevenson?s novel describes the account of one, Henry Jekyll, who creates a potion to bring out the pure evil side to himself. Although the two scientists differ in their initial response and action to their creations, there are strong similarities between their raging curiosity to surpass human limitation, as well as their lack of responsibility concerning their actions. These similarities raise an
Victor Frankenstein had the great idea of creating a human-like creature that ultimately became bigger, stronger, and meaner than everyone around. The process and steps took a lot longer than what Victor predicted. When the creature finally took his first breath, the two long years of anticipation finally relieved Victor of his stress. Victor stayed up numerous nights and missed so many meals stressing over this creature. He never gave up despite all the difficulties wanting to become the first ever bringing life to a creature. “So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation” (sparknotes). The creature was very hideous, gigantic, and didn’t look to friendly to humans. All the time and work Victor put into
The title of this book by G. Edward Griffin may make you think about a frightfulness story along the lines of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." However terrible it is, The Creature from Jekyll Island is not fiction.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, illustrates an interesting story focusing in on many different themes, but what most readers may miss, is the similarities between Victor Frankenstein and the creature he created. As the story develops, one may pick up on these similarities more and more. This is portrayed through their feelings of isolation, thirst for revenge, their bold attempt to play god, and also their hunger to obtain knowledge. These are all displayed through a series of both the actions and the words of Frankenstein and his creature.
“With great power comes great responsibility.” As cliché as this popular Hollywood quotation may sound, it is extremely fitting to describe the situation where Dr. Frankenstein finds himself. When one has the ability, knowledge and power to create another living, breathing and thinking piece of flesh, a burden is immediately presented to whomever holds this invaluable control. Will this power be used to create horrible monstrosities that will be a form of destruction on society? Or will this knowledge be used for the betterment of the populace? Vast knowledge is extremely dangerous, because if someone believes that they have immense power, but is unable to harness it, there is the possibility that events can
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein we are introduced early in the story to one of the main characters Victor Frankenstein and subsequently to his creation referred to as the monster. The monster comes to life after being constructed by Victor using body parts from corpses. As gruesome as this sounds initially we are soon caught up in the tale of the living monster. Victor the creator becomes immediately remorseful of his decision to bring the monstrous creation to life and abandons the borne creature. Victor describes his emotions and physical description of his creation as follows:
Throughout the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, the creature is subjected to countless acts of violence and rejection. For a monster to develop, one must have been formerly exploited either by an individual or their society. The creature is not only a physical product of science, but his atrocious behavior is also an explicit result of Victor’s actions toward him. The creature was not born a monster, but slowly morphed into one as he experiences violence and rejection from his society.
In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” Dr. Victor Frankenstein has a fascination with life and death, particularly life, and through his scientific studies he decides to attempt to build a body and restore the lifeless body to animation. He succeeds in this, but once he restores the body to animation he looks in the eyes of his creation and immediately deems the creature a monster. He even, after only a few moments of animation, calls the creature a wretch. He then runs away, and when he returns his creation is nowhere to be found. Many other events occur where the creature comes in contact with humans and they deem him a monster as well. One even goes so far as shooting the creature after the creature has just saved the life of this man’s
It is a common trope to say that an addict becomes a “different person” when he consumes his particular poison. “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is the story of an addict whose inebriated self just happens to have a different name. It does not matter what the solution he drinks for his transformation is supposed to represent, whether alcohol, opium, heroin, or some other substance—he checks off every box for addictive and self destructive behavior. There can be no clearer interpretation of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” than that it is a polemic against the prevalent usage of drugs and alcohol in England at the time of its writing.
Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is a novel about a creature that is produced by Victor Frankenstein, as a result of his desire to discover the secret of life. Dr. Frankenstein founded this secret by animating dead flesh and stitching human corpses together to create a superhuman. As a reader, one realizes the consequences of Victor’s discoveries through series of unfortunate events that occur in the novel. The story begins with four letters which help introduce the story from Walton’s perspective as he meets Victor and learns the truth and tragedy behind Dr. Frankenstein. However, throughout the novel, letters are sent from Elizabeth and Alphonse, which further develop the story.