The Role Of The Tragic Figure In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Frankenstein, a novel first published in the year 1818, stands as the most talked about work of Mary Shelley’s literary career. She was just nineteen years old when she penned this novel, and throughout her lifetime she could not produce any other work that surpasses this novel in terms of creativity and vision. In this novel, Shelley found an outlet for her own intense sense of victimization, and her desperate struggle for love. Traumatized by her failed childbirth incidents, troubled childhood, and scandalous courtship, many of Shelley’s life experiences can be seen reflected in the novel. When discussing the character and development of the monster, Shelley launches an extensive discussion on the

In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein puts the monster in a predicament that victimizes the monster. Victor creates the monster to be an “ugly wretch”(Shelley 141) therefore causing the monster grief for his entire life. The monster experiences severe loneliness for being an outcast. The monster is the greatest victim in this novel because of his creation, his loneliness, and everyone’s general fear or lack of concern for him.

Mary Shelley’s ability to create such multidimensional characters in Frankenstein proves that writing is a powerful tool that has the ability to provoke vastly different opinions amongst readers. Even though each individual reading the story is reading the exact same words, their interpretation of those words often leads to opposing views in regards to the fate of the characters. The creature, in particular, has been a popular topic of discussion when conducting a close read of the novel due to his arguable versatility as a victim and villain. The concept of the villain has evolved over the years, however its basis still rests upon the simple fact that as a character in the story, their actions are a result of malicious intentions

To begin, Frankenstein goes off to college and immediately isolates himself from society including his family and his minimal friends. This isolation has a negative effect on him, even though his isolation can be seen as his own choice. This isolation and focus on his science evolved into a project to create human life. Through this project, the creature is born and this is when his isolation gets even worse. This secret consumes so much of him and he has no one to turn to.

After complying with the monster’s demand, Dr. Frankenstein aborts his promise when the female monster is near completion. He quickly destroys his latest creation before things get further out of hand. This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, as soon after, the monster lashes out in uncontrollable rage. Infuriated by Dr. Frankenstein’s seemingly cruel act of indifference, the monster seeks revenge by murdering Dr. Frankenstein’s fiancé, Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s murder shows the undeniable parallel between the monster and Dr. Frankenstein. The monster’s only desire was to enjoy some form of companionship, but when Frankenstein denies him of this possibility, the monster becomes dedicated to destroying Dr. Frankenstein’s happiness and love in return. Dr. Frankenstein’s immense supply of knowledge not only has created a physical monster, but his knowledge has also made a monster out of himself. Dr. Frankenstein held the absolute authority over the happiness of the monster’s life, but in his own act of monstrosity, rather than using his knowledge to create contentment for an otherwise desolate creature, he takes away the one aspiration that keeps the monster sane.

In this Essay I shall explore the reasons for Victor Frankenstein’s emotional turmoil in chapters 9 and 10 and look at how some events in Mary Shelley’s life mirrors some events in the book. I will also look at a few of the themes running through Frankenstein. Such as religion, parenting, hate, revenge, guilt and compassion.

Like most horror stories, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has a wretched monster who terrorizes and kills his victims with ease. However, the story is not as simple as it seems. One increasingly popular view of the true nature of the creature is one of understanding. This sympathetic view is often strengthened by looking at the upbringing of the creature in the harsh world in which he matures much as a child would. With no friends or even a true father, the creature can be said to be a product of society and its negative views and constant rejections of him. Although this popular view serves to lessen the severity of his crimes in most people’s eyes, the fact remains that the creature is in fact a cold-hearted wretch whose vindictive nature

Who is the real monster?” acts as the dominant question throughout the novel “Frankenstein” written by Mary Shelly as the reader explores the protagonist Victor Frankenstein and his nameless creation. As the novel progresses, the reader notices how the relationship between the two characters goes far beyond a neglectful creature and resentful creation, for the two influence the thoughts, actions and emotions of each other. Furthermore, the creature’s physical appearance acts as his purpose throughout the novel as well as a mirror of Victor Frankenstein’s true identity. Additionally, the creature’s lack of identity begins to initiate Frankenstein’s shame towards his own identity, revealing the flawed character of Frankenstein and determining the resolution to the question “Who is the true monster? Who is the true catalyst of destruction?” During the novel, the reader is able to identify the creature as the most effective foil for Victor Frankenstein because the creature causes: Frankenstein to view the action of the creature as his own work, the shift between pride and shame in Frankenstein, and his physical appearance demonstrates his purpose to reveal the true character of Victor Frankenstein.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has a simple origin, compared to other stories. While stories such as It by Stephen king started a several year process of creation, Frankenstein began simply as a campfire story Mary Shelley shared with her writer friends one evening. Although the origins of this novel are fairly simple, it provides an in depth psychological perspective on the darker side of human psyche through the shifting first person perspective. Usually these darker aspects are associated with the character’s personal struggles, but one specific theme in all the characters. The theme of obsession has been consistent and the central focus of the three main characters Victor, the creature, and Robert. With this central theme in mind the author, Mary Shelley shows that obsession leads to the characters suffering negative psychological and physical effects, as well as impair their decision making. This is depicted through the decline of physical and mental health through Victor’s struggles with his obsessions with knowledge and justice.

Now the final facet to discuss is the tragic outcome of the monstrous isolation Frankenstein and the Monster suffer--their demise. It is a twofold blow of a personal inability to escape isolation’s grasp coupled with zero chance of outside help because of the isolation that sends both inexorably to expiry. The Monster simply wants to, “become an actor in the busy scene where so many admirable qualities were called forth and displayed,” (130) due to the lesson he learns from the cottagers but from which he is totally excluded. So a solitary solution to his troubles is not possible to begin with. Unfortunately, in his life long search for inclusion, he is turned away from first his creator then the rest of his chance encounters with humanity due only to his monstrous form that no one could imagine could contain any human capacity for friendship, which his unnatural birth imbued him with. Even his plea for a second like him is eventually rebuked by Frankenstein, the one man most likely and farthest from helping him. His isolation truly sealed, the Monster is left with no purpose but to dedicate his life to torturing humanity and his creator, which leads Frankenstein to kill himself, leaving him nothing but the solace of death. For Frankenstein, it is not so simple. To begin, it is his guilt, as if for a crime, for being the man to “[turn] loose into the world a depraved wretch, whose delight was in carnage and misery,” (78) that haunts his every waking thought. Frankenstein’s

In the gothic novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley creates a story about a man named Victor Frankenstein who decides to recreate life without knowing the possible consequences it can have in the future. Throughout the novel the author incorporates a variety of literary elements to develop a clear view as to what the theme is. In Frankenstein, the writing depicts a theme of family and how being isolated from family or society can lead to despair and tragedies. To begin, the qualities of the characters presents them in a way that demonstrates the theme of this novel. For instance, in chapter twelve the creature states, “At first I started back, unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am,

All because of being abandoned one time too many, the creature murders Victor’s family so he knows the hell of being alone, what drove the creature to his ends. Victor loses his younger brother, William, first then followed by the death of his beloved wife, Elizabeth. Henry Clerval, Victor’s best friend, is next to succumb to the creature meanwhile overcome by grief at the previous murders, Victor’s father, Alfonse, dies of overwhelming grief ending what remained of Victor’s family ties. Having felt such an enormous feeling of loss, Victor swears upon their graves to hunt the creature will “feel the despair that now torments”(179) him basing yet another of his actions upon

In the Romance novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley she illustrates themes of innocence and revenge. The book focuses on a wild scientist named Victor Frankenstein. The novel goes through many stories and perspectives on the life of Frankenstein's creation. Throughout the novel the monster tries to prove to the society that he is not a horrible creature and that his physical attributes do not represent him. Although he tries hard to accomplish this goal, society does not believe him so the monster decides to get revenge on Frankenstein. The society is responsible for the deaths that occurred in the novel because they assumed he was a certain way based on his looks, their violent towards him, and they mentally hurt him with their words which turn him evil and make him obsessed with revenge.

Mary Shelley’s first novel, Frankenstein, was published on January 1, 1818. This novel evidently employs “undeniably unorthodox subjects” (Poovey 332). In this work, Shelley narrates the tales of Victor Frankenstein, an idiosyncratic scientist, his grotesque and “wretched” creation and the disastrous events that befall (Shelley 37). Shelley thoroughly represents the gothic theme of isolation by replicating the guilty and fearful emotions of Victor Frankenstein. The novel’s claim to tragedy and murder, which is exemplified throughout every page of the novel, would appear to be the catalyst for Victor Frankenstein’s isolation. Yet in fact, these disastrous events occur are only the result of Victor’s self-inflicted isolation. Victor severs all connections to the outside world, including his family, friends and society; causing him to live a life of torment and isolation. An analysis of Shelley’s “monstrous” character, Victor Frankenstein, affirms how the development of fearful and defensive characteristics had served as a catalyst for the confinement of a self-inflicted life of isolation.

In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, the author employ’s several different themes to suggest a tone of tragedy. Those include abandonment, tragic flaw, and the punishment exceeds the crime. The two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and his monster, are deemed as tragic heroes in Shelly’s novel. Webster defines a hero as “a person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.” Frankenstein and his monster each have their own levels of tragedy. Shelly also supplies each character with flaws and imperfections. The punishments for creating the monster are greatly harsher than the crime of creating it.