Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818)

This novel is in form of epistolary. It is frame narrative. Victor told his story to Walton and Walton to his sister, Savill.

Frankenstein, this novel is about the –

“Exaggeration always destroying

Exaggeration towards tragic facts.”

  This novel is based on this theme of exaggeration. The exaggeration of Victor (central character) leads him towards the tragic facts of him. Exaggeration of Victor is to become most knowledgeable person in the world. Moreover he tries to prove his knowledge so he creates MONSTER.

  After creating a monster he regrets himself. He isn’t happy to accept his own creation. But here monster wants love, sympathy, protection, affection, and so on. The creature goes on to say:

“I required kindness and sympathy; but I did not believe myself utterly unworthy of it.”

  Victor creates monster but he not ready to accept him so he left out monster. Monster is in search of companion so he creates a lady monster. Monster is very good by heart. It is just like - “A beautiful soul in ugly body.” It is just name that he got from his creator. Otherwise the quality of monster lies in Victor because he wasn’t able to accept what he creates.

  Here Shelley not gave chance to any women. Women are voiceless. They are mute. Through this Shelley satirizes on her patriarchal era. Moreover she creates his male characters like monster. She portrayed ugly face of male characters. Shelley’s imagination of the three characters it is just like image and it is also Shelley’s mind in shape of person.

  Ultimately Frankenstein and Walton both sin, not against the self or the God, but against the moral and social order because Frankenstein create monster breaking the social orders. Moreover he not accept him it is now the sin. It is the wish of Frankenstein and Walton to be more knowledgeable in the world. Both of them are in search of secret of life. But Frankenstein said that –

  “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did’, and hopes that Walton’s temptation “may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been”.  

  Victor take time to search the secret of life but monster got it through the observation of human beings. “For monster the secret of life is the home and company itself”. This essential part of life Victor and Walton understand very late. The knowledge about the life is how to live life in company or community itself.

  Another thing is that this novel also carried out the myth of Narcissism. Narcissism it is feeling of over ambition and dominance. Walton was first person who have highly narcissism. Second is Victor Frankenstein because both of them are in search of life and also wants to be better their life or to be more knowledgeable in the world. Instead of this if we seemed this novel from the distance level writer also wants to be proving her in the so called “PATRIARCHAL World”. So it is also in one way the reflection of narcissism.

Conclusion:

  At the end it is all about the protagonist Frankenstein but it is not clear that who is protagonist. Whether the title is for father (Victor Frankenstein) who create Monster or it is for Monster Frankenstein who teach new way of living life to Victor. So novel is open for interpretation.