Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Numerous

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Numerous people come to know of Frankenstein only through films and cartoons. And many people know Frankenstein as a monster, created by a mad scientist, with bolts through its neck. According to Karen Murdarasi (par. 1), "this understanding of Frankenstein in popular culture doesn't do justice to Mary Shelley's novel of 1818."

The origin of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, according to Burton Pollin, has often been attributed to an event in 1816 in Villa Diodati, near Geneva, which is owned by Byron. In that event "ghost stories had been read aloud and everyone present agreed to write his own weird tale for the group." (Pollin 97) Frankenstein written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley in 1818 is often described as a gothic novel which focuses on the supernatural and the mysterious (Brannstrom). It is also described as a "hybrid of both gothic and romanticism" (Brannstrom 6) as it delves into concerns of the real world such as human feelings. According to the Hutchinson Dictionary of the Arts, Frankenstein is also considered as the origin of modern science fiction.

Frankenstein is the story of the life of Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein is a young, brilliant man who became obsessed in the pursuit of scientific knowledge, particularly that of the mystery and secret of giving life. He worked hard and spent all his time alone working in his laboratory where he created a monstrous being out of the organs of various dead men. Victor Frankenstein was so wrapped up in his experiment that he was not able to fully realize the extent of the consequences of his experiment. He only realized it when it was already too late.

Equally central to Shelley's Frankenstein is the monster, which Victor Frankenstein created. As opposed to the popular belief that Frankenstein is the name of the monster, it is in fact, the name of the creator of the monster. In fact, in Shelley's book, the monster doesn't have a name. Instead it is referred to as daemon, monster, fiend, devil, and thing among many others. At first, the monster was gentle, sensitive, loving, and curious as a child but it later becomes bitter and vengeful due to the cruel encounters it has experienced with humans. Since humans fear the monster's hideous appearance, the monster was forced to hide away from people. Due to its isolation, it grew lonely and became vengeful toward its creator.

According to Carina Brannstrom (3), "Mary Shelley's novel is above all about the theme of alienation and the innocent victims that are affected by it." For Brannstrom (23), "the theme of alienation is… one of the most important themes in Frankenstein." In her essay, Brannstrom (9) analyzed the theme of alienation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein saying that "alienation is something Victor experiences his entire life in terms of his childhood and family, scientific work, and society."

Although the book presents Victor Frankenstein belonging to a family often described as perfect and spending his childhood with his close friends, adopted sister Elizabeth Lavenza and Henry Clerval, Brannstrom notes that during Victor's time at the university in Ingolstadt during which time he spent experimenting, he isolated himself from virtually everyone including his family and friends in his pursuit of knowledge. Victor also spent the end of his days in emotional isolation "trying to destroy the same creation he tried so hard to create." (Brannstrom 9)

In Brannstrom's analysis, Victor's isolation was said to be self-imposed due to his experiments. Brannstrom (10) wrote that "even if Victor chooses isolation, he many times insists that the only reason he is isolated, is because of the creature." In the end, Victor understood the consequences of his experiments that he was "forced to alienate himself from the entire world while attempting to destroy his creation. (Brannstrom 10).

Alienation is also illustrated through the monster. Though the monster did not choose to be isolated and is in fact is in dire need to belong, isolation is forced upon it due to its hideous appearance. Alternatively, isolation is also showed through Captain Robert Walton through whose letters to his sister, the readers come to know of Victor Frankenstein. According to Brannstrom (13), "Walton can be considered as the most important person in the novel." The reason for this is that he has been given "a well integrated personality and compared with Victor and the creature, he represents a healthy human being" (Brannstrom 13-14). However, he also chooses isolation in his desire to explore the North Pole. And yet, to Brannstrom, the character of Robert Walton balances Victor Frankenstein who deliberately chooses to isolate himself from society and the creature who longs to belong to society. According to Brannstrom, "Walton is someone who can strive for distinction but at the same time turn back when his actions might harm others."

Tied to the theme of alienation is the theme of belonging. Whereas alienation includes the isolation of the characters and the loneliness that each felt due to the circumstances they found themselves in, belonging includes the need to be part of something and the responsibility of someone to things or persons it brought forth. Central to the theme of belonging is "paternal negligence and the need for responsible creativity" (Hustis par. 1) as illustrated by Victor Frankenstein. Victor can be likened to a father as he is the creator of the monster.

This creator-creation relationship is the fundamental and one of the most important relationships that Victor and the monster have. As a creator, Victor has responsibility over the monster. When Victor created the monster, it did not know anything. It can be likened to a child beginning with tabula rasa. However, when Victor saw his creation, he was so appalled by its hideous appearance that he fled, leaving the monster to its own devices. Not knowing anything, it learned about life and society through its encounters with humans. And because of its hideous appearance, it was mistreated. Human society shaped the monster that and turned it into a savage creature.

The need to belong is most pronounced in the character of the monster who seeks nothing but to have people who would accept it and care for it. Through the sentiments of the monster that Frankenstein created, the need of every human being to be connected to something or someone is illustrated. It is in fact this very need that drove the monster to revenge against its creator. The tragedy in Shelley's Frankenstein is that the monster was left hopeless, alone, and miserable as the only relationship that the monster had was its relationship with its creator, Victor, who chose not to provide it with a partner and who from the onset decided to run away from its relationship with its creation.