Category: Frankenstein

The term Gothic fiction refers to a style of writing that is characterized by elements of fear, horror, death, and gloom, as well as romantic elements, such as nature, individuality, and very high emotion. These emotions can include fear and suspense. In this paper, I will be discussing the writer and works of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. According to the definition of gothic fiction, Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein supports the characterized elements of fear, horror, death, and gloom as well as romantic elements such as nature and very high emotion. “In 1801, when little Mary was four, Godwin remarried. The only memories of her stepmother that Mary recorded are bad ones. Godwin’s second wife, Mary Jane Clairmont, brought her own children, Charles and Jane, into the family, and young Mary felt displaced. A son, William, born in 1803, furthered the girl’s sense of alienation, and she felt driven to compete, not only with the other children but also with the second Mrs. Godwin, for her father’s affection”.

Victor Frankenstein’s monster that he created I believe is a representation of Mary Shelley’s life. Mary Shelley’s mother died due to complications after childbirth. Her mom was her creator, she gave carried and gave birth to her the same way that Victor Frankenstein was the monster’s creator. When Victor the creator of the monster turned his back on him and left him, he was forced to take care of himself in the world, think about small children who have limited access to anything outside the security of their home and what their parents provide for them. Mary Shelley is no different, It was like she was pushed into the world when her mother died; and then at the age of four after her father remarried she felt like an outcast because of her stepmother whom she wasn’t fond of and her two children that she bought into the marriage, to make matters worse for her they had a baby boy she never had that emotional relationship that a mother and daughter have. The difference that I see is that Shelley was an actual human child while the monster was a mental yet emotional child that never had anyone. Which shows two of the characteristics of romanticism, autobiographical ideas, and resourcefulness. Also, Mary Shelley’s book could also be a representation of her own fear of having children. Seeing as though her mother died during childbirth and the monster was rejected after being created.

Next, gothic literature is about death as I previously wrote in a discussion, and in the book, Victor has suffered a number of deaths at the hands of the creature he has created. Victor now knows that the creature is following him to see if he will uphold his promise of building him a bride, but at this point with all that the creature has done Victor is at the point where he is questioning what if the other monster turns out to be the same, or if he creates the bride to be pretty and she doesn’t want him then what will he become so angry that he continues to kill. Then that will be his fault, I get the feeling as if Victor feels like he is a slave to the creature that he created like the creature is telling him if you want me to stop killing then you will do as I say but Victor no longer wants to be controlled or will be controlled so he refuses to build him a bride. “Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my condescension. Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!”

“The hour of my irresolution is past, and the period of your power arrives. Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness, but they confirm mine in the determination of not to create you a companion in vice. Shall I, in cool blood, set loose upon the earth a daemon whose delight is in death and wretchedness? Begone! I am firm, and your words will only exasperate my rage.”

Mary Shelley uses gothic throughout the entire book letter four page 15 she states” We, however, lay to until the morning, fearing to encounter in the dark those large loose masses which float about after the breaking up of the ice” page 20. “As I spoke, a dark gloom spread over my listener’s countenance” Chapter four page 51.” Darkness had no effect upon my fancy, and a churchyard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life, which, from being the seat of beauty and strength, had become food for the worm. examining and analyzing all the minutiae of causation, as exemplified in the change from life to death, and death to life, until from the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon me” Not to mention later in chapter 16 with the change in the monster him being angry and wanting to seek revenge on all humanity and his creator he still decided to save the life of a little girl that was about to drown. However, he was a monster that was trying to attack the girl when all he did was save her, the guy that was with the little girl, in turn, shot him which made him think is this the thanks I get for saving her life? As you read on then see that he meets William Victor’s brother who asks the way Victor acted after seeing him he had planned on letting William go until he announced that his father is Alphonse Frankenstein which I believe fueled the fire within in and caused him to kill William as a part of his revenge on Victor. “I should not be so desolate in this peopled earth.

“Urged by this impulse, I seized on the boy as he passed and drew him towards me. As soon as he beheld my form, he placed his hands before his eyes and uttered a shrill scream; I drew his hand forcibly from his face and said, `Child, what is the meaning of this? I do not intend to hurt you; listen to me.’

“He struggled violently. `Let me go,’ he cried; `monster! Ugly wretch! You wish to eat me and tear me to pieces. You are an ogre. Let me go, or I will tell my papa.’

“`Boy, you will never see your father again; you must come with me.’

“`Hideous monster! Let me go. My papa is a syndic–he is M. Frankenstein–he will punish you. You dare not keep me.’

“`Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy–to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.’”

Finally, I believe everything from the theme, plot, and setting of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein book is gothic and romantic from the beginning to the end of the book as Frankenstein took us on a tour of emotions and suspense throughout the book.

1. Study.com, Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/gothic-fiction-definition-characteristics-authors.html.
2. “Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley.” Poetry Foundation, Poetry Foundation, www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/mary-wollstonecraft-shelley.
3. “Lit2Go.” Adventure 1: ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’ | The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Lit2Go ETC, etc.usf.edu/lit2go/128/frankenstein-or-the-modern-prometheus/2303/chapter-13/.
4. “Frankenstein Mary Shelley.” Free Culture – Chapter One: Creators (by Lawrence Lessig), www.authorama.com/frankenstein-20.html.
5. “Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley: Frankenstein.” The Odyssey by Homer – Read Online – The Literature Page, www.literaturepage.com/read/frankenstein-145.html.

Introduction

Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is a seminal work that delves into the complexities of human identity, exploring the nature vs. nurture debate through the lens of Dr. Frankenstein’s creature. Shelley’s narrative serves as a profound exploration of the ongoing philosophical and psychological discourse regarding the origins of human behavior and personality. Indeed, Dr. Frankenstein’s creature stands as a symbol of this enduring debate, embodying the struggle between innate predispositions and external influences.

Who’s to Blame: Genes or the World?

Dr. Frankenstein’s creation of the creature from various body parts underscores the novel’s exploration of the nature vs. nurture debate. Through his scientific experiment, Dr. Frankenstein blurs the boundaries between life and death, raising profound questions about the nature of identity and existence. However, upon the creature’s animation, he is immediately met with rejection, fear, and isolation from both his creator and society. This initial treatment raises the fundamental question of whether the creature’s subsequent actions and behavior are shaped by his inherent nature as a composite of dead parts or by the hostile world that rejects him.

Nurtured to… Nurture?

Despite the creature’s traumatic introduction to the world, his interactions with the De Lacey family offer a glimpse into the transformative power of nurture. Observing the family from afar, the creature learns about human connections, emotions, and the essence of care. Despite his grotesque appearance, the creature demonstrates a longing for love and understanding, as evidenced by his secret acts of kindness in assisting the family. These nurturing experiences challenge traditional perceptions of the creature’s monstrous nature, highlighting the potential for empathy and compassion to emerge even in the most unconventional circumstances.

Nature Strikes Back

However, the creature’s inherent strength and potential for destructiveness cannot be ignored. As he experiences continued rejection and isolation, the darker aspects of his nature begin to manifest. Driven by feelings of abandonment and betrayal, the creature unleashes his fury upon Dr. Frankenstein and society, seeking vengeance for his perceived injustices. This retaliation underscores the complex interplay between the creature’s innate characteristics and external influences, highlighting the inherent tension between nature and nurture in shaping human behavior and identity.

Conclusion: It’s Both

In conclusion, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” serves as a compelling exploration of the nature vs. nurture debate, offering nuanced insights into the origins of human identity. Through the character of Dr. Frankenstein’s creature, Shelley challenges traditional dichotomies and underscores the interconnectedness of innate predispositions and external experiences in shaping human behavior. Ultimately, the novel reflects the enduring relevance of this debate and its implications for understanding the complexities of human nature. By recognizing the interplay between nature and nurture, Shelley invites readers to ponder the intricate dynamics of identity formation and the enduring quest for understanding the essence of humanity.

‘Frankenstein’, a novel written by Mary Shelley in 1818, is about an open-minded scientist Victor Frankentein whose inventions through innovation and sacrifice led to the creation of a monster that he would later realize was a horrible choice. Victor’s decision had irreparable consequences, both for his own life and for the lives of his loved ones, but the main question, in my opinion, is what motivated him to create a new life, and it is to this that I am going to answer further.

Mary Shelley’s novel portrays Victor Frankenstein as one of the greatest scientists. Victor is a curious human being who is not afraid to test the limits of science. He believed that he could create a new species. He then creates a monster by using the bones of deceased humans and the pieces of animals he tortured, and with his skills, knowledge, and beliefs, he gives the monster life. Victor’s intentions for the monster were completely selfish. He did not make it so the new species would help the people around him, or make their lives easier. Victor wanted to instead create a monster with feelings and emotions so it could obey him and praise him since he is the one that gave such a thing come to life. Shelley shows this in the text, when Victor states, “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me – I thought that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption” (33). In this context, it is clear that Victor wanted to be ‘God’, someone who is supposedly believed to be the only one that could give life or death to everything on earth. By creating something with emotions and life, it seems that Victor also wanted to be responsible for giving life. As what we refer to as a job only ‘God’ can do. Unfortunately, the monster Victor created did not obey or praise him as he hoped to. A creation with the ability to fully express his emotions, just like a human, it felt loneliness, sadness, and anger. The monster ended up killing Victor’s brother and made it look like Justine had killed the brother. Not only did the monster take people’s lives, but it was capable of feeling lonely and manipulative. The monster’s only way to show that he needs attention is to take away people who were close to Victor’s heart. The monster begs Victor to make another monster so they can be a pair so he doesn’t have to be lonely but Victor refuses. Victor realized has gone too far with experimenting with his limits when it came to science and learned from his mistakes. Victor also realizes that he is responsible for creating chaos in not only his life but his family. Victor went after the monster hoping to destroy it, but he ended up going before the monster did.

In summary, it was the desire to become looked on as ‘God’ that drove Victor Frankenstein from Mary Shelley’s novel to create a new life, and was ultimately what led to destroying his own.

Introduction

Introduction: Frankenstein, published in 1818 was written in the peak era of Romanticism and the gothic genre. This statement leaves one curious about the category that the novel fits into.

Thesis: After examining the romantic and gothic genres, it is clear that Frankenstein respects the ideals of Romanticism and the gothic genre because of the novel’s elements such as the characters, the setting, and, conventions.

Paragraph 1:

To begin with, Frankenstein fits the characteristics of romantic settings due to its picturesque and mysterious nature. It also fits the characteristics of Gothic settings for the reason that the locations presented are dreary environments that build suspense.

Romantic settings often reflect a deepened appreciation of the beauties of nature. Mary Shelley demonstrates this in Frankenstein as the novel is set in Switzerland, well known for its scenic essence. Victor speaks of it highly “Dear mountains! my own beautiful lake! how […} Your summits are clear; the sky and lake are blue and placid (Shelley 92). Furthermore, they also entail obscure places such as Geneva, Switzerland as well as the Arctic regions that are uncommon travel destinations that remain unexplored to the majority of readers.

Gothic settings, often serve as a backdrop for mysterious circumstances and the night of the monster’s awakening exemplifies this “ It was on a dreary night in November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils […] It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes and my candle was nearly burnt out.” (Shelley 66) Likewise, they are often located in frightening, gloomy places and Victor’s laboratory is fitting to this description as its details are disturbing being a place where Victor raises the dead.

Paragraph 2:

In addition, the characters in Frankenstein, contain many of the traits of characters in the romantic genre as they often react based on their emotions. Victor fits the gothic genre as well as he is a villain-hero, a character that plays a pivotal role in Gothic literature.

Romantic characters are known to react emotionally as opposed to rationally. The monster, for example, becomes destructive when the family he has grown to love shuns him simply because of his disfigured appearance. After they leave the dwelling he burns it down “The wind fanned the fire and the cottage has quickly enveloped the flames which clung to it, and licked it with their forked and destroying tongues.” (Shelley 183). Through his insane actions, Shelley proves that the monster cannot bear any more injustice and must vent his rage. Another instance where we see the monster unable to moderate the impulses of his emotions is when he encounters young William Frankenstein and kills him. He claims, ‘I too can create desolation, my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him.’ The monster’s wrath over his rejections coupled with his desire for revenge causes him to lose his reason. Victor also demonstrates actions that can be attributed to his emotionalism. This is evident when he pursues the monster in a chase at the North Pole. Any person of sound- mind would realize that this is an unattainable mission because of the freezing temperatures and Victor’s size and strength compared to the monster’s however he states “I was hurried away by fury.” ( Shelley 273) Therefore, Victor’s erratic behaviors reveal how he, like the monster abandons logic because has been pushed to the limit.

Victor is a villain-hero, specifically a Byronic hero as Byronic heroes are usually rebellious, isolated young men. Victor fits this description well as he is rebellious in the sense that he indulges himself in the aspect of natural science that is deemed useless and is trying to take on the role of God, something that is known to be bound to have dangerous consequences. Moreover, he becomes increasingly isolated once he moves away from his family to study at the University of Ingolstadt. He states “I threw myself into the chaise that was to convey me away and indulged in the most melancholy reflections. I, who had ever been surrounded by amiable companions, continually engaged in endeavoring to bestow mutual pleasure-I was now alone.” (Shelley 98). This obsessiveness and solitude demonstrate how Victor’s character embodies a Byronic hero.

Paragraph 3:

Finally, Frankenstein, respects romantic conventions due to its lack of realism. It also respects gothic conventions because of the presence of the grotesque and necromancy.

Romantic authors often abandon the limitations of logic and rationality to achieve their creative potential, and Mary Shelley demonstrates this. Although this is obvious throughout the novel, the period following the monster’s creation exemplifies Shelley’s stretching of reality. The monster wanders the city, being excluded by society, and eventually finds an old, hovel adjacent to a cottage with windows but in one of the windows “there was a small and almost imperceptible chink, through which the eye could just penetrate.” (Shelley 139) This conveniently allows him to observe the cottagers and listen in on their conversations, to acquire a basic knowledge of the language. Then, he is able to perfect his language by listening in on the French lessons Felix gives Safie and reading books he finds in an abandoned satchel. To answer the monster and questions about exactly where he originated from, Shelley has him wearing Victor’s lab coat containing a “journal of the four months that preceded [his] creation.” (Shelley 171 ) The plot would be unable to continue with an uninformed and uneducated monster thus Shelley looks to bring about some coincidental turn of events to account for the way the monster comes across the knowledge and becomes as intellectual as he does although it is all highly improbable.

Frankenstein references gothic conventions such as necromancy and the grotesque. The novel is essentially centered on necromancy, magic, or science involving summoning the spirits of the dead because Victor creates a man from dead body parts. We read about Victor wandering the streets of Ingolstadt or the Orkney Islands after dark in a search for body parts and illegally digging them up invoking an eerie, feeling in the reader. It also contains the grotesque, meaning very strange or ugly in a way that is not normal or natural because the monster is strange-looking therefore he contains an aspect of physical grotesqueness. Victor’s description says ‘His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same color as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips. (Shelley 66). This description implies the monster’s appearance was horrendous, which invokes a sense of disgust in the reader.

Conclusion:

Undoubtedly, it is clear that Mary Shelley respects the traits of two closely connected genres through the physical location and atmosphere of the environments, the individuals’ attributes, and the norm of the literary style. This leads us to wonder what aspects of the two genres Mary Shelley did not make use of and the reason behind this.

Villainy refers to the conduct of someone who is involved in committing disgraceful crimes. When one thinks of a villain, other synonyms come to mind: for example, sinner, criminal, and transgressor. Villains are used across literature as a plot device to help move the story along and catalyze to key events. They are meant to be a foil for the hero as they are meant to have contrasting personality traits. In ‘Frankenstein’ it is easy to conclude that the Creature is the antagonist and Victor is the protagonist on his way to hunt this villain down. Unexpectedly, however, Victor is arguably presented in the end just as much a villain as the Creature, he has made. In this way, he is similar to Griffin in ‘The Invisible Man’ as they both take ambition too far and turn it into greed and this results in them committing multiple crimes.

The presentation of villainy is continually subverted throughout each novel, through the lens of different characters. Physical appearance plays a crucial role in this image. The Creature is introduced to us through Walton’s eyes as he describes a distant creature who is of ‘gigantic stature’; this makes the Creature seem scary and confrontational from the outset. Next, we see the Creature through Victor Frankenstein’s eyes, when he is bringing the Creature to life. Shelley describes it as ‘dreary night of November’ Shelley has utilized this setting to show us the Creature in a negative light. Shelley then utilizes pathetic fallacy to convey the miserable setting again, the way that ‘the rain pattered dismally’ foreshadows the destruction and disconsolate events that are going to occur. When the Creature finally comes to life, Victor describes the creature to have ‘yellow skin’ and ‘straight black lips’, this ugly description constructs a picture of the Creature to look like a monster. This depiction of the Creature horrifies both the reader and Frankenstein so much so that Victor flees, his hostile reaction establishes his own creation as a villain, in his mind, from the outset. This view of a horrible looking monster being villainous is one that society will adopt too and therefore reject the Creature as well. In the same way, the first impressions of the Invisible Man encourage the reader to be suspicious of him. When he arrives at the inn he is shrouded in mystery as he is ‘wrapped up from head to foot’, so that no-one knows what he looks like. Unlike the Creature, the villagers think he could have been disfigured by an accident making them initially sympathetic. We see this mysterious nature again when he comments, “This room is really to be mine for my own private use”. The Invisible Man says this defensively, making it clear to see that he has a secret he doesn’t want anyone to find out. He wants to keep Mrs. Hall quiet and wants her out of his room. His negative reputation grows when he gets increasingly angry and insulting with the ‘simply humbugging’ of the carpenter that takes too long to fix the clock. This gives the impression that he is impatient, offensive, and rude. The idea of him having a secret is reinforced with the ‘extra payment’ he gives to the landlady of the inn when he causes any trouble. He snaps at her to put it down in the bill; he is paying her more money than necessary so that she leaves him alone and does not ask too many questions.

Identity is a crucial part of our psychological make up, yet this is a contested and complex issue in both novels. The Creature in ‘Frankenstein’ was abandoned at birth so therefore had to learn his own identity; as he explores the world without his creator, it is hard to know what to identify with. The Creature questions his identity, asking, “Who was I? What was I?”. The use of the word ‘what’ stands out as this is a hint to him knowing that he isn’t like other humans. Victor describes his appearance thus: “his countenance expressed the utmost of malice and treachery”. He is suggesting that the Creature’s terrifying appearance is evidence of his evil character, the Creature learns that people are terrified of his face and will judge him before he even speaks. The Creature is never given a name in this novel, he is simply referred to as ‘the monster’, ‘the daemon’, ‘the fiend’, and ‘the wretch’, these all have negative connotations so this could provoke the audience to feel sympathy for the Creature as he cannot be identified positively or with love. However, this sympathy could be short-lived as with hardly anyone knowing that this creature exists, he uses this to his advantage and commits crimes knowing he can’t be persecuted for it, showing his villainous side. In contrast, the identity of the Invisible Man is concealed. Wells opens his novel with “The stranger came early in February, one wintry day”. Wells utilizes the opening lines as he goes into details about the setting and the weather but fails to mention who this man is, or what his name is in order to create an air of mystery about him. We will not know the Invisible Man’s name until chapter 7. Griffin tells Dr. Kemp, “I’m all here: head, hands, legs, and all the rest of it, but it happens I’m invisible”. This line has been utilized, as a key part of this novel is that no one can see Griffin until the ends and just like the monster, he uses his hidden identity to commit crimes as he knows he will escape detection. This links to the Jack the Ripper case which dominated the late 1800s, his identity was never found, allowing him to get away with his crimes just like Griffin in ‘The Invisible Man’.

Victor Frankenstein and the Invisible Man are both transgressors as they push boundaries, play God and go beyond the normal scientific experimentation. The 19th century in science saw the birth of science as a profession which both of these characters are interested in pursuing. In ‘Frankenstein’ the reader sees that Victor has always had a thirst for knowledge. As he tells Walton, “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn”. The verb ‘desire’ is utilized to put emphasis on his obsession of science and wanting to learn everything about anything. Victor feels like he is doing the right thing by creating new life that he gets so caught up he feels invincible. “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me”. This is what he hoped would be the outcome from his experiments. The verb ‘bless’ highlights how he wanted to be respected and adored, but he did not reflect on the responsibilities and duties that would come with it. This shows Victor’s self-interest and lack of regard for others. Victor has played God; he has created a being but instead of being proud he is horrified and abandons his creature. Likewise, in ‘The Invisible Man’ Griffin is also fueled by scientific theories that no man has solved. Griffin just like Victor becomes obsessed with a scientific experiment which plays God. He works out how to create invisibility, he sees a magnificent vision of all that invisibility might mean to a man: the mystery, the power, the freedom. Wells has utilized the rule of three to show the reader how excited Griffin is when this experiment of his work. If he achieved this, he would arguably be one of the most powerful men in the world with no one to stop him. Paul A. Cantor states that Griffin was “driven to his experiments by a fierce ambition in the first place, Griffin grows increasingly megalomaniacal once he becomes invisible. He thus takes his place in a line of literary portrayals of mad scientists that stretches back to Mary Shelley’s Victor Frankenstein”. Griffins was hard worker and he wasn’t going to stop until he achieved his scientific dreams, however he took his gift too far and it resulted in his downfall.

Throughout both novels we see Victor, the Creature and Griffin isolated either by choice or by society. In ‘Frankenstein’ Victor isolates himself in order to experiment with science, which has consequences. Victor believes himself ‘totally unfitted for the company of strangers’, which finally suggests an admission of wrongdoing and abuse of power. Victor is also isolated by grief as the only way he can come to terms with the deaths of William and Justine is to remove himself from the family sphere. He admits that “Solitude was my only consolation: deep, dark, deathlike solitude”, which also shows he cannot face his responsibilities. Shelley utilizes the rule of three and alliteration here by conveying that Victor is on the edge of despair: he is in an abyss and doesn’t see a way out. In ‘Frankenstein’, the Creature is also isolated through no choice of his own. This Creature was not born evil, but as a result of the alienation he feels from society he begins to feel hate, anger and a desire for revenge. The Creature cries out to Victor, “Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?”. This rhetorical question shows how the monster reflects on his deformities and differences from man. He knows he is alienated from society for his appearance. This evokes sympathy from the reader for this helpless being and we start to see how Victor’s lack of responsibility is the real problem. The Creature also uses religious reference to convey his sense of isolation from his fellow men “Satan had his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him; but I am solitary and abhorred I was dependent on none and related to none”. Even the epitome of evil has friends and isn’t lonely, but the monster’s loneliness is particularly acute because he knows he will be rejected anytime he tries to reach out to anyone, since his size and appearance make him terrifying to human beings. Similarly, in ‘The Invisible Man’ Griffin first decides to isolate himself at the inn to try and work on reversing his experiment in order to re-enter society. After causing havoc in the village he hides with Dr. Kemp, where he admits to him, “I made a mistake in carrying this thing through alone”. One may argue that this shows that he regrets his choices that have led him up to this point – he would not have committed any crimes if he had someone to help him. It could also be argued that this suggests he feels it would have been easier to commit these crimes and get away with them, with a partner. His inability to reflect on the disastrous consequences of his decisions or acknowledge blame, points towards his villainy. This line is then juxtaposed with “Alone – it is wonderful how little a man can do alone! To rob a little, to hurt a little”. The adjective ‘wonderful’ shows us he thinks it is a positive thing to be alone and therefore conceal his crimes. The word a ‘little’ shows his careless, irresponsible side as he dismisses his crimes even though they hurt other people. Furthermore, Griffin declares “I was alone. In all my great moments I have been alone”. He has undertaken this whole journey alone, conducted his scientific experiments alone, his achievements alone and committed all his crimes alone. No one can understand him or relate to what he is going through, that could be the worst form of isolation: surrounded by people but always alone.

The Creature, the Invisible Man, and Victor have all committed acts punishable by law, therefore in the eyes of many they are perceived as villains. Each man had different motives but what joins them together is the fact that every crime has a victim. In ‘Frankenstein’ many of these victims suffer from injustice. One of the many victims is Justine, who receives the fate of a criminal due to a miscarriage of justice as she was executed for the Creature’s crimes. Victor tells Walton that these events were a “wretched mockery of justice”, the powerful emotive words are utilized to convey his affliction on the matter. Another person to die at the hands of the Creature is William (Victor’s brother). Victor beautifully describes his brother: “sweet laughing blue eyes, dark eyelashes, and curling hair”. This description shows William as a happy young boy full of life which would make the reader dislike the Creature as he has taken that away, and envision how scared this small boy would have been seeing the huge monster. Victor comments on the situation as follows: “Thus, spoke my prophetic soul, as torn by remorse, horror, and despair, I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts”. Victor feels responsible for the first time and this is show in the rule of three that Shelley has used, he created this killing machine for his own selfish needs and now the consequences have resulted in grave despair. Initially the reader can view the Creature as the villain, but one must also consider that Victor created him and then abandoned him so is therefore responsible for this creature’s actions. There are likewise victims in ‘The Invisible Man’ due to Griffin’s crimes, however in this case the victims receive some justice at the end of the novel. The main victims of this novel are the villagers as they deal with his constant torment. Griffin is running out of money to stay at the inn so he will have to steal it. His first crime was a burglary at the Vicarage: we learn he has stolen money as Mrs. Bunting exclaims to her husband that “the money gone”. This shows his villainous side as he gives no regard to who he steals from or if they need the money more, he only cares for himself. Another victim is Thomas Marvel who Griffin befriends, however, he was just “using that tramp as a money box and luggage carrier”. The derogatory term ‘tramp’ shows he looks down on this man and is just using him to benefit himself. He needs him though and this is shown when Marvel tries to leave, he threatens him “I shall twist your wrist again”, Griffin doesn’t mind using the threat of physical violence to get what he wants showing to the reader he is a ruthless villain. In the last chapter of ‘The Invisible Man’ Griffin death is described as on a shabby bed in a tawdry, ill-lighted bedroom, ended the strange experiment of the Invisible man. The village band together to beat up Griffin as a form of revenge for the chaos he has created in Iping.

This leads us to question if society has shaped these men to commit crimes or if they are inherently evil. In the Victorian era, people with physical disabilities and deformities would be gawked at and mocked in freak shows and this is the same society that is disgusted by the Creature appearance resulting in him being rejected by society. To further the point of the Creature being ostracized when he tries to enter society Jane Thomas argues that in ‘Frankenstein’, “The Creature is born with more feminine instincts, he wants to look after the DeLacey family, he wants to be good, but it is society that makes him bad, the reactions he receives from other people turn him evil”. The Creature befriends DeLacey who was blind as he wants to help him, however when the rest of the family returns, they react badly and Felix ‘dashed’ him to the ground and struck him violently with a stick. This shows how quickly society will judge someone on their countenance alone, the blind man was willing to take him in and listen to what he needed but the others saw his hideous face and assumed the worst. In retaliation the Creature declared everlasting war against the species: if they were going to expect him to be evil, that’s what he would do. So, it is clear society imposes and constructs a monstrous identity for the Creature and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in some sense. By contrast, in ‘The Invisible Man’, the village at first welcomes Griffin. When he first arrives at the inn, he follows Mrs. Hall into the parlor “And with that much introduction, that and a couple of sovereigns flung upon the table, he took up his quarters in the inn”. Even though the arrival of him was mysterious, he was dressed head to toe in heavy clothes with his body wrapped in bandages, he wasn’t judged and was given a room straight away. It is not until petty crimes occur like burglaries that the villagers start to become suspicious of Griffin. Therefore, unlike the monster these crimes aren’t an act of revenge. This is clear as he was already committing crimes when he was younger. We find out that he stole money from his father to fund his research and that his father later committed suicide. He admits to Kemp that he did not feel a bit sorry for my father. He seemed to me to be the victim of his own foolish sentimentality. This highlights to the reader that he does not have any remorse for his actions, showing a more sinister side to him that he could have always possessed.

Overall, these three characters are different but what unifies them is obsession, resulting in their downfall. Griffin’s experiment is the root of his villainy, whereas the Creature was a victim of Frankenstein’s hubris. Society projects the label of villainy on the creature, however his obsession to be accepted caused pain and the ensuing rejection leads to revenge. It could be argued that Victor is the true villain as his obsession to play God resulted in displacing blame upon the Creature when his scientific dreams failed to live up to his expectations.

Paradise Lost and Frankenstein share how little control we have to control our fate. In Paradise Lost God always had Satan under his control and was able to undue or influence his actions. In Frankenstein, however, the monster is not always under control by Victor but isn’t able to change how people perceive him. Both novels seem to emphasize the lack of control we have over our lives because although characters who perceive predetermination attempt to change it by doing what they can do best, the predestined identity and fate still remain regardless of their efforts. Mary Shelly’s motives behind making these comparisons are to give emphasis to both the Monster and Victor’s actions, as well as to show the morals behind them. Victor’s intellectual curiosity and ambition do not contribute to any scientific advancement or social progress. Instead, he destroys a family and, symbolically, populates the world with monstrous fantasies portraying that his actions are more comparable to Satan in Paradise Lost. From its inception, the creature is looked down on by Frankenstein, who soon sends it away for being a “vile insect!” (Shelly 139). While Victor is solely to blame for his own fate which he created for himself and those around him based on his groundless actions, God as well loses grip on Satan and creates the self-fault of the individual’s vainglory. Satan leaves heaven not because of being banished but because he feels that he is in a higher position in the angel hierarchy making him too important to bow down to the Son. Once their creations have left, God and Victor Frankenstein both feel their own wrath.

The Monster’s actions “brought madness with it, and when I thought of what had passed, a real insanity possessed me” (Shelley 290-291). The Monster decides the best way to destroy Victor’s life is to fill him with guilt. The murders of William, Justine, and Clerval leave Victor “laying for two months on the point of death” (Shelly 240), and soon blames himself for the death of his former friends. While the Monster is portrayed as being alone in the world, “Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. He had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator; he was allowed to converse with, and acquire knowledge from, beings of a superior nature: but I was wretched, helpless, and alone.” (Shelly 190-191. However he reminds Victor “that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.”(Shelly 140-141) By comparing Victor to God, the monster gives responsibility for his evil deeds to Victor, forcing him grief for his neglectful failure to provide a good environment for him to live in. He tells Victor during their first real conversation that he “The words induced me to turn towards myself. I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow creatures were high and unsullied descent united with riches. A man might be respected with only one of these advantages, but without either, he was considered, except in very rare instances, as a vagabond and a slave, doomed to waste his powers for the profits of the chosen few! ” (Shelley 174).

The similarities between Satan and the monster are implied that since Satan is the cause of men falling, which formulates from “Paradise Lost,” the creature may just be a spawn of Satan. While God only has his paradise tarnished, Victor has his destroyed as well.” Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me.” (Shelley 191). The creature speaks these words to Victor, showing the reality that Shelley attributes the creature to more than the actions of a singular “Paradise Lost” character. The fallen angel in question is Satan, who became the ruler of Hell after falling from God’s kingdom. Victor’s first word to the monster, that being “Devil” (Shelly 139), provides the view that Satan is in part of the creature’s character. Another similarity can be found in the evil tendencies of both. The creature tells Victor that he came to the decision that “Evil thenceforth would be my good” (Shelly 340). This quote obviously comes from Satan’s dialogue from “Paradise Lost.” The character traits and conventions that Victor Frankenstein and his creature display are almost the same as those of Adam, God, and Satan from “Paradise Lost” in more than one way. It is important for those who read through these two pieces of literature to interpret and learn from the actions of the characters. After all, it is every person’s desire to achieve his or her own paradise, whether that be in the present or in the supposed afterlife. If one ever does achieve this, the last thing you want is to wind up having your, “Paradise Lost”.

The extract from ‘Frankenstein’ demonstrates how Shelley utilises first person narrative to express the inner thoughts and workings of Victor Frankenstein’s brain and conscious. Whereas in ‘North and South’, Gaskell employs the use of third person narrative to contrast Margaret’s sophisticated way of life with the working-class characters in the novel. Narrative voice and perspective are important in every novel as it is the medium through which the author expresses the thoughts and views, they wish each character to have. Narration can also highlight the tone the author wishes the novel to convey. The different forms of narration and the perspective it takes shapes the views of the author.

In ‘Frankenstein’, first person narrative is used to highlight the main themes of the novel and the moral issues they carry. In contrast, Gaskell uses third person narrative in ‘North and South’ to compare societal issues. Shelley uses different forms of first-person narration such as letters throughout ‘Frankenstein’. This provides a way of framing thoughts and perspective. Gaskell uses a traditional novel format to frame the opinions of her characters. This is especially important as she analyses more than one character within her novel. In ‘Frankenstein’, the use of first-person narrative has limitations. Although the main characters emotions are highlighted, other characters feeling and emotions and the setting around the main character are rarely mentioned. In contrast, Gaskell’s use of third person gives freedom to write about other characters and the setting around them.

In the extract given from ‘Frankenstein’, there are many examples of first-person narrative. “I often asked myself” (Shelley, 33), “I revolved these circumstances in my head” (Shelley, 33). This allows the reader to understand the inner workings of Victor Frankenstein’s thoughts and emotions. It allows Victor to become a more sympathetic character in the book as the reader can understand what he has been through and what has led to him wanting to build a being such as Frankenstein’s monster. His thoughts towards the ending of this passage become self-deprecating. “I was surprised that among so many men of genius…I alone should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret” (Shelley, 34). This may lead to the broader theme of abandonment in the novel itself. Frankenstein finds it hard to believe that he may have created this new phenomenon, this new science. This is because no one else has believed in him up until this point. He finds it hard to believe in the work he has done or, indeed, to believe in himself. These thoughts and ideas forming in Victor Frankenstein’s head can only be understood by the reader due to Shelley’s use of first-person narrative. The reader gets an in-depth view into what is happening in Victor’s head. In this way, first person narrative is used to highlight the main theme of the novel and the moral issues they carry.

Unlike Shelley, Gaskell employs the use of third person narrative in ‘North and South’. Gaskell does not dwell as much on a singular character. Gaskell uses third person narrative to compare and contrast the different social classes within North and South. Third person allows the reader to experience the events of the novel as an individual, from an unattached viewpoint. The use of third person narration allows Gaskell to share direct information about the setting and characters. “There were many mills, out of which poured streams of men and women” (Gaskell, 71), as Gaskell uses third person narration, it gives the reader an opportunity to experience the setting of the novel. ‘North and South’ is set within the industrial revolution in England and that is very apparent in this extract. Margaret is an upper-class lady and if the reader were to experience the novel through her narration it would affect the way we view the lower-class citizens. Due to the third person narration, the reader is able to see the citizens are they truly are. In this extract there are references to “girls with rough, but not unfriendly, freedom” (Gaskell, 71), “workmen…who commented on her looks” (Gaskell, 71). Whilst the social class difference is apparent, there is little emotion in describing it as there is third person narration. This makes the social class even more apparent as it is not romanticised. This extract shows how third person narrative is necessary in ‘North and South’ to highlight societal issues within the novel.

In the Novel ‘Frankenstein’, Shelley uses different forms of first-person narration such as the medium of letters to write the story. This is epistolary narration. This can only be done through the use of first-person narrative. Shelley uses letters to frame Walton’s thoughts. The letters allow Shelley to provide Walton’s issues of loneliness and allows Shelley to set up the framework for the rest of her novel. The use of letters allows Shelley to switch narrators within the novel. This extract is not written as a letter but was included in one of Walton’s letters. It is written as a traditional chapter. The use of letters at the start of the novel allows Victor to talk in the present tense and day within this extract. The premise of the story has already been started by Walton in his letters, allowing Victor to move the story forward. In this extract, Victor speaks of how he “should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret” (Shelley, 33) or how he “should be impressed with no supernatural horrors” (Shelley, 33). It is clear that this manuscript that Victor has written and given to Walton was written after the events had occurred. The use of Walton’s letters allowed Shelley to foreshadow what was to happen to Victor. Victor’s story also mimics that of Walton as he too is on a journey enveloped in loneliness. In this way, Shelley uses different writing styles to frame the thoughts and perspectives of her characters.

However, Gaskell’s ‘North and South’ takes a different approach than ‘Frankenstein’. Gaskell uses a traditional novel format to frame her settings and characters. This allows Gaskell to examine more than one character within her novel. Not only that, it allows Gaskell to contrast the different social classes and ways of life within her novel. Due to Gaskell using third person narrative, it is possible to see ways of life that are different to Margaret’s. The story is not affected by Margaret’s personal views as it is not told through letters or through first person narrative. Although this extract mainly focuses on Margaret’s experience, there are scenes throughout the novel in which Margaret is not present. As stated above, this extract focuses on Margaret, there are examples of other characters mannerisms, opinions and lifestyle. “The very outspokenness marked their innocence of any intention to hurt her delicacy” (Gaskell, 71), this sentence demonstrates the “workmen’s” (Gaskell, 71) point of view. If this was written in first person narration such as Frankenstein, it would be impossible to work out what the workmen’s intentions really were. Margaret was “frightened by the disorderly tumult” (Gaskell, 72) and the reader would have been influenced by Margaret’s opinions and experience and viewed the workmen in a different light. This is why the format and narrative in ‘North and South’ is important as it aids in character development and in forming the readers of the different characters, not just a singular character.

First person narrative is used throughout the novel ‘Frankenstein’. Many examples of this can be seen throughout the extract. Although this narration is beneficial to some of the major themes within ‘Frankenstein’ and it aids in making Victor a character to empathise with, there are limitations to first person narrative. As the reader is only hearing and seeing the world and events of the book from Victor’s point of view, they can be seen as bias and one sided. Victor is not an independent character or narrator and therefore his narration is affected by his very close involvement in the events of the story. First person narration does not allow a writer to share direct information about the setting and characters. Due to Victor’s emotional attachment to the events of the novel, his narration of the story is unreliable. It is clear from the extract that Victor’s narration is unreliable. “In my education my father had taken the greatest precautions that mind should be impressed with no supernatural horrors” (Shelley, 33), Victor speaks of his childhood, showing the emotional attachment to the subject matter he will be talking about. This can be seen as foreshadowing to the emotional response Victor will have after he has created the monster. Due to the first-person narration, there is little mention of surroundings or settings or even of the emotions of other characters. Victor talks of spending nights “in vaults and Charnel houses” (Shelley, 33), but there is little to no description of these places throughout the extract and the entire novel. The narration allows Victor to talk of his thoughts and emotions but only his thoughts and emotions. This is what makes the limitations of first-person narration so apparent.

In contrast, Gaskell’s ‘North and South’ use of third person narration gives more freedom throughout the novel. Third person narration is a more reliable form of narration as the narrator is not a character within the storyline. The narrator is an independent source of information. The narrator is not bias as they have no personal involvement within the story or with the characters. As mentioned above, the main character of Margaret does not influence the reader’s point of view as she is not the narrator of the story and the reader can see the story from a number of different perspectives. Similar to first person narration in ‘Frankenstein’, ‘North and South’ use of third person narrative has its limitations. The unattached nature of a third person narrator can undercut feelings or emotional scenes within the novel. The narrator can seem very removed from the plight of the individual characters. Third person narrative can focus on the setting or surroundings of the main characters which can take away from the individual. This can be seen throughout the novel and there are examples of this within the extract from ‘North and South’. “She alternately dreaded and fired up against the workmen” (Gaskell, 71), “If she had been less frightened by the disorderly tumult” (Gaskell, 72), because Margaret is not expressing her own emotions, in this case fear, it is hard for a reader to be empathetic to her character. The reader can also view the novel from the perspective of other characters, which leads to the reader being more knowledgeable than an individual character. This again makes it hard to empathise with a particular character and what they are experiencing. Although third person narrative allows more freedom than first person narration, it too has its limits.

It is clear from both the extract from ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley and the extract taken from Gaskell’s ‘North and South’ that narrative voice and perspective are necessary and play an important role in a story and novel. The use and choice of narration allows the writer to share information about the setting and characters. Shelley uses first person narrative to aid the exploration of Victor Frankenstein’s personal struggles and battles. Her use of letters and traditional narrative provide an interesting read and help the reader to understand the setting of the novel of Frankenstein. Gaskell utilises third person narrative to express the views of each of her characters and to explain the broader themes of her novel such as social class and the industrial revolution. Gaskell’s highlights the social inequalities through using an unattached third person narration. While it is clear both of these narrative perspectives have their limitations, it is necessary to recognise the importance of narrative voice and perspective in each of these novels. There are reasons for which Gaskell and Shelley have picked their chosen narrative and it is to explain and express the characters of the novel. Narrative voice and perspective shape the story the author is writing and releasing into the world.

Works Cited

1. Mary Shelley. Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus (1818). Oxford University Press, 1998, 33-4.
2. Elizabeth Gaskell, North and South (1855). Oxford University Press. 1982, 71-2.

We are living in an age of relatively advanced technology. Cloning technology can copy objects into living objects. Cloning pigs and cloning cattle have become a reality. If it were not for some people’s objections, cloning humans would certainly become a reality. We have to figure out whether technology is out of control.

My understanding is that in a sense, technology is out of control. First, literature always precedes reality. Many years ago, we read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. In fact, it was a story almost 200 years ago, and now part of the book has become a reality. We watched in class a movie story about artificial intelligence people having their own emotions and then escaping from human control step by step according to their super high IQ. It is called Ex Machina. Although now it seems that this story is just fiction, no one can ensure that will not become a reality. Until then, everything is late, everything will become uncontrollable, and humans will become slaves of robots.

There is a British series of films: black mirror, a lot of sci-fi scenes in movies now seem unrealistic, but it is quite possible if think carefully and more. For example, there is an episode, because the living environment of the earth is getting more and more difficult, people think of making a machine to shrink the human body and people then consume less food and air, but this is only an excuse for a better life for more people. The shrinking number of people’s lives is even worse.

Another example is the Matrix movie; there are so many movies that literature may be predicting the next 200 years. There are also examples of out-of-control technology in reality. In 1945, the two atomic bombs dropped by the United States and Japan caused huge human losses. To this day, the people of Nagasaki, and Hiroshima, cannot live well. In the future, technology is moving in a direction that may be uncontrollable. I think we need to figure out who is monster; is it a human, representing the creator, or the monster itself, representing something created by humans? In the novel, the monster was created by Frankenstein.

The monster was not accepted by humans, nor by his creator. I prefer to believe that monster is kind in themselves, just like newborn children, they are all kind when they come into the world. What makes them stay good or become evil is not them, but the environment that affects them. For a newborn child, it may be their parents or teachers; for the monster in the story, it’s Frankenstein. In that case, we can draw the conclusion that Frankenstein turned a monster into a monster. So, who is a monster? I think Frankenstein is a monster. Those who get technology out of control are the real monsters.

“Life of Pi” and “Frankenstein” are disclosures that perfectly challenge the boundary of ethics thus morality is a vital theme in both the novel and movie as both contexts have parallel implications primarily through Pi and Frankenstein’s peril. Mary Shelley reverses the role of man and monster whereas Ang Lee blurs the line of morality by presenting two stories, one which reveals the extreme cruelty of mankind and one which offers Pi as a resilient hero.

Following the storm, Pi submits to God by stating “thank you God for everything, I’m ready now”, Ang Lee insinuates through this that Pi, in the face of such hardships, will not abandon God because his might has become more obvious to him. God awards Pi’s salvation with the algae island, a green island, green representing the color of life and renewal.

God punishes Frankenstein with the death of all those dearest to him and the loss of his own mortality, this symbolizes opposing God’s will, will only result in the loss of one’s humanity. Pi, however, submits to God in the face of such despair and is awarded renewal through the algae island.

Following the storm, Pi submits to God by stating “thank you God for everything, I’m ready now”, Ang Lee insinuates through this that Pi, in the face of such hardships, will not abandon God because his might has become more obvious to him. God awards Pi’s salvation with the algae island, a green island, green representing the color of life and renewal.

God punishes Frankenstein with the death of all those dearest to him and the loss of his own mortality, this symbolizes opposing God’s will, will only result in the loss of one’s humanity. Pi, however, submits to God in the face of such despair and is awarded renewal through the algae island.

God and his ways

God and religion in “Frankenstein” dictate the morality of the characters. Frankenstein plays God through his creation of the Monster, and his regard of himself as a greater being to God, as implied by the statement “no father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should claim theirs.” (42) Mary Shelley conveys to the readers; Frankenstein has become obsessed with playing God to dehumanize Frankenstein. She personifies their relationship to suggest he is even willing to replace God as the fabricator of life. The Monster is intrigued by God, as seen by his fascination of nature. “The pleasant sunshine, and the pure air of day, restored me to some degree of tranquility,” (102) The monster is indulging in God’s gift. Though he is technically the monster by appearance, he has the sense of a human, something which Frankenstein lacks. Isn’t it ironic how a “monster” can respect God whereas a human being cannot?

Ang Lee shows the humanity in Pi through his seeking of salvation in God In the scene where there is a colossal storm, Pi loses his survival tools and even his words as represented by the loss of the notebook. God even attempts to take Richard Parker, his only source of hope. The storm and lightning provide strong imagery of God’s might and his absolute control over human beings, and it is because of his might Pi draws closer to God.

God and religion in “Frankenstein” dictate the morality of the characters. Frankenstein plays God through his creation of the Monster, and his regard of himself as a greater being to God, as implied by the statement “no father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should claim theirs.” (42) Mary Shelley conveys to the readers; Frankenstein has become obsessed with playing God to dehumanize Frankenstein. She personifies their relationship to suggest he is even willing to replace God as the fabricator of life. The Monster is intrigued by God, as seen by his fascination of nature. “The pleasant sunshine, and the pure air of day, restored me to some degree of tranquility,” (102) The monster is indulging in God’s gift. Though he is technically the monster by appearance, he has the sense of a human, something which Frankenstein lacks. Isn’t it ironic how a “monster” can respect God whereas a human being cannot?

Ang Lee shows the humanity in Pi through his seeking of salvation in God In the scene where there is a colossal storm, Pi loses his survival tools and even his words as represented by the loss of the notebook. God even attempts to take Richard Parker, his only source of hope. The storm and lightning provide strong imagery of God’s might and his absolute control over human beings, and it is because of his might Pi draws closer to God.

“Even when God seemed to have abandoned me, he was watching. Even when he seemed indifferent to my sufferings.” Ang Lee suggests Pi is drawn only closer to God through his omniscience over his suffering.

Pi still tends to the tiger’s needs whether it is through food or water because the tiger offers a glimpse of hope. It is because of this hope, Pi can survive.

In contrast, Frankenstein abandons all duties towards his own creation who is only wretched by appearance and has the sense of a human being. This symbolizes the lack of morality in human beings due to prejudice of one’s appearance.

Are there any exceptions to morality?

Survival

Ang Lee really begins to question us about the morality of the characters when the desire to survive comes into the equation.

The contention between the orangutan and the hyena reveals a deeper meaning, the orangutan represents Pi’s mother and the Hyena the cook. Since orange represents the color for warmth, joy and morality it perfectly symbolizes Pi’s mother who is outraged with the horrendous killing of the sailor by the cook represented by the hyena. Hyenas are scavengers and in survival, scavenging is the most efficient method of survival, therefore for the benefit of the crew, the cook breaches the most extreme boundaries to kill the sailor to use as bait. The director wants the audience to question whether the orangutan, representing warmth or the hyena which represents the extreme measures to survive should have a greater influence on one’s survival.

Although Ang Lee suggests humans can go beyond their morality to survive, Pi still attempts to maintain his humanity through human emotions such as regret and sadness. Pi is forced to resort to killing a fish to survive, it should be noted in the Hindu faith, killing an animal is equivalent to killing a human being.

Pi still tends to the tiger’s needs whether it is through food or water because the tiger offers a glimpse of hope. It is because of this hope, Pi can survive.

In contrast, Frankenstein abandons all duties towards his own creation who is only wretched by appearance and has the sense of a human being. This symbolizes the lack of morality in human beings due to prejudice of one’s appearance.

Everyone has a responsibility

By abandoning the monster at its inception, Frankenstein has basically overlooked his responsibilities. The creature is a living being whose senses are altered by his environment, and his abandonment provides strong imagery of an orphaned child, which Mary Shelley uses to further dehumanize Frankenstein.

“All men hate the wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us” (86). Mary Shelley emphasizes that Frankenstein has a duty to the monster which he has not fulfilled by revealing the cruel treatment of the monster. Mary Shelley furthermore uses the word “annihilation” to foreshadow the demise of Frankenstein as a direct result of his unmaintained duties to the creature.

In Life of Pi, Ang Lee suggests there is a responsibility owed to everyone. Pi tends to the needs of the tiger which in turn empowers him to survive. Pi states “tending to his needs gives my life purpose”, the director emphasizes through the quote, Pi is fulfilling his duties and in turn is rewarded with hope and the will to survive. By tending to the tiger, Pi is simply fulfilling a moral duty to support the needy.

The tiger represents nature, a creation with no human sensibilities, and therefore a monster whose animalistic traits cannot be altered.

By abandoning the monster at its inception, Frankenstein has basically overlooked his responsibilities. The creature is a living being whose senses are altered by his environment, and his abandonment provides strong imagery of an orphaned child, which Mary Shelley uses to further dehumanize Frankenstein.

“All men hate the wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us” (86). Mary Shelley emphasizes that Frankenstein has a duty to the monster which he has not fulfilled by revealing the cruel treatment of the monster. Mary Shelley furthermore uses the word “annihilation” to foreshadow the demise of Frankenstein as a direct result of his unmaintained duties to the creature.

In Life of Pi, Ang Lee suggests there is a responsibility owed to everyone. Pi tends to the needs of the tiger which in turn empowers him to survive. Pi states “tending to his needs gives my life purpose”, the director emphasizes through the quote, Pi is fulfilling his duties and in turn, is rewarded with hope and the will to survive. By tending to the tiger, Pi is simply fulfilling a moral duty to support the needy.

The tiger represents nature, a creation with no human sensibilities, and therefore a monster whose animalistic traits cannot be altered.

Frankenstein and the monster speak

The heartbreaking music in the background coupled with the regretful expression on Pi’s face and the words “I’m sorry” suggests Pi’s remorse for killing the fish, which suggests survival can force someone to cross one’s ethics

Science

Frankenstein also struggles with his choices; his actions are based on impulse, unlike Pi who is forced to oppose his moral boundaries because of survival. Science ethics or to be specific unrestrained science takes an immense toll on Frankenstein who is allured by the potential of science. Frankenstein’s justification for the monster’s creation is the renewal of life to benefit people, however, is there a limit to this? Mary Shelley insinuates through the creation of the monster that science is not an exception to morality as Frankenstein makes choices, he does not consider the consequences of his work due to his obsession. His eyes only open to the gravity of his creation the moment his creation opens its own eyes. Mary Shelley dehumanizes Frankenstein to us by revealing the true details of the monster’s creation.

The gothic elements in the description of the monster’s creation such as the stitching of flesh and the visits to the morgue reveal Frankenstein no longer have human senses such as fear of the dead. By desensitizing Frankenstein, Mary Shelley basically wants to reverse his role with the monster in order to show man is more capable of evil than a “monster” is.

When Frankenstein digs out the dead in the cemetery at night, it is essentially foreshadowing his own death due to his ambition which is a connotation of unrestrained science.

Both Frankenstein and Pi are living the consequences of their choices and actions. However, Pi is forced by survival to test his own morality, which he must maintain in the face of death. Pi’s extreme actions are justified because surviving is the greatest responsibility placed by God. Frankenstein however essentially digs his own coffin with the creation of the monster as he does not recognize the consequences of his work until it is too late. Therefore, it cannot be argued Frankenstein’s desire to benefit humanity is a reason to suppress his morality.

Is morality defined?

Ultimately, both the novel and movie reveal the true extent the characters undergo to maintain their morality. In “Frankenstein”, Mary Shelley demonstrates clearly Frankenstein is the true monster in the themes of God, responsibility, and Science ethics, to desensitize Frankenstein to us the readers.

By dehumanizing Frankenstein, Mary Shelley is showing who is the monster, and since monsters are beyond morality, she is technically drawing the boundary between right and wrong. However, in Life of Pi, Ang Lee blurs the line of morality with survival.

The gothic elements in the description of the monster’s creation such as the stitching of flesh and the visits to the morgue reveal Frankenstein no longer has human senses such as fear of the dead. By desensitizing Frankenstein, Mary Shelley basically wants to reverse his role with the monster in order to show man is more capable of evil than a “monster” is.

When Frankenstein digs out the dead in the cemetery at night, it is essentially foreshadowing his own death due to his ambition which is a connotation of unrestrained science.

Both Frankenstein and Pi are living the consequences of their choices and actions. However, Pi is forced by survival to test his own morality, which he must maintain in the face of death. Pi’s extreme actions are justified because surviving is the greatest responsibility placed by God. Frankenstein however essentially digs his own coffin with the creation of the monster as he does not recognize the consequences of his work until it is too late. Therefore, it cannot be argued Frankenstein’s desire to benefit humanity is a reason to suppress his morality.

In the scene where Pi regrets killing the fish

Ang Lee shows Pi’s humanity in Pi with his attachment to God and Richard Parker, however, the influence survival has on Pi prompts us the readers to question what is truly right or wrong.

Bibliography

1. Life of Pi. Directed by Ang Lee, 20th Century Studios, 1 Jan. 2013.
2. Shelley, M. (2013). Frankenstein. London: Harperpress.
3. 0Ang Lee shows Pi’s humanity in Pi with his attachment to God and Richard Parker, however, the influence survival has on Pi prompts us the readers to question what is truly right or wrong.

Creating a creature and then fully realizing the responsibilities is a hard task for anyone to do. Creatures aren’t human although they were created to feel the emotion and deserve any direct attention like everyone else. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein believes that his creation and its actions are a direct result of carelessness and lack of responsibility from himself as the creator. Throughout the novel, Shelley portrays Victor as a good person with good intentions but after his obsession with trying to create a creature, and committing with that act, he fell depressed. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein concludes to themes such as Responsibility, which is touched upon throughout the entire novel. The novel itself is written on the aftermath of the repercussions of irresponsibility, neglect, and, reckless behavior. The monster was abandoned and was very isolated triggering its revenge for being created. The novel can be interpreted in many ways such as the ways of mythology and true parenting in human form. Mary Shelley and such sources depict the idea of a creature similar to Victor’s monster. Victor’s concern not only created anger, but it also created a catastrophe in which he is to blame. Mary Shelley would not have written what she wrote if she did not intend for readers to understand the actions of the creator to his/her creation and to hold Victor fully responsible for the actions of his creation.

To start, Mary Shelley writes from the perspective of the monster’s point of view comparing his creator to God. The monster reads Paradise Lost by John Milton, which is about Adam & Eve and the revenge of Satan because of the rejection he faced from the kingdom. The monster learned how to read and draw connections of himself to Adam and as a fallen angel, like Satan. In Chapter 15 of Frankenstein, the monster says “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance” (Shelley 131). This quote draws attention to how the monster felt. After being abandoned by his own creator, and his ‘God’, the monster feels a sense of Rejection from his own Paradise. This quote can be supported by the text, of John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Milton’s text in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein connects to the monster by realizing the presence of his abandonment by his creator and his plan for revenge. “Me miserable! Which way shall I flie? Infinite wrath and infinite despair? Which way I flie is hell; myself am hell; And in the lowest deep a lower deep; Still threatening to devour me, opens wide, To which the hell I suffer seems heaven” (Paradise Lost, Milton 57). This quote implies Satan’s power, unlike the monster who is helpless. Such actions could cause disaster. Satan is the ‘fallen angel’ because of the rejection from his God. Likewise, the monster felt that same sense of rejection from Victor and wanted revenge by going after everyone Victor had been close to. As a result, Mary Shelley suggests that Victor was playing the role of God, and God is held responsible for the greatest power of the creation of mankind.

In addition, Mary Shelley writes a lot about emotional responsibility, which takes into account the monster’s actions and the reasoning behind it. One of the reasons Victor Frankenstein is held fully accountable at its greatest extent is because if he had taken the time and listened to his own creation, and being God, then possibly the killings would’ve been prevented. For example, Victor’s own emotional reaction to his creature was out of fear and anxiety. Likewise, the monster experienced trauma as a result of abandonment. In the text, the monster states “I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my archenemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred.” (Shelley 148) In this context, the quote illustrates a deeper meaning to revenge as part of human emotion, which is recognized by the monster by wanting to cause fear between his creator. This part of Frankenstein can be connected to the myth of Prometheus. Prometheus was looked down upon by Zeus for giving man qualities that were only to be held by Gods. Similarly, Prometheus went on rebellion for the same reason as human emotion. In Harriet Hustis Responsible Creativity and the ‘Modernity’ of Mary Shelley’s Prometheus, it states “Prometheus’s rebellion is overtly inspired by pity, an especially human emotion.” (Responsible Creativity and the ‘Modernity’ of Mary Shelley’s Prometheus, Hustis, 2) Altogether, both quotes signify the importance of human emotion when it comes to the creation of man. Shelley draws similar connections between the monster and Prometheus to show the cause and effect of emotional responsibility.

Moreover, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has been referred to as the “Modern Prometheus”, which is mythology. There is quite the same depiction as what Mary Shelley had written in comparison to Prometheus. Victor Frankenstein was very interested in his natural science and giving his creation a long life. Mary Shelley suggests the responsibilities of a creator an alike to that of a parent. Like a parent, Victor had to consider what he wanted for his monster and wanting what was best. Mary Shelley writes the novel to simulate a Parent-Child relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his monster. Whether this relationship is between good or evil, it does illustrate the relationship that Victor has with his monster. When said in the novel, “You belong to the enemy… you shall be my first victim” (Shelley 144), Victor understood the implications of abandoning his creature. Victor experienced his own emotional state as a result of his flawed creation. Considering the fact that Victor distanced himself from his monster, it shows to prove that the relationship between both himself and the monster was actually a revenge plot. The monster didn’t want to exist and not live its life as it was. Living in constant rejection and isolation, he went for anyone who has had a connection with Victor. As said in Frankenstein and the Miltonic Creation of Evil by David Soyka, he stated: “The monster turns to evil after being cast out from his family” (Frankenstein and the Miltonic Creation of Evil, Soyka 172). The monster sees his life in one way, and that is killing and revenge. The monster viewing himself as a lost cause subsequently changed how it viewed humans, like Victor and everyone around him. Mary Shelley suggests that the root of evil is more or less the responsibility of Victor for not being able to take care of his own creation. Setting up evil in the novel changes how mistakes are supposed to be viewed by the reader.

Furthermore, Mary Shelley depicts the creation of man as a mistake, as it connects to the hopes that Victor Frankenstein wanted. Victor said he wanted to do it for the human race but in fact, as it stood out, he wanted to play God. The task of creation is not simple and if you do something wrong, then all hell breaks loose. Victor Frankenstein created his monster to improve his perfect image of mankind. Mary Shelley takes on the task of trying to figure out through the plot of the novel to explain what the perfect image is. Taking on the task to create something perfect to improve mankind is one of the greatest responsibilities a man could ever take, and that is what Shelley suggested about Victor’s creation of man through is power. In the novel, it states “Did I not as his maker owe him all the portion of happiness that it was in my power to bestow?” (Shelley 149) This illustrates the power of responsibility. Everything that Victor could’ve done, he did not. His lack of power to take the task of creation led to his failure to create the perfect image for mankind. Similarly, Prometheus had the same task of creating man. In Mythology by Edith Hamilton, it states “Prometheus then took over the task of creation and thought out a way to make mankind superior” (Mythology, Hamilton, 71) This draws the connection between the responsibility that Mary Shelley suggested of failure. Recognizing failure (something Victor didn’t fully recognize till later near the end of the novel) was taking responsibility for the destruction after something was created. Similarly, the bible says a lot about the image of God. It states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God, created he him; male and female created he them.” (The King James Bible, Gen. 1:27) Describing the image of God acts as a reference point to Victor’s image. With this in mind, Victor’s actions prove he is fully responsible for creating his monster, and by such creation is fully responsible for the actions of his own monster.

To conclude, Mary Shelley suggests the responsibility of the creator to its creation is that much of parenting. She addresses very explicitly that the creator is liable for his/her’s creation actions. The preeminent events portrayed how Victor’s inattentive actions from the start of the creature’s life were a big factor in contributing to the actions of the monster. Mary Shelley writes about the creation of man, Adam & Eve, Prometheus, and others relating to that matter. Mary Shelley suggests that the responsibilities of the creator are much greater or equivalent to that of a parent, who subconsciously has to be liable for any actions its ‘child’ or creation does. With such power that Victor held, he chose to not use it wisely, which could have prevented the murders and catastrophes that his own creation caused. The creature wanted to be loved and accepted into a society in which he thought he was supposed to be accepted. Victor Frankenstein was playing God, which was a big mistake on his part and his actions and lack of responsibility are to blame for the mess he created.