Guilt

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

In the second half of the novel, Frankenstein continued to feel guilty. "I felt as if I had mangled the living flesh of a human being" (Shelley, 124). Victor said this when he returned to his workroom after tearing apart the female creature. This quote can express Victor's guilt in a couple different ways. First, Victor felt guilt about the deaths of his loved ones. His creation killed his family members and later on Clerval. Victor felt responsible for the creature's actions. In the quote above, the dismembered creature could have represented Victor's family in his eyes. "Two I have already destroyed; other victims await their destiny..." (Shelley, 129). He felt that he had personally caused the deaths in his family. Secondly, Victor could have felt guilty towards the way he treated his first creature. His creature was miserable because he was without companionship. By tearing apart the female companion, Victor took away his creation's chance of happiness. Perhaps Victor feels some sense of guilt for the creature's unhappiness because he created the monster. Victor felt responsible for the creature's actions, so what is to say that Victor would not feel responsible for the creature's well being? Also, by tearing apart the female creature, Victor may feel uneasy because he knows that the monster would be enraged and cause more deaths in his family. Overall, Victor seems to regret that he brought life to the creature in the first place.

Side question: Why didn't the creature just make a companion on his own? He seems smart enough to do so, and he said that he had Victor's journal of instructions.

Master or Slave?

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

A motif expressed in this novel is the comparison of a slave and a master. As Victor studied at Ingolstadt, his education consumed him. He became the slave to his work but the master of his field of science. While creating the monster, he held full control over his creation; however, when the monster came to life, Victor lost his authority over the monster. This being was more powerful and seemed to have more intellectual capabilities than Victor.The monster ruled over Victor like a dictator. The monster instilled fear in Victor by threatening to kill his family. "You are my creator, but I am your master; -obey" (Shelley, 122). The creature felt superior to Victor even though Victor gave the creature life. Despite this feeling of superiority, Victor maintained some aspect of control over the creature. Victor was the only person capable of creating a female companion for the creature. Victor could have used this as leverage against the creature to comply with Victor's requests. Instead, the creature overpowered Victor by threatening Victor's family.

Interestingly at the end of the novel, the creature seemed to be upset by Victor's death. The creature, who held the role as the master for most of the novel, claimed that he was the slave. "...but I was the slave, not the master, of an impulse, which I detested, yet could not disobey" (Shelley, 164). The creature was not the slave to Victor, but he was the slave to his desire to be accepted. Just as Victor's education enslaved him, the creature's lust for relationships enslaved him.

Elizabeth

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

Throughout the novel, Victor Frankenstein held Elizabeth in high esteem. Perhaps more than anyone else, Victor loved Elizabeth. Although the creature caused the death of many of Victor's loved ones, Elizabeth's murder may have been more important than the other murders. Her murder could also be considered the climax  of the story. Prior to this event, the line "I will be with you on your wedding night" created suspense through its repetition prior to Elizabeth's murder. This suspense made her murder different from the other murders, which seemed to happen out of nowhere. In addition, her murder caused Victor to lose all ability to live a social life. "A fiend had snatched from me every hope of future happiness..." (Shelley, 146). Her murder fulfilled the creature's plan to isolate Victor from the world. Elizabeth had been the one to bring Victor out of his crazed fits. She also was the only one able to provide Victor with happiness after Henry Clerval's death. Without Elizabeth, Victor was mentally alone in the world, and because he pursued the monster, Victor became physically isolated as well. Victor died far from normal civilization because he pursued the creature in order to avenge the deaths of Elizabeth and his other family members. The creature fulfilled his threat to isolate Victor just by killing Elizabeth.

Adam

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

As the novel progressed, the reader discovered that the creature could speak, and quite eloquently at that. Through the creature's dialogue, the reader learns about the creature's life. Many times, the creature references novels or even Biblical figures. These allusions not only reveal the creature's intelligence, but also reveal the creature's state of mind. By referencing the story of Adam and Eve, the creature expresses his desire for a loving creator. "I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed" (Shelley, 69). In this first plea from the creature, he expresses that his creator should care more for him like God did for Adam. This statement shows that the creature felt justified in his actions because he felt unwanted by all, even his creator.
Later in the novel, the creature again expresses his loneliness by again referencing the Bible. "No Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone (Shelley, 93). In this excerpt, the creature expresses his knowledge that Victor will not accept him, and instead the creature desires a companion of the same form who can sympathize with him. Adam may have differed from God, but Adam had Eve as a companion and a loving creator. The creature had no companion, and Victor rejected him. Knowledge of his similarity to Adam gave hope to the creature at first, but with more understanding, this knowledge cause great grief and misery because the creature felt as though he was missing out on something he felt he should have.

Miserable Wretch

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

In the novel, Victor Frankenstein shares similarities with the monster he created. One significant similarity between the two is their loneliness. Victor created a monster unlike any other being. Society rejected the monster, and Victor abandoned his creation in terror. The monster began his life alone. The closest the monster had to companionship was the DeLacey family. He learned to speak from this family, and he also learned about cultures and society. "Increase of knowledge only discovered to me more clearly what a wretched outcast I was" (Shelley, 93). The more that the creature learned, the more he realized that society, although able to love other humans, would never accept a monster. Rejection made the monster miserable. His only request of his creator was that he accept him like God accepted Adam, or that he would make a female companion for the creature. Neither occurred. This misery caused the creature to inflict suffering upon Victor. Perhaps the creature's actions were a way to feel included because then he would not be the only miserable being on the planet. After losing significant relationships, Victor stated that, "No creature had ever been so miserable as I was" (Shelley, 146). Victor felt the same way that the monster felt from the beginning, alone and miserable. Even before this, Victor's loneliness at college may have caused him to create the monster in the first place. Victor and the monster both fought against each other, but they both ultimately wanted the same thing: a relationship.

Frankenstein - Is the creature guilty?

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

When the creature told Victor the story of his development, I felt pity and sympathy for him. The creature seemed to be kindhearted in regards to his actions. Before I heard his account of the story, I believed that he had killed William. Now, I am not so sure.  When the creature told his story, he told anecdotes about how he learned from a family. In his first encounters with the family, he stole food from them. After learning that the family was poor, the creature stopped stealing food from them. This action shows that the creature does have a conscience, and he is not just some wild monster. In addition to this, the creature helped the family by secretly chopping firewood for them. This act saved the family time, and it allowed the family to focus their attention on other tasks like home repair, gardening, and quality family time. "...brought home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days...I observed with pleasure, that he did not go to the forest that day, but spent it in repairing the cottage and cultivating the garden" (Shelley, 78). This selfless act that helped the poor family caused me to feel pity for the creature who was alone and unloved.

Despite these good actions, I still hold reservations about the creature's innocence in William's murder. When trying to persuade Victor into listening to his story, the creature threatened Victor's friends and family. "If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace; but if you refuse, I will glut the maw of death, until it be satiated with the blood of your remaining friends" (Shelley, 68). Besides the fact that this is a death threat, the word remaining suggests that the creature previously killed a friend or family member of Victor. Also, how would the creature have known that William was Victor's brother if he had not been the murderer? Questions still remain about William's murderer, but I hope that further explanation later in the book will reveal the true murderer.

Frankenstein - How to learn

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

For most people in society, learning occurs when others teach and demonstrate. However, the creature did not learn this way. After the creature's "birth", Frankenstein abandoned his creation. Because the creature essentially developed as an orphan, he did not benefit from the guidance of a mentor and teacher. The creature began his learning process with the basics such as differentiating his senses. This stage of his development resembled that of an infant; however, the creature learned at an accelerated pace.

After learning about his senses, the creature learned the basics of survival: food, and shelter. As in his other learning experiences, the creature learned through experience. "In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain" (Shelley, 72). In this action, the creature resembles a young child. Children learn through hands on experiences. Parents tell children that fires, or stoves will be hot and will burn, but the children may not fully understand until feeling the pain from the heat. In this instance in the novel, the creature felt the warmth radiating from the fire, but he did not fully understand the intense heat of the fire until he burnt his hand.

The creature also learned through observation. Perhaps the only mentors that the creature had were the family that he observed. He began to see the importance of words and communication. He also saw different emotions. He learned that other pains could exist besides physical pains. "I saw no cause for their unhappiness; but I was deeply affected by it" (Shelley, 77). After learning some of the basics of life and survival, the creature began to learn emotions and communication which enabled the creature to rise above animal status and into a level of humanity. Although the creature still frightened people, and he could not live in a civilization, the creature was more than just an animal in the wild.

Frankenstein - Irony

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

Frankenstein and his family felt extreme grief over the murder of William. Irony surrounds his murder. Frankenstein believed that his creation killed his brother. Something to which he gave life caused the death of his brother. In a sense, Frankenstein inadvertently caused his brother's death. "A flash of lightening illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic stature and the deformity aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy daemon to whom I had given life...Could he be the murderer of my brother?...He was the murderer"(Shelley, 50). This ironic situation caused Victor to feel much grief. He felt that he caused his brother's death. In addition, Justine's conviction caused more grief for Victor. She died because people found her guilty of William's death. Not only did Victor feel guilty for William's death, but he felt guilty for Justine's wrongful conviction and execution. Victor worked so hard to create life, but the result appeared to cause the deaths of two beloved people.

Frankenstein - Foreshadowing

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses foreshadowing. "I have now doubt of your success" (Shelley, 28). Here M.Waldman praised Frankenstein for his great abilities in the science field. Frankenstein had such great abilities that he could create life. This quote shows that Frankenstein would be successful when he attempted to bring life to the creature. Another moment of foreshadowing occurred when Victor talked with Robert. "How dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow"(Shelley, 31). This phrase not only hints at ominous events that Victor faced and would soon tell, but it also hints at some type of ill fate that Robert might face. Robert and Victor share similarities like their drive to succeed in an area previously untouched by others. This phrase warns Robert that an ill fate may occur from his endeavors. In addition, this use of foreshadowing creates suspense by instilling curiosity in the reader about suggested events to come.

Frankenstein - Frame Story

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

The novel Frankenstein begins with Robert Walton writing letters to his sister Margaret Saville. Robert reassures his sister that he is going to be safe on his expedition, and he tells his sister of events during his expedition. The fourth letter begins his explanation of meeting Victor Frankenstein. This letter does not end with his signature, but continues to record the account of Victor Frankenstein. Chapter one begins Victor's account of how he came to be on a sea of ice. The story continues with Victor telling Robert how he created a creature. He also continues to tell how horrific the creature was.

By using a frame story, Shelly creates suspense. The reader sees snippets of events before hearing the explanation of circumstances leading to the event. "We perceived a low carriage, fixed on a sledge and drawn by dogs pass on towards the north, at the distance of half a mile a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature, sat in the sledge, and guided the dogs"( Shelley, 8). This excerpt shows a snippet of the creature Frankenstein created before the reader even knows that a creature existed. By seeing this strange occurrence, the reader awaits an explanation. Anticipation in this story can install fear in the reader. By using a frame story, Shelley developed a more frightening story.

APO 96225

APO 96225
Larry Rottman

In this poem, a young soldier wrote to his family multiple times expressing the amount of rain, encounters with monkeys, and views of sunsets. His mother returned each of his letters demanding he tell them everything. The soldier returned the letter telling his mother and family that he "killed a man...helped drop napalm on women and children"(Rottman). The father returned this letter asking him not to write letters like that because it upset the mother. The events of this poem could represent largely the American people during the war in Vietnam. People in America wanted to know what was happening, but upon discovering the events were appalled the actions. People enjoy living in an ignorant bliss. Yes people knew of the war, but they did not know the toll it took on the individual soldiers. People much rather preferred to assume that war was filled with rainbows and smiles rather than actual fighting. This poem presents the irony present in the families of soldiers. The families desperately want to know the details about the war, but upon learning the details, the families quickly want to shut the thoughts out of their minds. Some things cannot be UN-seen or UN-thought. The families discover that what they really want is not to know about the war, but to know that their loved one is safe from harm.

Much Madness is divinest Sense

Much Madness is divinest Sense
Emily Dickinson

In this poem, Dickinson questions society on its views of what is considered sane. She begins the poem by stating that madness makes sense and making sense is madness. She continues by stating that a majority of people look to make sense. "much Sense- the starkest Madness- 'Tis the Majority" (Dickinson). She challenges the view that those who present madness are insane. Indeed throughout history, many great figures presented mad claims for their time that now the world holds as facts and common knowledge. For example, most people no longer think that the world is flat. Of course this seems elementary, but at the time, this proposal was outlandish. People who question authority, whether it be  government,  religion, or science, tend to be cast out as madmen. And if being labeled insane were not enough, people even go as far to label the dissenters as dangerous. Questioning authority provides essential changes to society. Without questioning tradition, the world would be like the town portrayed in "The Lottery". Dissent makes far greater sense than blindly following the sane path.

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain

I felt a Funeral, in my Brain
Emily Dickinson

The first stanza of this poem seems to suggest that the speaker is losing his mind. The funeral "in my Brain" implies that the speaker feels as though his ability to think has died. However, the speaker has not completely lost his mind yet because of the last phrase "That Sense was breaking through-" (Dickinson). In order for one to make sense of something, he must maintain some ability to think. The speaker continues his impression that he is losing his mind by stating that his "Mind was going numb" at the end of the second stanza (Dickinson). When a body part is numb, one struggles to use it properly. Numbness of the mind would suggest the speaker's inability to think properly. The speaker continues his path towards insanity by comparing his mind to space and isolation. The speaker felt isolated within his own mind, and felt lost by the empty space within his thoughts. The poem ends with the phrase "And Finished knowing-then-" (Dickinson). This implies that the speaker feels that he has completely lost his mind.