However, he also chooses isolation in his desire to explore the North Pole. And yet, to Brannstrom, the character of Robert Walton balances Victor Frankenstein who deliberately chooses to isolate himself from society and the creature who longs to belong to society. According to Brannstrom, "Walton is someone who can strive for distinction but at the same time turn back when his actions might harm others."
Tied to the theme of alienation is the theme of belonging. Whereas alienation includes the isolation of the characters and the loneliness that each felt due to the circumstances they found themselves in, belonging includes the need to be part of something and the responsibility of someone to things or persons it brought forth. Central to the theme of belonging is "paternal negligence and the need for responsible creativity" (Hustis par. 1) as illustrated by Victor Frankenstein. Victor can be likened to a father as he is the creator of the monster.
This creator-creation relationship is the fundamental and one of the most important relationships that Victor and the monster have. As a creator, Victor has responsibility over the monster. When Victor created the monster, it did not know anything. It can be likened to a child beginning with tabula rasa. However, when Victor saw his creation, he was so appalled by its hideous appearance that he fled, leaving the monster to its own devices. Not knowing anything, it learned about life and society through its encounters with humans. And because of its hideous appearance, it was mistreated. Human society shaped the monster that and turned it into a savage creature.
The need to belong is most pronounced in the character of the monster who seeks nothing but to have people who would accept it and care for it. Through the sentiments of the monster that Frankenstein created, the need of every human being to be connected to something or someone is illustrated. It is in fact this very need that drove the monster to revenge against its creator. The tragedy in Shelley's Frankenstein is that the monster was left hopeless, alone, and miserable as the only relationship that the monster had was its relationship with its creator, Victor, who chose not to provide it with a partner and who from the onset decided to run away from its relationship with its creation.
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Gender Relations in Frankenstein In tracing the historical etymology of the word "monster," the Oxford English Dictionary offers a primary definition of something to be stared at or marveled over (from the same root as "demonstrate") but notes the second-most common use of the word is biological: "an animal or plant deviating in one or more of its parts from the normal type; an animal afflicted with some congenital malformation; a
Frankenstein & Romanticism How Romanticism is Demonstrated in Frankenstein In less than six years, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein will be 200 years old. This novel, indicative of the romantic period, is a compelling narrative with numerous themes and vivid imagery to consider. In the context of romanticism, Frankenstein is a worthwhile piece of literature to examine. Literature and art of the romantic period is characterized with an emphasis on intense emotional reactions, specifically
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and James Cameron's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines have come to occupy similar positions in American popular culture -- largely, for their iconic appeal -- but they are also comparable in more subtle ways. Specifically, each tale depicts the emergence of human nature within entities that superficially seem nonhuman. Frankenstein's monster and the T-101 both come forward as compelling and sympathetic characters because they learn and
Links can be made to Shelley's own life - her mother died shortly after her birth. Both the lack of a mother and a fear of natural childbirth are attributes of Victor's character in Frankenstein and ideas close to the author's own life. Through her literature Shelley demonstrates the need for both men and women to be present and willing to carry out different tasks for the well being
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Kuwait language Arabic, consideration moderate English. I an essay 8 pages including a thesis statement MLA outline ( thesis outline a separated page). My Essay a comparison Frankenstein Mary Shelly (1831 edition) The strange case Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Robert Stevenson. Comparison between Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" and Robert Louis Stevenson's "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" The Risks of doing science The connection between the two scientists Society's tendency to
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