Frankenstein

Pursuit of Knowledge
Passion science fear
Ambition reason-logic

 The work was written during industrial revolution when major

breakthroughs such as technology were transforming the society
 Man’s pursuit of knowledge and scientific discovery are prominent
features
 Frankenstein is obsessed with uncovering the secrets of life and death
 He disregards his family and ignores all affection
 Frankenstein’s academic trajectory (path) mirrors mankind’s history of
science
 Frankenstein begins with the medieval philosophies of alchemy and
moves onto the modern practices of chemistry and math
 Frankenstein’s creation only brings sadness, misfortune and death
 The creature Frankenstein produces is an embodiment of man’s scientific
enlightenment – it’s ugly, not beautiful—vulgar and horrifying.
 Frankenstein is filled with disgust of his creation and falls sick for months
 Catastrophe surrounds the creature who directly kills Frankenstein’s
brother Williams, his wife Elizabeth, his friend Clerval and indirectly
ends the life of Justine.
 Frankenstein created a deformed simulacrum of man

Shelley raises the question of “Does merciless pursuit of knowledge ultimately

cause more harm than good to humankind?
  Frankenstein presents his story to Captain Walton as a warning for others
who wish to be greater than nature intended
 The story of Frankenstein illustrates the downfall caused by human hubris
(excessive pride)
 At the end of the novel, Captain Walton pays attention to the lesson in
Frankenstein’s story and he calls off his dangerous exploration to the
north pole.
 He turns away from the possible glory of scientific discovery in order to
save his own life and his crew’s

Ambition

 Human being as deeply ambitious

 Victor-Walton
Ambition-reason = monstrosity of Enlightenment

 Victor Frankenstein (and Walton) desire to transform society through

scientific achievements
 Ambition makes them fallible
 They are blinded by dreams of glory
 They fail to consider the consequences of their actions
 Victor Frankenstein creates the monster but fails to fulfil the
responsibilities a creator should have
 Victor ends up being a father of a devil

“You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that
the glorification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has
been” (letter 4 – Victor utters)

“Life and death appeared to me the ideal bounds, which I should first break
through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world” (chapter 4-Victor)
Isolation
 All tragedy, murder and despair occur because of lack of connection to
family and society
 True evil in the novel is not Victor or the monster, but isolation
 When Victor becomes lost in his studies, he removes himself from the
society
 The monster turns vengeful not because it’s evil, but because isolation
fills it with overwhelming hate and anger
“What is monster’s vengeance?”
To make Victor as isolated as it is

“I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me; but one as
deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My
companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This
being you must create.” (chapter 16)

“All men hate the wretched; how then must I be hated who am miserable
beyond all living things! Yet, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy
creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the
annihilation of one of us.” (chapter 10)

Revenge

 After the monster is abandoned and mistreated first by Victor and then by
De Lacey family, it turns to revenge
 Unfair rejection of humanity
 Full of prejudices
 In return the creature wants to hurt those who hurt him
“feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom…I bent my mind towards
injury and death”

Frankenstein explores mankind’s most persistent and destructive flaws:

prejudice, pride, ambition and revenge.