Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus

 Thinking activity

Frankenstein

         This blog is based on the thinking activity of The novel Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley assigned by Yesha ma'am, Department of English, MKBU. In this blog I am going to elaborate my understanding of the question connected with this novel and its major concepts.

Introduction:-

      Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus, is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. Frankenstein tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Shelley started writing the story when she was 18, and the first edition was published anonymously in London on 1 January 1818, when she was 20. Her name first appeared in the second edition, which was published in Paris in 1821

            It is a Sci-fi means Science fiction. Frankenstein tells the story of gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein who succeeds in giving life to a being of his own creation. However, this is not the perfect specimen he imagines that it will be, but rather a hideous creature who is rejected by Victor and mankind in general. The Monster seeks its revenge through murder and terror.

Why Victor was not able to accept his dream experiment and its results?

        The novel Frankenstein is about the creation of the creature by Victor Frankenstein and its outcome. In the initial stage of the life of Victor Frankenstein, he wants to create a life - human being. It was an outcome of the death of his mother and 

           Victor Frankenstein is the main protagonist of the novel. He is obsessed with scientific achievement and glory, which drives him to discover the secret of manifesting life. He devotes all his time to his studies, sacrificing his health and his relationships for his ambition. Frankenstein represents the dangers of enlightenment and the responsibilities that come with great knowledge. Frankenstein believes that by creating human life, he can discover the secrets of “life and death,” create a “new species,” and learn how to “renew life.” He is motivated to attempt these things by ambition. He wants to achieve something great, even if it comes at great cost.

        After  creating a Life, when Victor sees it at first, he completely disturbed by it. When he observes his own creation the hideous look of it horrified him. Whatever he wanted to create, it is opposite to that. A man created by him is not not like other human being. He is like a monster. He feels that all of his endeavours have failed. As it is looking like a monster, no one will accept. Even he doesn't able accept him as he he was opposite of what he wanted create. He couldn't sleep that night and was wondering on streets and went to visit Henry and told about the disaster. 

What made Creature a Monster? (Experiences of society – rejection – Creator’s ignorance and hatred)

         In the novel, monster is presented as a monster. But the question always lies behind it is that, what made him a monster. We would find that after his creation, he is like empty slate. He is innocent, do not have any understanding of earthly life. After the behaviour of His own creator, we can say rejected by his God, Monster runs away, which is the first reason of his being cruel. We can say it ignorance of his creator. He also feels disappointment by society. People judge him by his outer appearance as his look was too much horrifying. He get rejected by the society. And then he understands that he is not like other people. He tries to help De Lacey family but when exposure of him occured, he was greatly humiliated by that family also.

         We can see that he gets so many rejection by the society. This is the second point of his diverting nature.

     Earlier he was like monster by his outer appearance but Now he becomes a real Monster. Who is thirsty of blood. Revenge is now in his blood and foremost aim. He kills younger brother of Victor, William. When Victor destroys female creature, he vows to be at the wedding night of Victor. He does the same and kills Elizabeth.

        In all these incidents or deeds of the Creature, only one idea comes out that he is not born a Monster, rather he becomes like a Monster by ignorance of his creator and rejection of the society.

 

Can appearance overpower reality? (In reality Creature was innocent like child – Got converted into Monster by actions and given thought process)

Yes. Appearance always overpowers reality.

        We always hear that inner beauty is more powerful than outer beauty. But does it really happen? - No, not at all. We all always and first judge a person by his or her outer appearance. No one ever asks or looks at inner virtues. It becomes a minor point in this world. If a person looks beautiful, we will always think a person is good. But we can't say that a person with a less beautiful or ugly look is bad. Let's take an example by Frankenstein. It is a more appropriate instance while going through this question.

         In Frankenstein, the creature is Ugly and hideous by outer appearance and that is the only reason for his rejection by the society. His creator is also not able to accept him because of his appearance. Even a family for whom Monster works a lot anonymously, when they look at the Creature, reject him. He was born like an innocent child. He doesn't have any understanding of earthly life. After such incidents he got converted into a Monster by actions and a given thought process.

Q. 5 Who is suffering from Deformity in the novel? Which kind of deformity and disability is there? Who decides what deformity is? (being judgemental – Appearance matters)

        Deformity generally means a person who has physical or outer damage. 

According to Marriam Webster English dictionary deformity has two meanings.

• A physical blemish or distortion : 
• A moral or aesthetic flaw or defect

       If we consider the first definition or meaning of the word Deformity, Monster is Deformed. The Deformity in him is that he is eight-foot-tall, hideously ugly but was Intelligent and sensitive. 

        If we consider second definition, society and Victor are Deformed. They are not Deformed as Moster. They are Deformed by their inner self. They don't what to underestimate the outer deformity of Moster and that's why they hated him too much that he turns into mental Deformity.

Villain in Frankenstein. (Victor – Creature –Society) (Villain or made villain)

"A person is not born evil, but rather becomes evil."

      Like this general saying, The novel presents the same. In Frankenstein the Creature is wholly considered as a Villain, not by the novelist but whoever first went through this novel, will consider him as a Villain. But is it really so ? There are two ideas remaining: yes and no. When he commits murder, he can be considered as a Villain but if we will choose No, then who can be considered as a Villain? Obviously, Society and Victor. 

       Society is evil in the sense, they never think any more. They just give judgement about the creature by its hideous look. Victor also ignores the creature and his casual demands. Both these incidents make the creature evil. In this sense society and Victor are Villain. We can also say that he is not born as a Villain rather it is made by society and his creator.

     In nutshell, by depiction of The Creature , Victor and Society in Frankenstein, Shelley gives crystal clear and thus bitter reality of human life.

Thank you for visiting...

{Words:- 1270}