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Frankenstein
Published in 1818, Frankenstein, the full title of which is Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is a novel with Gothic elements and Romantic ideals written by Mary Shelley. It warns against the unchecked pursuit of scientific knowledge. The story describes how Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, creates a powerful man-like being whose horrific appearance makes him a lonely outcast. When Frankenstein will not create a mate for the being, his creation decides to take revenge. In the book, the creature built by Frankenstein is never given a name.
1,241 Questions
I believe in three ways.
Firstly, the importance of appearances. The Frankenstein accept the "thin and very fair" Elizabeth Lavenza into their family (adopted from an orphanage over the "dirty little vagrants") purely because of her looks. This societies view of acceptance is inextricably linked to appearances which is why Frankenstein's 'abhorred' creature is not accepted into the family. The society is so shallow natured, it precludes all consideration of the creatures positive attributes, and thus forbids him a place in society. Parallels can then be drawn to the importance placed on appearances in a 21st century context, for example celebrities, modelling.
Secondly, the corruption of an innocent creature by an immoral society - in accordance with Rousseau's theory of the Natural State. Again many parallels can be drawn with a contemporary context.
Finally, the danger of scientific progress. Frankenstein tries to create life, by simply imparting electricity into deceased human body parts. Amazingly, this was not estranging to contemporary readers - experiments such as this were held often and came frightfully close to succeeding. (A witness of one such experiment is known to have died from shock). We live in a time were human cloning is not far way and stem cell research is hotly debated and perhaps in the not to distant future - life may again be pursued by radical scientists. Shelley's messages in relation to this hold true to our contemporary society.
How does Shelley use Frankenstein to address the social concerns?
Shelley goes beyond the whole "playing god" theme, and it is essentially a means to an end to convey that what she desired to show. Victor Frankenstein is a man of pride and given over to his worldy pursuits. His pursuit leads to his own neglect of physical and mental health. He has neglected that which is most precious to him, namely his family and his best friend Clerval. He creates a monster. The monster has two roles, one it represents the culmination of Victor's pursuits and attainments, and secondly it represents inequality and injustice.
As a representation of his pursuits an attainments, it comes to occupy his whole life in a complete neglect of everything that was dear to him. It draws him away and ends in the loss of everything that is dear, his brother, Clerval, his wife and his father.
In the representation of inequality and injustice, we see the monster as a reject, spurned by society. No value was attributed to him, yet inwardly he held to good virtues, but when rejected he was changed. When thinking of young, innercity youth who join gangs, or homeless people on the street, we judge them for who they are outwardly, but would we be any different if we were subjected to the same life as they? So Shelley displays the outcome of our treatment of others. Such a story would be an excellent read in a day and age in which school shootings are commonplace and terrorism in the news. As the monster points out in the end, he has committed crimes, horrible crimes, robbing the innocent of life. But the question comes, which crime was greater, his? or the crimes by society that brought him to commit such crimes.
Then there is one other message that comes across - revenge destroys everyone.
In reading look for the underlying messages and be moved.
What kind of monster is Frankenstein?
Alexander Tuesday, April 14, 2009 The True monster in Frankenstein The true monster in Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is Frankenstein himself because he rejects his creation, later realizes the potential danger that he has created and refuses to take responsibility for his creation. Victor Frankenstein is a young scientist who succeeds in reanimating a corpse but flees because he is disgusted and frightened by the creature’s appearance. The creature begins committing violent crimes because of the rejection that he has received from human beings. Among these victims are some of Victor’s closest friends and family members. The creature is untamed and unknown. Most people, that he sees, harm him or flee from him. The first rejection that he receives is from Victor instantly after his reanimation. The creature had this rejection instilled in his mind. By reading several books, the creature realizes what a good creator is: loving, accepting and nurturing. In his eyes, Victor had bitterly rejected and abandoned him. The creature understands that Victor “detest[s] and spurn[s]” him. Victor is given a chance to end the argument peacefully, but when his task is almost completed, he destroys his work because he cannot bear the though that the creature could have descendants. He is mistaken in doing so because he does not realize that the cause of the creature’s hatred was human actions. If humans would accept the creature, then problems would be omitted. Victor makes an egotistical choice and decides to exterminate a civilization that he created and rejected. He “extinguishes the spark that he had once bestowed”. The only reason, the creature becomes violent is because of his appearance. Even when he tries to aid humans he is rejected. Explaining the event to Victor he declares “This was then the reward for my benevolence! I had saved a human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered my flesh and bone.” Victor gathered the body parts for the creation of the creature and he does not have the right to accuse the creature of a mistake that he had made. The creature is convinced that since the humans reject him, he has no cause for being. He suffers and “often … imprecate[s] curses on [his] being”. Victor declares that “no mortal could support the horror of” the creature. His statement is understandable. He is terrified by the creature but when the time comes to witness one of his friends fall for a crime that she did not commit, he refuses to submit his knowledge of the crime to the court. He would have been punished and maybe even killed, but he would have had a clean soul. This reveals his greatest vice: cowardliness. He has no reason to be afraid before other humans. He is afraid to take responsibility. He could have prevented further unfortunate events such as the death of his wife. The creature had warned him that his wife was in danger, but Victor decided to risk another’s life to achieve happiness and to forget the creature. A monster is not purely evil. According to Greek myths, centaurs are sometimes friendly and at other times were extremely warlike. Monsters are usually supernatural or could do the supernatural. Victor is able to recreate life, a task that no earthly force ever had succeeded in completing.
What is the play script of Frankenstein?
The whole playscript? that would be a little illegal and a huge waste of time
What did the monster want from Frankenstein?
In the book, the creature wanted the doctor to make him a bride, when the doctor refused, the creature sought revenge.
In the 1930s movie, the monster wanted to kill the doctor. The idea for a bride came in the second movie.
What is the similarity between Adam and eves story and Frankenstein?
Well, they were both new creations essentially left alone in a world they knew nothing about. Both had responses that went arwy and cause many to suffer. Both of them did not intend for the consequences of their actions to be so drastic; they just did not fully comprehend because they had no one to show them the correct way to behave.
-- No, at the end of Shelley's novel, the creture says he is going away to burn himself to death after he sees that Victor is dead. He does have some inhuman characteristics though, such as the ability to withstand freezing cold temperatures, and the ability to live soley on nuts and berries.
-- Victor Frankenstein is not literally immortal; however, he is figuratively so in that his story impacted the lives of humankind and also lives on through the letters of R. Walton.
What was Dr Frankenstein's first name in the 1931 classic Movie Frankenstein?
He never named the monster in the 1931 movie, the book, or in any other movies. He is always referred to as "the creature."
What is the real name of the actor who played the original Frankenstein?
Victor Frankenstein was the scientist who created the monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Victor
Victor
Why did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein in the 19th century instead of the 15th century?
If you're talking about the author -- well she wasn't born until the 19th century so writing in the 15th century would be out of the question.
If you're talking about the setting of the novel -- the plot relies heavily on the science of electrostatics which was discovered until the early 19th century.
Where does the creature take up long term refuge Frankenstein?
A small hovel in a snow bank in a village next to a house. Also later in a Cave.
Also I have to point out that the Monster is not named Frankenstein, that is the last name of his creator.
How did Frankenstein feel when his experiment succeeded bringing the creature to life?
he feels immediate regret and wonders what he was thinking in the first place in creating such an ungodly creature.
Who is the doctor that made Frankenstein?
Frankenstein is actually the young scientist that made the monster in Frankenstein. The monster he created has no name. It is a common misconception that Frankenstein is the monster is in fact Frankenstein.
Which books are similar to Frankenstein?
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is, of course a clear example of Gothic literature. Other novels include 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker, 'Northanger Abbey' by Jane Austen, 'The Castle of Otranto' by Horace Walpole, 'Vathek' by William Beckford, 'The Woman in White' by Wilkie Collins, 'The Shining' by Stephen King, 'Interview with a Vampire' by Ann Rice, 'The Mysteries of Udolpho' by Radcliffe. Short stories include 'The Signalman' by Charles Dickens, 'A Terribly Strange Bed' and 'Miss Jeromette and the Clergymen' by Wilkie Collins, 'The Red Room' by H.G. Wells and 'The Bodysnatchers' by Robert Louis Stevenson. Read all those and you'll have a pretty good overview of the genre!
What status did women have when Mary Shelley wrote the novel Frankenstein?
They were kept in attics and beaten with canes until they were told to cook
Study guide? Yep.
What form is Frankenstein written in?
It is a frame story. In fact it can be considered to be a double frame story as everything is related through Captain Robert Walton who gets everything from Doctor Frankenstein. At times it can be considered a triple frame story as the monster also has passages when he is relating things through the doctor.
Also the story can be considered an epistolary as Captain Walton is telling the story in a letter to his sister.
Who did the monster not intend to kill in Frankenstein?
William, Frankenstein's brother. The monster inadvertently strangles him.
Justine, the family's servant, is blamed for William's murder and is sentenced to death.
The monster also kills Elizabeth, Frankenstein's cousin and new wife, on their wedding night.
He also kills Frankenstein's good friend, Henry Clerval.
What is an example of a conflict in Frankenstein that drives that story forward?
Victor Frankenstein is the scientist, who studies chemistry and is obsessed with the creation of life. Frankenstien later constructs a creature out of body parts and brings it to life. Victor Frankenstein did not name his creatre, it is often known as Frankenstein's Monster or Frankenstein's Creation. Frankenstein calls his creation the "daemon".
What is the difference between Frankenstein and Frankenstein junior?
In fiction, zombies are dead humans either brought back to life by magical means to become mindless living dead creatures whose flesh is slowly rotting, or people who's higher cognitive functions have been destroyed by some sort of infection. In many stories they will attack any living thing, including humans, to feed their single minded cannibalistic lust for flesh and blood. In some stories their lust can be interrupted by magical means and then they become the slave of the magic master. In other stories, they much simply be dispatched by other means, often by destroying the brain. In many stories zombies can create other zombies by passing along the zombie virus to living humans.
Frankenstein was a fictional scientist from Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, the Modern Promentheus who created a a living being by out of various human and animal parts. This being, simply referred to as the "Creature," is often mistakenly called Frankenstein. In the original novelization, the Creature was highly intelligent, equal to a human in mind, but hideous in appearance. Later movie depictions show Frankenstein as a mad scientist and his monster as unintelligent, but still having a mind of his own.
What is the name of the professor at Ingolstadt who taught Victor Frankenstein?
Two professors at Ingolstadt who impressed and taught Victor Frankenstein were M. Krempe and M. Waldman.
