A Character Analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
Originally written as a short story, Shelley created the legendary depiction of Frankenstein. The novel centers on both the social and the cultural attitudes of society during the time of its writing. The characters gives us a clear look at what life was like in the early 1800s and the fight that many people had to resist in being held down under the control of rules and regulations of the then modern society.
The monster is revealed as being shunned by society forcing the reader to empathize with him while at the same time fear him. Shelley carefully builds up this theme by using the naturally opposing forces of nature and science in developing the core of the story.
Shelley’s World
To fully grasp the message Shelley tries to deliver one must first understand the standards for societal norms in human behavior at the time of its writing. At the time, there was a definite method of reproduction that was accepted and the monster’s creation went completely against these commonly understood norms. So, while the monster over time is able to develop the ability to communicate at some level, to show emotion, and to react to his own inner conscious, he is never accepted because he was formed outside of what was considered the accepted norms.(1)
Her use of the first-person narrative in the case of Walton’s voice and the character Victor’s personal narrative help us to relate to these two characters on a personal level. At the same time, the dialogue between them and the other characters allow us to glean the thoughts and feelings of the others, including the monster. Through these tools, we learn of a society that is on the verge of breaking down.
There are several underlying themes that are addressed in Shelley’s writings both social and political. She mimics the natural tendency of young children to want to copy their ‘creator’ or parents by learning about them. We see this very clearly in Victor’s attempt to study and learn all he can about the sciences involved in bringing about life and in the monster’s need to learn about the society he has been thrust into. In fact, we learn that both Victor and the monster represent mirror images of each other because they both have been plagued with that inability to communicate with others under the established norms of society.
She also addresses the idea that through education one’s station in life can be determined. We see this revealed through a conversation with Victor, where Walton denounces him for his lack of a formal education pointing out that without someone to formally direct him on his social path he could never become enlightened in the proper ways of society.
While his fascination with the secret to life is the impetus that leads him to create the monster, we watch him change through the pages as he realizes that it is his own creation and thirst for knowledge that has lead to the death of his younger brother, his best friend, his wife, and two other innocent individuals. His innocence is soon turned into guilt and shame as he watches his creation spin completely out of his control leaving him completely disillusioned and prepared to destroy the fruits of all of his labors.
This leaves us wondering if his attempt at creation is anything more than a desire to attain godlike qualities or if he simply wants to avoid melding into a preconceived society that controls much of the life around him. His isolation is an indication that he has lost touch with his human side and the result is a cutting himself even further from society until he reaches the point of getting revenge upon his own creation.
By the time of Victor’s death at the end of the novel, the reader is filled with lots of questions; was he merely a mad scientist because of his lacking the ability to communicate within societal norms or was he a brave explorer who was attempting to cross all scientific and societal boundaries for the sake of a new discovery that could have lead him to a wider acceptance and even honor had his experiments gone the other way.
References:
1. http://www.enotes.com/topics/frankenstein/critical-essays/critical-evaluation>
2. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/frankenstein/canalysis.html>