Comparison between Characters of Frankenstein Essay

Comparison between Characters of Frankenstein In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley combines three separate stories involving three different characters--Walton, Victor, and Frankensteins monster. Though the reader is hearing the stories through Waltons perspective, Walton strives for accuracy in relating the details, as he says, I have resolved every night,...to record, as nearly as possible in his [Victors] own words, what he has related during the day (Shelley 37). Shelleys shift in point of view allows for direct comparison and contrast between the characters, as the reader hears their stories through the use of first person. As the reader compares the monsters circumstances to those of Victor and Walton, the readers†¦show more content†¦Thus, Walton chose to suffer, rather than head back home. Because these characters had choices, the readers sympathy for them decreases. The monster, however, had no control over his misfortunes. He was brought into the world with no one to give him knowledge, support, and guidance. He was completely deserted by his creator. When he tried to make friends, everyone either ran away from him or tried to kill him. When he saved a little girl from drowning, he was shot. He provided firewood daily for the De Lacey family, and they regarded him as good spirit, wonderful (Shelley 102). Yet when they saw this good spirit, they deserted their house and the monster and never came back. The being was given no choices regarding these incidents. His rejection and misfortune was not caused by his actions, but rather his appearance, a physical trait that he cannot change. The monsters problem is that he is ugly--deformed. He did not choose to be physically deformed. He was created that way by Victor. Thus, Victor is ultimately responsible for the beings rejection. The reader becomes more sympathetic to the monster as s/he recognizes the monsters helplessness, which is in direct contrast with the self-induced problems of Victor and Walton. Though all three character were obsessed with particular goals, Victors and Waltons goals were purely for the sake of personal glory. Walton asked Margaret in his letter, do I not deserveShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Myth of Prometheus and Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1296 Words   |  6 PagesShelley’s Frankenstein is similar to that of a Greek tragedy and namely the myth of the titan, Prometheus. The characters as well as the plot are all similar between the two stories. Many have argued that Frankenstein is based on the Prometheus myth. I will attempt to show that there are many different parts of Frankenstein that are remarkably similar to the myth and draw a comparison between the two stories. The story of Prometheus is similar in many ways to that of Frankenstein. In Frankenstein, VictorRead MoreTheme Of Allusions In Frankenstein987 Words   |  4 PagesFrankenstein Allusions Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, references many other works of literature in her renowned book. To name a few of the referenced works there were John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the Greek â€Å"Prometheus myth†, and the widely known poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, â€Å"The Rime of the Ancient Mariner†. Each of these allusions gave a new meaning to Shelley’s story, affecting how each of the readers interpreted her words. Paradise Lost shares many parallels with Frankenstein. TwoRead MoreFrankensteins Origin: Assessing Thompsons Argument for the Creatures Literary Ancestors 1443 Words   |  6 PagesThe greatest modern stories often hail from ancient myths, and Mary Shelleys novel, Frankenstein, proves no exception to this claim. Replete with references to John Miltons Paradise Lost and the ancient Greek myth of Prometheus, the story of Frankenstein seems, in many ways, very much like the Creature himself—which is to say, cobbled together from various scraps of previously existing parts. Terry W. Thompson, however, argues convincingly that scholars continue to ignore one of FrankensteinsRead MoreThe Anxieties Of Modernity In Frankenstein And Dracula981 Words   |  4 PagesIn select gothic literature, anxieties of the times in which they were written tend to surface through important themes, characters and settings. Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley in 1818 and Dracula written by Bram Stoker in 1897 both share this characteristic by working through the anxieties of modernity, here meaning â€Å"the condition of being modern† , specifically between new world science and technology versus old world spirituality and faith. This manifests predominantly as the old traditionalRead MoreFrankestein 1818 vs 1831 Edition1084 Words   |  5 PagesFrankenstein Final Essay BY mp 927 Words Mrs. Mary Shelley 118 Maple Street Dover, Kent 1453 Dear Mrs. Shelley: Congratulations on the success of your first published novel, Frankenstein. Indeed you have entranced many readers by the horrific story you have created. Although the publication of the 1818 edition of the novel was successful, we the people at Universal Publishing feel the your latest 1831 edition will increase the novels‘ appreciation. In fact, the 1831 edition of FrankensteinRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1402 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the greatest pieces of literature during the Romantic Period is the novel, Frankenstein. This intelligent work of art was written by Mary Shelley. Shelley was born in London on August 30th, 1797 and died on February 1, 1851. People from all around the world have heard about the monster created by the one and only Victor Frankenstein; also known as the world’s maddest scientist that has ever lived in the fictional world. As many people do not know, Mary Shelley subtitled her book â€Å"Or, The ModernRead MoreIs Fr ankenstein the Modern Day Prometheus?1302 Words   |  6 Pageshead: IS FRANKENSTEIN THE MODERN DAY PROMETHEUS? Is Frankenstein the modern day Prometheus? Irvin M. Beacham Jr. ENC 1101 Dr. Gaspar Is Frankenstein the modern day Prometheus? When Mary Shelly wrote her 1818 classic Frankenstein, she subtitled it â€Å"The Modern Prometheus.† She compared the character of Dr. Victor Frankenstein a highly intelligent scientist to the Greek Titan Prometheus the wisest of the Titans. There are numerous parallels between Dr.Read More Narrative Voices in Shelleys Frankenstein and Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev1523 Words   |  7 PagesNarrative Voices in Shelleys Frankenstein and Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev I have chosen to compare the narrative voices of Frankenstein and Fathers and Sons, as the perspectives in these two novels differ from one another. Frankenstein’s narrative voice contains tales of three characters within one narrative, none belonging directly to the author, whereas the narrative voice of Fathers and Sons, is that of the author alone. Examples I will be using are taken from ‘The RealistRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein And Caleb Williams 1168 Words   |  5 PagesIn A.D Harvey’s article â€Å"Frankenstein and Caleb Williams,† he explains that Mary Shelley’s famous work, Frankenstein; was not intended to be of any actual scientific evidence, but rather written just only with the intention of a gothic horror piece â€Å"we will each write a ghost story† (Frankenstein Author’s introduction vii). Harvey’s target is to reach out to the science community and to sway them to look past the mechanics of how Frankenstein’s monster is created and focus on other points of interestRead MoreBiblical Analysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1376 Words   |  6 Pages16 November 2015 Biblical Analysis: Frankenstein Frankenstein by Mary Shelley often refers to the bible on a number of occasions. However, it is worth noting that many references used by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein can often be identified in Genesis. Much like Genesis, the story of Frankenstein is a viable creation story. The book of Genesis first explains the creation of man and woman, and also recounts the fall of humanity. Unlike Genesis, Frankenstein begins with the fall of humanity, leading