Frankenstein

Frankenstein

Introduction

Frankenstein, published in 1918, depicts several saintly, entirely domestic mothers and maternal figures, but the novel's most direct engagement with motherhood comes in Victor Frankenstein's successful experiments with infusing life into inanimate matter. Victor becomes simultaneously the deserting father and abandoning mother that turns his offspring into a monster. His intent to eliminate the mother becomes more pronounced when one of the main reasons for his refusal to create a female companion for his creature is that she will bear children and propagate her demonic species (Smith, 2008, pp.24-56). Victor creates a body from the union of different parts of dissected cadavers. The experiment concluded with success when he played the Frankenstein monster body. In forming his creature, Victor plays God, but he also usurps the maternal role in procreation without assuming its responsibilities.

Discussion

Frankenstein is sometimes compared with politics, nuclear science, genetic engineering and other agents of change to warn against experimenting with things we don't understand. Mary Shelley in the Novel "Frankenstein" presents the idea that life and morals are more important than scientific progress. Victor Frankenstein was for the search of knowledge beyond the boundaries of morality.

Intimate Relations

Psychologically, Mary draws directly on her own childhood experiences of isolation and abandonment after her mother's death in childbirth and her father's remarriage to a hostile stepmother to articulate Frankenstein's creature's overwhelming desire for a family, a mate of his own, and his subsequent violent anger when he is rejected by all whom he approaches, even his maker. Shelley focused on the role of parents that is extremely beneficial for healthy growth and subsequent maturation of a child. Young adult life of Mary Shelley was surrounded by pregnancy, childbirth, abortions and death. She had four children of whom only one survived to adulthood. Shelly also underwent an abortion that almost killed her. There is no doubt that Mary hoped to have more children. Therefore, issues of pregnancy and child development were revolving in her own lonely life. Shelley examines her own agitation and philosophy on birth and maturation of the child.

The fact that the “monster” of the story isn't inherently evil is n important diversion from the formula. It stems from the Romantic idea that there is no such thing as inherent evil and human beings are born with a “tabula rasa” and become bad because of their environment. The “creature” wasn't an evil monster by nature but became violent and vengeful only after being repeatedly rejected by society. This creates an interesting perspective for the reader.

This negative reaction to the excessive desire for knowledge and naive optimism in scientific progress is typically from Romanticism in England occurring between numbers of other characteristic that are featured in the movement. The main ones are the orphans, the family members, the sublime of nature, the innocence of childhood from a perspective focused Rousseau, which travels throughout the relationship of child bearers, monster and master-slave.

We can certainly empathize with the creature, but can also understand the fear victor has of him and ...