FRANKENSTEIN lolz
Easton Wilkins
Prof. Meehan
Literature and Composition
February 24, 2010
Frankenstein; A Behemoth in Paradise
The complications invested within the matter of Victor Frankenstein and his Monster leave a great deal to be discussed at the conclusion of Mary Shelley’s gothic wonder. Shelley’s inclusion of various historic counts of literature infuse the novel with rich, complex thoughts of alchemy, philosophy, and to a certain extent religion just to name a few. The idea of Victor generating a specimen all of his own creation, defining science, exceeding the ideas of physical contents and the nature of creation is completely intuitive; all of which relate back to the inclusions of Milton’s Paradise Lost. The introductory passage so reads; “Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould Me man? Did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me?—“ Paradise Lost [X. 743-5] This quote, I believe, embodies the spirit of the Monster and clearly bridges his literary brotherhood to Satan; in his isolated manner of existence and essential fall from grace (birth to terror and murder, etc.).
The horror of Frankenstein does not necessarily come at the popular moment of climax in which the molding of the creature is animated, but instead it spreads most intelligently throughout the entire story. The melancholic nature of Mary Shelley’s delivery reverberates the intense altercations between the Monster and Victor, notably in the scene where the monster discusses his reading; “. . .but I was wretched, helpless, and alone. Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me.” (117) This relation to Milton’s work directly illuminates some of the complications within the Monster’s conceptual being, and shows further problems regarding the dynamic of the concepts of evil, malice, and further daemon relatives. Satan’s bitter, envious character is the poison apple to the previous Snow White world of Adam and Eve, and the monster of Frankenstein exudes almost mirrored qualities based on his brief and unfortunate experiences in the world in which he was born into.
The central figure in time that perpetuates the drawn out tragedy of the monster is absolutely his initial contact with the world and thusly the first impression he has upon Victor. It so reads; “Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath. . .his shriveled complexion and straight black lips.”(60) This rejection almost plays as a lucid remake of Satan’s fall from grace, where the monster’s only innocence is his birth, which is quickly swept away by the frightful flare of his creator; sending him into chaotic despair and a fall from a naïve steeple. Satan’s displacement acts as a catalyst for his interference with the free will of mankind and treacherous undertakings in the Garden of Eden. The monster echo’s these actions by mercilessly tearing down Victor’s mental fabric by killing the most beloved ones that surround his life.
Milton’s inklings of Genesis converge most vividly with Shelley’s gothic world and exposition of human torment; adhering to the traditions of villainy and creation, life and death, birth and rebirth. As Satan transforms the view of man, so the monster transforms his peripheral landscape; ultimately, melting his perceptive equilibrium and falsified hopes of greatness that Victor once possessed. The snake and the giant, respectively, have succeeded in nullifying certain dreams of existence, and by their own destruction created their own unique prisms in the glimmer of understanding.
“I pledge to have abided by the Washington College Honor Code.”
