Mary Shelley-"Frankenstein" Part 2

The Magistrate. 

The character of Mr. Kirwin has been a source of great confusion for me.  He appears twice.  His first appearance is during the trial of Victor.  Given that he speaks Victor's native language, he hears Victor's "real" story.  At this point though, I do not think Mr. Kirwin completely understands what is meant by the term "fiend".  When Victor awakens from his apparent insanity, it seems as though the magistrate knows everything.  "As Mr. Kirwin said this, notwithstanding the agitation I endured on this retrospect of my sufferings, I also felt considerable surprise at the knowledge he seemed to possess concerning me" (Shelley, 132).  From this, the reader concludes that the magistrate has learned about Victor's case and somehow believes it.  Yet when Victor asks for help in searching for the creature, the magistrate seems to express some doubt in Victor's story.  He claims they cannot search for him because he seems unobtainable, but the reader can still infer a sense of disbelief coming from Mr. Kirwin.  Therefore, whether or not the magistrate knows about the creature is ambiguous.   

Mary Shelley-"Frankenstein" Part 2

The Evolution of Henry, Victor, and the creature.

When the novel opens, the similarities between the characters of Henry and Victor are apparent.  Both men are ambitious and have a deep desire to learn.  At the creation of the creature, it seems that he and Victor could not be more different.  As the novel progresses, this changes drastically.  When Henry and Victor make their way to England, their differences become more and more obvious.  In a way, the two become foil characters.  Henry finds joy in every moment of life.  Clerval's desire to learn augments each day; he even plans on going to India to further his education.  The only thing that ever brings him down is the disposition of his dear friend, Victor.  Victor has been living in constant fear and worry.  "He was forever busy, and the only check to his enjoyments was to my sorrowful and dejected mind" (Shelley, 115)  Additionally, his thought process has begun to mirror that of the creature.  He refers to himself as "wretch" and often separates him from human society.   

Mary Shelley-"Frankenstein" Part 2.

At one point in the novel, Shelley seems to start to develop the theme of not judging a book by its cover.  The creature may hold some credibility in his hatred toward humans.  Why shouldn't he hate them?  No one, besides the blind man, has given him more than a moment's chance to show his real character which is genuine and emotional.  When the creature is chased out of the village earlier in the novel, I do not think he quite understands neither what has happened nor how he feels about it.  Once his education grows, he gains this understanding and places more hope into his encountering of the DeLacey family which in the end creates a bigger emotional letdown and sense of abandonment for him when Felix, Agatha, and Safie reject the sight of him.  He is so overcome by emotion he refused to fight Felix back and claims "my heart sunk within me as with bitter sickness" (Shelley, 97).  Later on, the girl and boy help to completely destroy any shred of faith the creature had left in humanity by shooting him for saving the girl.  In this, the reader establishes an understanding for the creature's actions.  Contrary to what other may believe at this point, the creature is not fully culpable for his actions.  

Mary Shelley-"Frankenstein" Part 2.

The Girls.

Every single female presented in Shelley's story is characterized a sort of source of happiness or at least a potential prospect of it.  Additionally, the all seem to present themselves at the exact moment they are needed.  Safie brings light into the heavy heart of Felix.  At this point, Felix's spirit has been bogged down from the constant reminder of his family's poverty (and how he caused it).  The creature remarks how expressions of happiness rarely cross his face anymore.  Yet when Safie arrives, "Felix seemed ravished with delight...every trace of sorrow vanished from his face, and it instantly expressed a degree of ecstatic joy"(Shelley, 82)  The women also tend to be the more light-hearted characters.  The character of Elizabeth is somewhat vulnerable in that she does not believe anyone to be capable of any harm or wrongdoing.  Even Mrs. Saville, Walton's sister, is at one point the only thing he has to hold on to when everything else seems to be going wrong.  Caroline also brings strength to Mr. Frankenstein's character.  For the creature, the expectation of having someone to confide in and understand him offers him a sense of calmness and possibly even joy, and the let down has even greater effects.  Though the girls may be sideline characters, they are what keep the men in this novel functioning.      

Mary Shelley-"Frankenstein"

Great Expectations.  

Most feel a major letdown when reality cannot even be compared to the expectation.  Therefore, Frankenstein's disappointment had to have been immense when his creation was turned out nothing like he had expected.  Everything he had worked for over a period of six years has resulted in failure.  "His limbs were in proportions, and I had selected his features as beautiful.  Beautiful!--Great God!"(Shelley, 35).  The obvious sarcasm in this exclamation shows how shocked Frankenstein was to learn that his plans did not work out perfectly as he had planned.  Until this moment, Frankenstein had known only perfection or at least close to it.  His childhood was exemplary, and his family was of the most kind and loving.  Therefore, this occurrence had a severe impact on his psyche.  However, he is not the only one who suffers disappointment in this novel.  His father and Elizabeth expected Victor to write often.  Over a six year period, they received not even a word from their beloved which caused them much distress.  Additionally, the Creation was disappointed to learn that his creator did not accept him.  When the Creation is standing by Victor's bed, it is obvious he is wanting some sort of interaction but is rejected completely.  He suffers ultimate rejection when his own creator wants to kill his creation.  This causes the audience to wonder whether the theme of disappointment will be carried on throughout the remainder of the novel .  

Mary Shelley-Frankenstein

Who's the real monster? 

Victor Frankenstein presents a persuasive case that his creation is awful for the first seven chapters.  Yet, all the information given to the reader in chapter eight which recounts the experiences of Frankenstein goes against this conjecture.  The "wretch" does his neighbor's chores because he sees they do not enjoy the task.  This begs the question: how can his character (not appearance) be so horrifying?  The only factual information the reader has ever received about the Creation is that which has come from the creation's mouth.  Everything from the creator, Frankenstein, has been based totally upon assumption.  The reader knows not whether the blood of both William and Justine is upon the creation's hands.  All of Victor's assumptions indicate yes, all of the creations facts indicate no.  In truth, Victor makes himself mentally insane constantly concerning himself with this creation.  He becomes ill and emaciated during the development process.  He seems psychologically damaged in that he constantly lives in fear.  At one point, he even claims he himself has become somewhat of a monster.  "Cursed be the hand that formed you!  You have made me wretched beyond expression" (Shelley, 70).  This evidence supports the idea that the creation may not be the bad guy after all.    

Mary Shelley-"Frankenstein"

The Sun and the Moon.

Shelley often utilized nature as sort of foreshadowing device.  The condition of nature tends to reflect the current happenings/feelings of a character, namely Victor.  Whenever Victor is calm, the weather is at its height.  Yet, when Victor is scared, in trouble, or something bad is about to take place, the weather becomes terrifying.  Storms and lightning fill the sky.  However, on the night the creation came to life, it was merely drizzling outside.  This leaves a question among the audience on whether the creation is a good or bad occurrence.  Additionally, the reader knows not whether Victor was happy or troubled during the creation process as there was never any reference to what the weather was like.  In fact, Victor was so busy, he barely noticed it himself. 

Nature also serves as a comforting device for Victor, the Creation, and Robert.  When Robert Walton becomes advanced on his journey he claims the weather has been somewhat helpful and advantageous to him.  "...although not so warm as in England, the southern gales, which blow us speedily towards those shores which I so ardently desire to attain, breathe a degree of renovation warmth which I had not expected" (Shelley, 7).  When Frankenstein goes off on his own after the death of both his brother and Justine, the only thing that can comfort his grief is nature.  "These sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me the greatest consolation that I was capable of receiving" (Shelley, 66).  When the Creation explains his life experiences, he also expresses a love for the warmth the Earth provides.  "Soon a gentle light stole over the heavens, and gave me a sensation of pleasure.  I started up and beheld a radiant form rise from among the trees" (Shelley, 71).