Sunday, January 12, 2020

How do we feel about the monster at the end of the novel? Essay

Mary Shelly wrote the novel â€Å"Frankenstein† in 1817, she was just seventeen. It was a time of great exploration and discovery, this helps Mary Shelly delve into the unknown without it seeming too fictional. Mary Shelly had had a tragic life; she knew what it felt like to grieve as she had lost both her mother and child. Her experiences of death and grief greatly shape the context of this novel. Mary Shelly wrote â€Å"Frankenstein† in ‘Villa Mantalege’ in Switzerland. The villa was very isolated; as were many scenes in her book, for example the ice bound boat, the feelings of isolation run deeply throughout this novel in the form of the monster. He feels isolated in his own body because of his appearance. Isolation is also a great way to bring mystery and the extraordinary into the novel. At the beginning of the novel we learn that Frankenstein himself has experienced grief and is determined that nobody should ever feel like he did, he also wanted the world to know who he was; so, to pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold the mysteries of creation, the monster was born. Here Frankenstein spoke the most famous quote from the novel, â€Å"Beautiful! Great God! † Frankenstein is horrified with the result of the creature he has made and flees his laboratory. We have to remember that even though the monster had, â€Å"yellow skin, a shriveled complexion, and watery eyes†, that he was still a baby. He was one day old and the first taste of life he was handed was complete rejection. When Frankenstein runs to his bedroom and shuts the curtain on his four poster bed, the monster follows him. The monster reaches his hand out to Frankenstein who is petrified and flees once again. Mary Shelly presents the monster here as innocent, childlike just reaching out to his mother/father figure for some love. We empathise with the monster and remember a time when we have felt rejected, hurt or unloved.   

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