This is also similar to Frankenstein because Shelley uses a similar example of personification to describe Victor’s feelings. “The sun and the heavens, who have viewed my operations, can bear witness of my truth” (Shelley, 1994, p.137). These are both instances of how personification is used, in similar ways, to show that both Victor and the Mariner feel as if they are being watched by the people who have died because of their mistakes of either killing the bird who brought good to the men, or created a monster who killed people that Victor loved very
Frankenstein and the Creature shared an uncontrollable need for vengeance. After the Creature murdered Elizabeth and Clerval, Dr. Frankenstein devoted his life to finding the Creature. He tracked him across the continent; he sacrificed himself by going through fatigue and the bitter cold which was all driven to simply get revenge on the Creature for his actions. Dr. Frankenstein even says, “revenge— a deep and deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and anguish I had endured” (Shelly 169). The Creature all the same was driven by vengeance during his time of existence.
The reader's empathy for various characters shifts throughout the novel. First the reader empathises with Victory Frankenstein who is a family man and has good intentions to cure the human race of death. Then the monster narrates, which shows the reader that he is not an evil monster under his horrible appearance but an innocent and childlike creature, this makes the reader empathise with the monster instead of Victor Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein narrates again, during which he loses his family and becomes bitter and sad, these emotions help the reader to empathise once more with Frankenstein. The novel's alternative title is the modern day Prometheus.
The theme of doubling occurs when a pair of characters can be described as two sides of the same coin, though one usually represents the evil or hedonistic side of the other. Doubling is a recurring theme used in many Gothic novels but is also used in novels like ‘Wuthering Heights’ and the play of ‘MacBeth’. Mary Shelley frequently uses the theme of doubling through her novel ‘Frankenstein’ through how she structures the personalities and appearances of the characters. The most common use of doubling is between the characters of Victor Frankenstein and his monster. It is said that the monster’s ‘hideous looks’ represents Victor’s abnormal personality.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is first depicted as a hero that turns tragic due to his own detrimental flaws. Victor’s demise began when his mother died while trying to nurture Elizabeth back to health. Due to his need for an escape, Victor turns to his fascination with nature. He feels trapped in his tragic, monotonous life and craves the feeling of living again. Seen first as a genius of science, Victor is loved by others only for him to turn around and become the cause of suffering for nearly every character.
Several days later, Walton hears a strange sound coming from the room in which Victor’s body is in. Investigating the noise, Walton is startled to find the monster, as hideous as Victor had described, weeping over his dead creator’s body. The monster begins to tell him of all his sufferings. He says that he deeply regrets having become an instrument of evil and that, with his creator dead, he is ready to die. He leaves the ship and departs into the darkness.
His arm stretched out seemingly to detain me, but I escaped.” – Victor "Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy--to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim." - The Monster “I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone?” - The Monster call it murder”- The Monster "Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? “ A pair of star crossed lovers take their life” “ My only love sprung from my only hate” ” Away, begone , the sport is at the best” O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Upon hearing this, the creature believes the solution to his misery is a mate. But Victor is cruel and in the midst of creating a mate for the creature he tears her to pieces and refuses this to his progeny. The creature becomes odious. Frankenstein is heartless and chooses to keep the monster
The human emotions often represented in the Romantic Era of literature are clearly displayed in the novel Frankenstein through the monster itself. The monsters emotions are what rule him. He displays every negative human quality that each of us wishes didn't exist, such as rage, jealousy, and hatred. Chapter 20 is a prime example of this, in which we can see how he demonstrates human emotion in a negative as well as a positive aspect. “"The wretch saw me destroy the creation whose future existence he depended on happiness and with a howl of devilish despair and revenge, withdrew."
What triggers his hatred even more is the fact that the monster is responsible for Justine’s and William’s murder. With this knowledge Victor screams in rage towards the monster “Scoffing devil! Again do I vow vengeance; again do I devote thee miserable fiend, to torture and death.” (107) Victor becomes overwhelmed by the murder and feels totally responsible for it, since it his creation that has committed these murders. "I did confess; but I confessed a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins.