Frankenstein Novel | English Literature

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Frankenstein
Name of the Student:
Name of University:
Author Note

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Frankenstein is one of the most widely acclaimed and popular novels in English
Literature. Mary Shelley received acclamation and recognition as a writer with one of her most
famous works, Frankenstein. Frankenstein, which is considered to be a horror novel now, earlier
part of Gothic literature. However, many critics like to read Frankenstein as a novel which has
resemblance with Gothic literature as well as traits of Romanticism. Victor Frankenstein
explores beyond human knowledge in quest of the unknown, about what lies beyond death. He
tries to bring back life, through his experiments of composing body parts of corpses but he only
gives birth to a monster. The story is extraordinary to point out the human follies by posing
philosophical questions (Boisvert, 2018). The story, yet being written 200 years earlier, has
relevance in the modern times, as it connects society with science to bring out the ugly side of it.
The thesis statement would be to explore the relevance of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein even in
the modern times.
Shelley has underlined the dangers of knowledge in the most profound manner. Nature
and human limitations have been discussed in the novel, through the depiction of the character of
Victor Frankenstein, who tries to challenge and defy human capabilities to enliven the dead to
give rise to his creation (Ardiansah, Arafah and Abbas, 2019). The natural world is sublime in
the representation of Shelley, who depicts it by embracing Romanticism, which, for an
individual, is the source for unrestrained emotions and experiences. Nature is very influential in
the novel as the inner turmoil and experiences are symbolic. However, on the other hand, Victor,
tries to win over nature as he tries to challenge the established order by probing into the norms
and altering its courses to give rise to his own scientific creation. However, after having brought
the creature to life, he soon realized that it will haunt him forever. His struggles increase, as he
gives rise to a monster, disguised as his scientific creation as he tries to enliven the dead from the

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body parts of the dead, challenging the order of nature. Victor names his creature with his own
name, which creates often point out to serve like his own alter ego in the novel. The monster is
symbolic of an ignorant person, who is able to read and write, but learns to do the same, while he
encounters the cottagers. As he learns the language and acquires knowledge, he becomes a figure
of tragedy, who even gains sympathy of the readers, as Frankenstein, who creates him, abandons
him (Shelley, 2018). The monster, after having acquired knowledge, becomes articulate to face
his own creator. It has been argued by several critiques that Shelley has laid emphasis on the
importance of communication. No matter how his physical appearance is, but it is very important
to understand one another. He looks ghastly and when he did not know how to act, he was
nothing less than terrifying. As he escapes the workshop, where he was created, it establishes the
very fact that Victor has created a beast, who is capable of unmotivated violence, strengthened
with the murder of William. The master is given the power of oratory, which gives him the
power to confront his creator, who deprives him of the things he deserves, after having given him
a life, especially a partner. Thus, the readers sympathize with him making his psychological state
credible.
It has been often said by critics that the monster Frankenstein is all too human and looks
for love and wants to belong. He values everything which Victor does not when he is denied
those things, he becomes revengeful as he says “I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the
fallen angel...” The readers get to witness the monster Frankenstein taking revenge by causing
harm to the loved ones, as Victor abandons him and expresses his failure to provide him a
partner or mate. Frankenstein as a scientist, fails to meet the demands as he witnesses the death
of his loved one, at the hands of his own creation. Frankenstein was published in 1818, is often
read as a story which opposes scientific creation and innovation but underlines the horror of