Saturday, November 24, 2012

What tones does Shelley take towards the character in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus?

In Frankenstien, Mary Shelley's take
on the two characters of Victor and the monster he created are very different, and they
demonstrate the way she feels about men who try to play god with the world.  She is
clearly expressing dislike for Victor, a man with a brilliant mind, yet who cannot take
responsibility for the thing he unleashed on the world.  Her tone with the monster, on
the other hand, is somewhat sympathetic.  The monster is behaving exactly as he was
created to behave; he is ignorant of the consequences of his actions, where Victor knows
exactly what he is doing. Victor knows better; he should behave better. The monster did
not ask to be created; in fact, it is lonely and miserable and only wants contact with
others. It does not even perceive its ugliness until mirrored in the eyes of those it
approaches. Victor's ugliness is on the inside, and Shelley makes it clear to the reader
that she has no respect for him and neither should we.

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