Victor Frankenstein: A young, selfish, irresponsible medical student obsessed with the idea of recreating life. Creator of the monstor that ultimately leads to the death of his friends, family, and himself.
Elizabeth: Victor's love interest. She is distraught over the fact that Victor choses to spend his time with work rather than her.
Henry Clerval: Victor's medical school friend from back home. Henry comes to Ingolstadt to check upon his friend and is killed by Victor's monster.
Justine: The young girl that the Frankensteins took in. She is related to the Frankensteins through her aunt.
William: William is Victor's youngest brother. He, along with Justine, are the two symbols of innocence that are killed in the story.
De Lacey Family: This is the family that the monster watches through the window when he is living in the woods. The monster finds them kind, gentle, and appealing.
Robert Walton: The story is told throught the letters of this character as he is writing home to his mother while he is out at sea.
Frankenstien opens "in media res," meaning we enter in the middle of the action. We are introduced to a sailor, Robert Walton, who is sailing in the Arctic Sea and comes upon a man stranded on the floating ice. The crew takes the man, Victor Frankenstein, aboard and the stranger reveals his bizarre past. . .
He begins telling a tale that seems can only exist in a dream. Victor's history begins in his home in Austria. We are told that his mother has died and that he is extremely distraught. He decides to pursue his medical vocation in Ingolstadt with his best friend Henry Clerval. Leaving behind his love, Elizabeth, he begins his life still saddened by the loss of his mother.
As his studies progress Victor is introduced to many new and innovative medical practices, including the theory of false life. With this ides branded in his head, Victor embarkes on the medical journey/obsession that eventually ends the lives of those he loves and lures his own to the ends of the earth.
As the action continues, the reader is led through the mind of this scientific madman. Victor takes us on his journey of collecting human remains so that he can create his masterpiece. After the monster is created and the horror of the situation is revealed to Victor, he no longer remains accountable for his actions. This obsession of his that he neglected his family for, lost his health for, and virtually slaved over is now left to run free. Like a newborn child this monster has no sense of right from wrong. It is left to fend for itself in a dangerous world.
From then on the story brings us in to the point of view of the monster. We are told of how cruel the world treated him due to his unsighlty face. One is left feeling sympathy for this poor creature--he did not ask for this new life and he does not deserve the ridicule he receives.
As the monster becomes acclimated to his new surroundings he becomes more aware of his emotions, especially anger. This anger that the monster found within himself was used against his creator. The monster went out with a vengence and wanted to gain revenge for the horrible life his creator gave him. Victor's monster began killing everyone that Victor loved. In total, the monster killed at least 5 of Victor's loved ones.
In the end we are brought back to Robert Walton's ship where Victor's history led him. Victor's monster led him to the "edge of the earth" so the rest of his life would be committed to following the wretch. As the story wraps up on the ship the monster is spotted running a far distance from the ship. Victor Frankenstein slowly grows ill and eventually dies. The story remains in Robert Walton's mind to the very end of the book and we are left with some of his own reflections.
In great literature, authors often seize upon the plight of one particular character to represent a more general concern of humanity. . .
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Genetic cloning is only the most recent example of humanity's attempt to control life, or do what some call, "playing God." Science produces technology closer to virtual insanity rather than reality, at times, it seems, for much of our desire for control leads to situations "too good to be true." In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein and his experiences represent humanity's self-destruction which stems from the need to control nature.
Victor Frankenstein is unveiled as an extremely self-apsorbed individual at the beginning of the novel. Within the first thirty pages, he becomes so entranced with the old philospohies of science that he assumes the power to begin creating a "human" from assorted body parts. Victor claims the right to give/take away life by asserting his need to control nature. Later on, Frankenstein takes it upon himself to create a second monster--now there is not even a question of moral right or wrong for him. However, the ramifications of Frankenstein's attempt at "playing God" are revealed by the monster himself: "'You are my creator, but I am your master--obey!'" The monster eventually becomes wiser than his creator, who is blinded by his selfish want for control. Victor's original intentions had been to control nature through the making of a being, yet the monster becomes "out of control," illustrating that no one can actually assume power over natural existence.
Victor's assumption of power and control, along with the fact that it was a reflection of his selfishness, represent humanity's self-destruction by assuming similar power. Human beings are perpetually progressing in their knowledge of existence, and want to be able to create it on their own. It is an innate part of human nature to want control. Yet, looking to Victor Frankenstein as an example, the illusion of power blinds us when it comes to the ramifications.
This year in English we read many books, Frankenstein, however happened to be my favorite. The thing that I particularly liked about it is that it's eary science fiction. Shelley creataed the first real horror story, one that contains many underlying themes. The themes of: greed, inequality, and the interuption of nature are also elements of this story that I particularly likes. It is also interesting to me that all of the terrible events that occured in the life of Mary Shelley contributed so much to Frankenstein. While reading Frankenstein I found myself taking the side of the monster. This innocent creature was brought into the world against its will. Put together by the remains of corpses, this beast was not welcomed by the outside world. Even the monster's creator, Victor Frankenstein, couldn't bare to look at him. A quote that stuck out in my mind "Am I thought the only criminal, when all human kind has sinned against me?", was stated by Frankenstein's monster. This quote shows many things about the monster and the world in which he was thrown in to. First, the monster is capable of feeling and thinking. He is capable of understanding that he has done nothing wrong and in fact many people have wronged him. The monster did nothing to bring about the negativity that he was given; the world around him did not think about the wellbeing of this creature, instead they treated him like an outcast and shunned him out of society. I happen to take a great liking in stories like these especially due to the fact that the monster does seek revenge and ultimately consumed the life of his creator. The reason I take a liking to stories in which there is revenge is probably because I usually don't have the guts to go after someone myself. I like to see that the underdog doesn't get exploited completely. Frankenstein contains this element and much much more.