Frankenstein

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Summary: Explores friendship, ambition, and the conflict between.
Review: Among the many themes of Frankenstein, one of them is that of friendship, ambition, and the conflict between the two. The message is that the deeper need of the two is friendship, but that we are susceptible to the temptations of ambition, which can destroy friendship.

Ostensibly, Victor Frankenstein had an unselfish mission to "benefit all mankind" with his scientific project. His "selfless" ambition failed him and proved to aim at self-glory because he wanted to create a race that would bless him as its father. In Captain Walton's second letter to his sister, we learn that although he has a well-trained crew, he has no soul companion; this need he regards as a "most severe evil." Walton's exploration of the secluded and frozen Arctic serves as a metaphor for how his ambition has removed him from society. His ambition even threatened his own and his crew members' lives when ice surrounded and trapped his boat. Likewise, this is where Victor's ambition leads him when he's hunting down the monster in futility. The message is that if one sets out ambitiously to benefit mankind, once that person has acheived their goal, their prominence sets them apart from the same society they set out to benefit.

Victor had a much more intense ambition than Walton, with corespondingly more disasterous results. As Frankenstein prepared for his project, he isolated himself from his friends and family to laboriously study the sciences and he would later postpone his marriage for this project. The embodiment of his ambition, the repulsive monster, would eventually slay several of Victor's loved family members, including his fiance on their wedding night. Even the monster feels as his deepest need a human relationship, which he has none and which is the very thing that turned him from good to evil. While observing an impoverished family, "the bitter gall of envy" arose in the monster. He considers them rich because they have the companionship of each other even though they are in financial poverty. When Frankenstein rejects the monster's pleas to create for him a mate of the same race, the monster sets out on an unstoppable path to destruction and an ambitious one indeed. The novel links ambition with destruction, particularly destruction of companionship and conveys friendship as a great , if not the greatest, need for man.

I don't think the story conveys that all ambition is destructive. At the end of the story, Victor has great regret for the results of his ambition, but he still has pride for his effort. Although he cautions us that we would be better off to believe our "native town to be the world," he adds, "yet another may succeed." You could interpret this as Victor not "learning his lesson;" that mankind will continue to give in to harmful passions. Another, much different analysis could be that this story portrays that limited ambition, integrated with society and not aimed at self-glory, can be virtuous. After all, for the teenage author of a classic, enduring novel to tell us that all ambition will destroy us would be hypocrisy.

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Summary: A Victorian Gem
Review: What exactly gives a novel, written by a twenty-year-old European girl from the Victorian era, the wings of literary longevity needed to carry it across two centuries and the Atlantic Ocean? How has it been able to propagate itself across contemporary American Culture in such a way that it can be found on any given day everywhere from cartoons-that big orange thing with tennis shoes chasing bugs bunny through a castle-to upper division university literature seminars? Well, it IS a monster story, but that doesn't explain it. It is pretty well written, for having a young author, but only in the Romantic tradition, with all of the attendant thickly written melodrama and blubbery prose-think Anne Rice without the Prozac or sex. So Shelley's literary talents don't really explain it either. It does sort of begin the mad-scientist routine that we 'modern' folks love so much, which picked up some real momentum with the publication of Stevenson's 'Jekyll and Hyde'. I suspect that partially accounts for some of its continuing appeal to the adult reader and movie-goer. Shelley did spend a great deal of energy ruminating on the possible moral and ethical implications of messing around with the natural order of things. She let the good doctor cross that line and mess around with some taboo stuff, the defeat of death and all of that. And her commentary on the matter is clear: good old-fashioned Romantic fear. The monster really lets him have it. I won't go into it, I don't want to give away any of the story. Now we're beginning to understand some of its appeal, but even a decent monster story and fore-shadowing of the human-cloning debate don't entirely account for the fact that there will surely be at least one kid who, with stitches painted on his green face and mock bolts sticking from the sides of his neck, will lurch up to my doorstep October 31st and holler 'Trick or Treat' in monsterspeak. Here's where I need to get a bit more serious with my analysis, because I suspect that Frankenstein is one of just a few texts that is actually important, because it was instrumental in helping literature-an as expository art form-climb to the next level. The Victorian era was a landscape of chaos-think Industrial and French revolutions-from which a most unsightly, energetic, and important monster lurched to life and strode across Europe like a colossus. No, not Frankenstein's monster, I'm talking about Freud. Intellectuals of the day had wonderful avenues of speculation to discuss over coffee. All kinds of new things were going on and it is no wonder that, from that great mixing of intellectual nutrients-the Victorian petri-dish of ideas and ideals-we get Mary Shelley's gem. It combines, in ambitious literary metaphor, Freud's ideas of the ego, id, and unconscious-Frank, his creation, and the 'desert mountains and deep, glacial ravines'-with concerns over science, and all the while paying homage to the backdrop of Christianity that lay under Europe like the mantle of the Earth-a creator who despises his creation, who, in turn, loves and hates his creator. It's wonderful stuff. The Victorian century, with all that was going on, was just ripe for this kind of mixed speculation and commentary, and we are the lucky inheritors of the fruits of that chaotic time. Frankenstein, because of its depth of conscience, and the breadth of its ambitious, allegorical commentary, will undoubtedly be around for quite some time. I urge prospective readers to set aside their previous ideas about the story, their visions of lurching monsters-I always get the tennis-shoed, orange hairball or the blockhead in Young Frankenstein howling 'Fire Bad!'-and take the time to read the story from a fresh perspective. It's well worth it.

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Summary: Who's the real monster?
Review: Mention the name "Frankenstein" and the first image to pop into people's minds is one of a big, dumb, green guy with bolts coming out of the sides of his neck. Anyone reading Mary Shelley's Frankenstein for the first time may be surprised to learn that in the novel the creature is neither inarticulate nor ignorant. He is the product of a zealous doctor's quest to take life and death into his own hands. The creature is shunned by all mankind, including the one person who should feel some compassion or responsibility for him, his creator, Dr. Frankenstein. All the creature ever wants is to be accepted by society and to find companionship. With an intellect superior to that of the average human being, he learns to speak and read. It isn't until after he understands that he is doomed to a life of rejection that he seeks revenge, turning violent and murderous. The underlying question of the novel is, who is the real monster here, the formidable creature or the creator who abandoned him?

Through the creature's own words, we hear of his confused awakening and search for understanding. From the start he recognizes that his appearance is so horrifying as to repulse anyone who sees him. Fittingly, once he has taught himself how to speak and read, his first attempt at communication is with a blind man. When he realizes the futility of his search for a friend, he focuses his efforts on another objective - revenge upon the one who brought him into this cruel world. The creature sets out to make Frankenstein's life the same sort of hell as his own.

The scientist Frankenstein goes to great lengths to complete his experiment, realizing too late that there are consequences for interfering with the laws of nature. He brings to life a most unnatural beast, and flees in horror from the being he has created. Feeling no responsibility to comfort the creature in any way, he instead wishes to completely abandon it and forget that it even exits, leaving it to struggle single-handedly in a world where it does not belong. Is it any wonder that his creation becomes slightly incensed at his abandonment and seeks to create for Frankenstein a life equal to his own in misery and isolation?

Who deserves the label of "monster"? First-time readers of Shelley's novel may have a hard time accepting that the creature is not a purely evil or demonic being; contrary to popular belief, he does not just wake up and start strangling people. The creature in the novel has qualities we more easily identify with, such as the desire to be loved and accepted. On the other hand, Dr. Frankenstein's actions are questionable at times. Is the creature justified in his revenge? Or does Frankenstein get the bad end of the deal, his originally well-intentioned experiment gone sour? Either way, reading Mary W. Shelley's novel presents to us the viewpoint of a very different "monster" than we expect.

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Summary: An Assessment of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
Review: There is obviously something unique about a text that has survived within the canon for so many years, is continually taught to students in secondary schools and universities, and is read for entertainment by numerous people every year. Moreover, there are even fewer texts that have generated such a legacy of being retold, replicated, and borrowed from throughout their histories. One of these grand texts is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Though one may never have read the novel or be able to recognize the author's name, it would be difficult to find a person who is not familiar with the title. Frankenstein has evolved since its creation into one of the greatest fright stories ever and the monster has become one of epic proportion. But, the story, in actuality, is quite different from its many replications floating around Hollywood or even those of oral tradition. Likewise, the effect this novel has on the reader may be quite unlike what one initially presumes. This was my case in reading the infamous tale for the first time this year.

To begin, the language of Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, is, like many novels of its time, challenging. This should not, however, be considered a hindering aspect of the novel. Actually, the language of the narrative aids in the reading for Shelley uses the text as a tool to present an argument. The formality of the language is necessary in order to articulate such a position while demanding attention from the reader to evaluate that posture. Along with this, there are several instances that illustrate the desired position of the author. Without the elevated language, these small details would certainly be lost or overlooked. Through such clarity, one is forced to accept the seriousness of the ideas presented within the text, which are often disregarded in modern film or oral interpretations.

Another particularly impressive aspect of Frankenstein is the development of the story in entirety; it is here that Shelley's genius is obvious. First, the tale is appropriately established within a darkened atmosphere; this created world places the reader in the proper frame of mind to begin such a tale while allowing the author to skip over mundane details that would obstruct from the reader's enjoyment. Throughout the novel, one can depend on Shelley to move the reader through the plot by her creation of the atmosphere. Second, as the story focuses around the nature of the human, Shelley develops her protagonist accordingly and with eloquence. The author does an outstanding job of balancing grandness with reality. Dr. Victor Frankenstein is a man who is greater than life while epitomizing all human beings. That is, he is a genuinely good man who makes a grand mistake. Throughout the story, one is able to relate to the doctor as a fictional character and as a representative figure of all humankind.

Finally, the action of the story is probably the best known aspect of the tale and is much deserving of that recognition. The plot shares many of the characteristics discussed regarding the development of the protagonist. While the action is something grand, it is created in a way that seems applicable to all human experiences. On the other hand, it is for this reason that the actual plot seems less important than the underlying presuppositions which Shelley is presenting through her narrative. That is, there are certain universal truths that ought not be violated. There is an ultimate good within the world that is both universal and eternal and the violation of this will always lead to the destruction of the person. Obviously, there is a deep religiosity flowing throughout Shelley's narrative.

In short, all the elements of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein illustrate reasons that explain the success of the tale. Shelley seems to have hit a vein in the imagination of all humankind. Not only is Frankenstein a fantastic and entertaining story, it is a grand piece of literature dealing with questions of eternal proportion. While the modern interpretations will focus on the science of creating a monster, do not be surprised when questions of even greater importance are brought to light in the reading.

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Summary: Shelley's Frankenstein and what lies beneath the surface
Review: Upon first glance, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein can be seen as a simple horror story of a brilliant, if not obsessive scientist who in his quest to create life unwittingly unleashes a hideous, seemingly unstoppable monster upon the world. As the novel progresses, the reader must decide who the real monster of the story is. Is it the murderous creature, Frankenstein creates? Or is it Frankenstein himself. Ultimately, this question leads to a chilling finale amid the frozen arctic in which both characters apparently perish forever.
That would be the impression one would get after just a light reading of the text, but if one were to look much closer at the novel, they may discover many other things about this re-markable piece of Victorian literature. One of the major themes in Frankenstein seems to be one of rebellion. Victor Frankenstein rebels against the laws of nature by playing God and creating life. In turn, his creation also rebels against a society that fears and hates him. Before this hap-pens, though, the creature must first learn the concept of rebellion. The creature does this in through books it finds while hiding out in the barn of an old cabin. As the creature carries out its self-education, one book it turns to is Paradise Lost. Upon reading this, the creature remarks, 'Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss on my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me' (Shelley 105). The creature takes on many aspects of Satan from Paradise Lost, and can perhaps be called a 'Satanic Hero' because of this. The creature in this book can be seen as rebelling against a society that fears and hates him.
Other important items, a reader can look for upon reading this novel is an emphasis on extremes, excess and feelings that appears throughout the course of the book. This emphasis on extremes can be best discerned by Victor Frankenstein's decision not to make a mate for the creature. In regards to this, he states, '' for the first time, the wickedness of my promise burst upon me; I shuddered to think that future ages might curse me as their pest, whose selfishness had not hesitated to buy its own peace at the price perhaps of the existence of the whole human race' (Shelley 138). Here we see that Frankenstein's mindset is one of extremes. He believes that his work can either save mankind by curing death or destroy mankind completely. Simi-larly, the landscapes described in Frankenstein are ones of excess. They are rugged and craggy, extremes of nature.
It would be an understatement to say that this novel has had a great effect on many forms of literature that have followed it. However, Frankenstein can also be seen as more than a sim-ple horror story. For some reason, we cannot truly hate the creature despite the numerous acts of depravity it might exact in its quest for vengeance. No matter how many innocents die by his hands, the creature still appears somewhat sympathetic to us. Perhaps this is why in the original cut of James Whales' film version of Frankenstein he had a scene in which Boris Karloff's creature attempts to rescue a little girl he has thrown into a pond, upon realizing that she cannot swim. This scene was eventually cut before the film was released, a result no doubt of a society unable to find sympathy in a monster.
That is not the case for the many who have read Shelley's novel though. In the end, the creature may be more human than it is given credit for. Reaching the end of the book, we are left feeling that perhaps the only thing the creature wanted was to have a mate, and to not be lonely. That has to be something all human beings long for at least once in their lives.

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Summary: it was good.
Review: yeah i liked this book. i read it and it was good

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Summary: Who would have thought?
Review: When being told I was to read Frankenstein for a college fiction class, I was not exactly thrilled. I knew what Frankenstein was about, or so I thought. Although many movies have been made about Frankenstein, none compare to Mary Shelley's novel. Shelley captures human emotion like no movie can. The expression of anger, sorrow, and helplessness of the monster created cannot be seen in such movies. Shelley's novel ties a completely fictional idea to real life in which everyone can relate. There are many things that can be taken away from this novel aside from the whole "man creating monster" idea. For a look at real human emotion, this is a great read.

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Summary: An engrossing book that is not always easy to handle
Review: I read this for 11th grade english and was not thrilled with having to read it because I wanted more Shakespeare. However I did read this book and was struck at how many themes in it were applicable to the moral battles being fought today. Stem-cell research, cloning, designer babies, etc... All of this was being touched on by an author who couldn't ever dream how true her prose might ring. My experience with this book may be distorted because when you read a book with a guide (such as a teacher) your opinions become mingled with your teachers. The character of Victor is fascinating but he is one that you will hurt deeply for. He does so many things that will repulse you and he takes so little responsibilities for his creation and the consquences that will spring from it. Read it and soak up the story.

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Summary: The definative guide to humanity
Review: Frankenstein is a very well presented view of how society did, and still does, view the unusual and different. Mary Shelley did an excellent job portraying the monster, and an even better job showing his human emotions and compassion. At first, you are led to believe that the creature is an abomination in the name of human kind, but quickly realize that he did not ask to be created, and that he is nothing more than what his creator's hands molded. This is also a look into the subject of human beings "playing god", and offers many viewpoints that might otherwise be overlooked. Furthermore, it can be incorporated with modern subjects, where everything is not "black and white", but where there is a "gray" uncertain area (cloning, etc.). A must read for anyone who enjoys drama, especially those readers with ethical questions in a modern chaotic world.

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Summary: Frankenstein
Review: I read Franenstein for a Senior English class in High School. To be honest, i wasn't personally expecting much from this book. I thought it would be a plain horror story. I had in my head a story that was simply about a monster killing people. After reading this book i realized that I was wrong! This book brought out many emotions within me. I found it very insubstantial that Victor had even created a monster. There is much more to this book than that fact. It was difficult to not feel pitty for both Victor and his monster. I would, and already have, recommended this book to a range of readers.