Frankenstein

Thesis Statements & Ideas Mary Shelley’s creature in Frankenstein is human, despite his unnatural creation. His emotions, complex thought processes and intelligent brain make him very human. In many ways, he is more human than Victor; the creature feels everything very purely and intensely. The creature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is not a human. It is a fabricated creature. Its actions are not human, its appearance differs greatly from other humans, and it lacks a critical element: birth. All humans are born. The creature was created. It is not human. The novel Frankenstein reinforces for readers a classic life lesson: people are selfish. It is Victor’s selfish desires which create the conflicts in the story. From his creation to his death, Victor’s motives are always selfish, regardless of what he may say or think. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley reveals the ugliness in humans. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein teaches readers that power does indeed corrupt. Victor is corrupted by the power he holds to animate life, and his creature wields a deadly power over his victims. Both are ultimately destroyed by the abuse of their power. When left alone by society, humans in their purest form are good and curious creatures. Society creates monsters, like the one in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. People need companionship. It is human nature to seek love and friendship. We are very social beings, and we thrive in the company of others. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein shows an extreme example of what can happen when people are deprived of society with others. Victor Frankenstein is an arrogant and thoughtless man. In Mary Shelley’s novel, he repeatedly proves himself to be an unlikable character, unworthy of respect or sympathy. Mary Shelley’s creature in Frankenstein is worthy only of pity. The creature cannot be admired, respected or loved. It can only be pitied. Too many obstacles block the path of the creature’s happiness. It is a pitiful life. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the creature is good, but is corrupted by his encounters with humans. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the creature can be considered neither completely good nor completely evil. His existence is an argument for the Nurture over Nature debate. It is his environment which creates his nature. The creature evolved to be evil, but he began as good. There are limits to what we should know and pursue. Some secrets are best left hidden. Victor Frankenstein cannot reverse his actions, he cannot unlearn knowledge, and therefore he is doomed. Mary Shelley’s novel is a classic case of “curiosity killed the cat.” Science is dangerous. Mary Shelley shows through her novel Frankenstein that the intoxicating pursuit of the unknown and unlocking nature’s secrets is deadly. The body count rises as Victor Frankenstein gets deeper into his dangerous experiment. Despite its risks and dangers, science is vitally important in modern society. There are casualties and defeats, but the benefits to humanity far outweigh these. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the pursuit of science is questioned, but in the end, must be defended. The pursuit of science is vital to human advancement. It is human nature to explore and create. Mary Shelley exposes the insatiable human appetite for knowledge in her novel Frankenstein. Pursuing science is dangerous. Mary Shelley reminds readers of this lesson in Frankenstein. There can never be true justice when it is overseen by fallible humans. We are not capable of judging and punishing accurately. Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is just one example of society’s so-called justice gone awry. Victor is the only guilty character in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. He alone is responsible for the deaths of his loved ones. His creature cannot be blamed. Victor is negligent in his responsibilities and should be punished. The creature is responsible for his own actions. Victor is not to be blamed for the deaths of his loved ones. Just as a parent should not be blamed or rewarded for their child’s behavior, Victor cannot be responsible for his creature’s actions. Each individual has free will and is responsible for their own life. Mary Shelley reveals, through her novel Frankenstein, that there is no real or pure justice. It is a concept that is unattainable in practical reality. The novel Frankenstein presents a fascinating psychological case study in Mary Shelley’s character Victor Frankenstein. He exhibits many disorders recognized in modern psychology. Who is the real monster, the creature or the creator? Victor Frankenstein’s actions in Mary Shelley’s novel are unethical; those of his creature are criminal. (Continue with who is more monstrous, Victor or the Creature.) Like Prometheus, Victor Frankenstein “plays with fire” in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Like Prometheus, Victor is punished severely. Some knowledge of the universe and the gods is best kept secret. Mary Shelley’s creature in Frankenstein is similar to Prometheus in many ways… (choose three ways in which they are similar) Victor describes his creature in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as his enemy, but the two are actually a lot alike. Creature and creator have a lot of characteristics in common. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Victor makes so many mistakes. Readers often speculate, what if he had nurtured and taught his creation, what if he had told his family about the creature, what if he had told the authorities, what if he had completed the female…? It is a classic case of could’ve, would’ve, should’ve, but it is worth discussing. Tips for analyzing a character: What changes does the character go through? What lessons does the character learn? What are the stages the character experiences in the novel; analyze these. What is the character’s purpose? You may psychoanalyze the character. Do they have any disorders? Any interesting character flaws? Weaknesses? Faults? Any interesting character traits? Strengths? Admirable qualities? What motivates the character? What is the character’s thought process? Analyze the relationships the character has with others. Does the character know right from wrong? Analyze the ethics and morals of the character. Analyze the outcome for the character. Was there any other way the story could have ended? Is the character believable? Realistic? Is the character a caricature? Fake? Critique the character’s words and actions.