Frankenstein(Half 1)
Frankenstein was not what I was expecting it to be like when I started reading. I did not expect the backstory and the life that was given. I did not expect all of the themes portrayed throughout and everything that effect his life.
The letters introduce the idea of loss and loneliness, as Walton complains that he has no friends with whom to share his triumphs and failures, no sensitive ear to listen to his dreams and ambitions. Another theme that Walton’s letters introduce is the danger of knowledge. The theme of destructive knowledge is developed throughout the novel as the tragic consequences of the stranger’s obsessive search for understanding. Victor’s narrative has a sense of nostalgia for a happier time; he dwells on the memories of his childhood with Elizabeth, his father, and his mother. But even in the nice, he cannot ignore the signs of the tragedy that lies in it. Victor’s pursuit of scientific knowledge reveals a great deal about his perceptions of science in general. He views science as the only true route to new knowledge. Walton’s journey to the North Pole is like this as he steps into a new adventure that is unknown. There is a theme of secrecy, as Victor’s studies draw him farther and farther away from those who love him. He conducts his experiments alone. Victor displays an unhealthy obsession and it takes its toll on him both mentally and physically. It drags him into charnel houses in search of old body parts and, even more important, isolates him from the world. Then Victor’s reaction to his creation initiates a haunting theme, the sense that the monster is inescapable. But overall the natural world has the most noticeable effects on Victor. His life and mood change, he is moved and cheered in the presence of scenic beauty, and he is disconsolate in its absence. Just as nature can make him joyful, however, so can it remind him of his guilt, shame, and regret.
The letters introduce the idea of loss and loneliness, as Walton complains that he has no friends with whom to share his triumphs and failures, no sensitive ear to listen to his dreams and ambitions. Another theme that Walton’s letters introduce is the danger of knowledge. The theme of destructive knowledge is developed throughout the novel as the tragic consequences of the stranger’s obsessive search for understanding. Victor’s narrative has a sense of nostalgia for a happier time; he dwells on the memories of his childhood with Elizabeth, his father, and his mother. But even in the nice, he cannot ignore the signs of the tragedy that lies in it. Victor’s pursuit of scientific knowledge reveals a great deal about his perceptions of science in general. He views science as the only true route to new knowledge. Walton’s journey to the North Pole is like this as he steps into a new adventure that is unknown. There is a theme of secrecy, as Victor’s studies draw him farther and farther away from those who love him. He conducts his experiments alone. Victor displays an unhealthy obsession and it takes its toll on him both mentally and physically. It drags him into charnel houses in search of old body parts and, even more important, isolates him from the world. Then Victor’s reaction to his creation initiates a haunting theme, the sense that the monster is inescapable. But overall the natural world has the most noticeable effects on Victor. His life and mood change, he is moved and cheered in the presence of scenic beauty, and he is disconsolate in its absence. Just as nature can make him joyful, however, so can it remind him of his guilt, shame, and regret.
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