Essay on Role of Identity in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein

In past and present, society has always put an emphasis on external appearance as opposed to inner personality. As a result, social classes are formed, such as upper and lower, wherein members of each class must uphold the norms defined by the prestige of the class. Upper classes are deemed to be perfect, as they contain the wealthy and the beautiful. This class distinction is heightened in Gothic literature where emotions and the persona of the characters are externalized. Emotions are literalized as characters, supernatural phenomena, and the protagonist and antagonist roles. Victor Frankensteins upbringing in a perfect society ultimately led to the destruction of his life which coincided with the lives of those emotionally close to†¦show more content†¦This need of power led Victor to create what he believed would be a beautiful human being. But he failed to see that combining the most beautiful human features does not necessarily create a beautiful human being. He was inspired by scientists who ...acquired new and almost limitless powers... (Shelley, Frankenstein, P. 47). Victor sought this unlimited power to the extent of taking the role of God. He not only penetrated nature, but also he assumed power of reproduction in a maniacal desire to harness these modes of reproduction in order to become acknowledged, respected, and obeyed as a father. While bringing his creation into the world he was himself alienated from society, and isolated himself from the community. Isolation and parental neglect cause viciousness within man. Because of his upbri nging, Victor had no sense of empathy, and therefore could not realize the potential harm he was creating towards himself and his creation. The sole purpose of his project was an attempt to gain power, but instead of power Victor realized that a morally irresponsible scientific development could release a monster that can destroy human civilization. Victor Frankenstein is in many ways more monstrous than the monster he created. Victor and his creation demonstrate a thesis-antithesis correspondence wherein they reflect opposite character traits. Victor has no sense of empathy or compassion, whereas the monster, although hideous and rejected by society as an outcast, hasShow MoreRelatedRole of Identity in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essays1046 Words   |  5 Pagesphenomena, and the protagonist and antagonist roles. Victor Frankensteins upbringing in a perfect society ultimately led to the destruction of his life which coincided with the lives of those emotionally close to him. Victor was raised in an atmosphere where beauty and physical appearance define ones quality of life. This superficial way of life results in a lost sense of morals and selfishness, which in turn produces a lost sense of personal identity. This can cause a feeling of failure and resentmentRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1527 Words   |  7 PagesShelley s narrative is seen to symbolize romantic fears, offering a tale of certain demise, one that gives technology negative connotations in the form of the creature whom is represented as an outcast of society. To emphasise this, the sublime settings in the text, provide a space where the marginalised can be heard, however, for in contrast to the power of beauty which works to contain and maintain social distinctions, the sublime in Frankenstein opens the way for the excluded to challenge theRead MoreFrankenstein by Mary Shelley Essay1127 Words   |  5 PagesArchetypal Characters inside Frankenstein The novel â€Å"Frankenstein† by Mary Shelley involves the complex issues with the creation of life through an inanimate life. Shelley uses these character archetypes to develop a deeper meaning of the characters intentions. Shelley does an excellent job at allowing the reader to have a peak at the characters inner thoughts and feelings. The archetypes presented in Frankenstein allow readers to identify with the characters role and purpose. The foremost archetypesRead MoreFeminism And Women In Frankenstein1318 Words   |  6 PagesMary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein seems to focus on the characterization of men yet what is ironic is the fact that she is a woman. After the birth of Shelley, her mother Mary Wollstonecraft who was one of the first and most important feminist advocates had died, leaving Shelley to continue in her footsteps (â€Å"Feminism Women in Frankenstein†). Growing up, she was exposed to the work done by her mother and this led her to become exposed to feminist ideals at a very early age (â€Å"Feminism Read MoreGothic Literature : A Dark Atmosphere967 Words   |  4 Pageslooking more depth into a hero whose identity is identified at the end of a novel (Mullan). Some novels that have given us a chance to look more in depth with gothic literature just like Frankenstein. These novels include Horace Walpole’s Otranto and The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner ( 1824). In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley focuses on the main gothic elements such as setting, supernatural elements, and the presence of evil. Throughout the Frankenstein novel, a dark atmosphere helpsRead MoreBiblical Analysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1376 Words   |  6 Pages16 November 2015 Biblical Analysis: Frankenstein Frankenstein by Mary Shelley often refers to the bible on a number of occasions. However, it is worth noting that many references used by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein can often be identified in Genesis. Much like Genesis, the story of Frankenstein is a viable creation story. The book of Genesis first explains the creation of man and woman, and also recounts the fall of humanity. Unlike Genesis, Frankenstein begins with the fall of humanity, leadingRead MoreMary Shellys Frankenstein and the Consideration of Psychological Traumas Women Face in the Lack of Control Over Their Reproductive Organs1798 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Mary Shellys Frankenstein and the Consideration of Psychological Traumas Women Face in the Lack of Control Over Their Reproductive Organs I. Objective The objective of this study is to examine Mary Shellys work Frankenstein and to consider the psychological traumas women face in the lack of control over their reproductive organs. II. Introduction Women throughout the world have experienced psychological trauma over the lack of control over their reproductive organs and whether this traumaRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1589 Words   |  7 PagesExtended Response (Q2) - Frankenstein By Mary Shelley Rachel .Corrie The perspective, from which a story is told, causes an influential response from readers to certain issues, characters and conflicts that are found in literary texts. Mary Shelley’s gothic novel, Frankenstein, was published in 1818 and tells the story of a scientist known as Victor Frankenstein who reanimates life in an unethical science experiment. In this novel Walton, Victor and the creature tell their sideRead More Identity of Women in Shelleys Frankenstein, Brontes Jane Eyre, and Eliots The Mill on the Floss1471 Words   |  6 PagesIdentity of Women in Shelleys Frankenstein, Brontes Jane Eyre, and Eliots The Mill on the Floss George Eliot is quoted as stating: A womans hopes are woven of sunbeams; a shadow annihilates them (Miner 473). To extend this notion, Jean Giraudoux in Tiger at the Gates, states I have been a woman for fifty years, and Ive never been able to discover precisely what it is I am (474). These two statements are related to each other because they express, in large part, the dilemma facing MaryRead MoreAnalysis Of Mary Shelley s Frankenstein 1107 Words   |  5 Pages Marta Przybylowska Mary Shelley chose to write Frankenstein from the perspective of three narrators, which, not surprisingly, were all male. We are presented with the accounts of Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the Monster. The women that are portrayed in this novel are simply tools used by the author to further develop the importance of the male experience of the narrators. They are portrayed as beautiful, capable of self sacrifice, delicate and nurturing to their men, yet at the same