WEEK ONE: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (6)

 Frankenstein is considered one of the most famous Gothic novels. The characters are typical to the genre with the protagonist, Dr. Frankenstein, a handsome, well-educated man that is sent to study and is about to succeed is very similar to a romantic hero but his actions lead to destruction of his life and the ones he loves, thus questioning his heroism. Frankenstein’s creature is an outcast that does not belong in this world which makes him a great gothic character. This novel belongs to the kind of Gothic where the author gives natural and scientific explanation of the events such as the scientific practices used by Dr. Frankenstein. The female characters fall into the frame of the genre as well; given the minimum significance, all three female characters of the story do not act much and die at the end. While reading the novel I enjoyed the “story within a story” structure that confused me in the beginning but made sense at the end wrapping up the story the same way as it started. Victor gets so confident and enthusiastic about his work that he attains forbidden knowledge by bringing the dead to life. His curiosity makes him break a huge taboo for which he has to pay a terrible price. There is an emotional intensity growing throughout the story, especially after Victor’s brothers murder. The tone of the story becomes darker and more intense every time the wicked creature is somewhere nearby the hero. However, it does not seem as horrifying after it reveals itself. I was surprised how intelligent the creature is and it seemed somewhat unbelievable, but after getting acquainted to his experience I grew fond of the creature. Frankenstein’s creature is not the monster I assumed he would be but a child that was abandoned by its creator and who tries to find its place in the world. We notice it's good intentions when it starts helping the cottagers. Being inexperienced and naive, it thinks that they are its friends and does not take normal the reaction of scared people that saw a “monster” in their house. This grows hatred in its heart and the chase between the creature and its creator leads to disaster. I cannot justify the creature's actions as it acted childish and did not consider other solutions to the problem but making the life of Frankenstein a nightmare by killing his loved ones. It is also hard to justify Victor who could take his creation under his wing and prevent the disaster as love grows love and hatred grows hatred. There is no clear cut between good and evil in this story and it is hard to pick sides as well.