FREE ESSAY ON FRANKENSTEIN: THE MEMORABLE MONSTER

FRANKENSTEIN: THE MEMORABLE MONSTER

Mary Shelley: Frankenstein
March 7, 2000
The Memorable Monster
In 1818, The British Critic, a British literary magazine, assessed Mary Shelley's new
novel, Frankenstein, The Modern Prometheus. The reviewer wrote: 
We need scarcely say, that these volumes have neither principle, object, nor moral; the
horror which abounds in them is too grotesque and bizarre ever to approach near the
sublime, and when we did not hurry over the pages in disgust, we sometimes paused to
laugh outright; and yet we suspect, that the diseased and wandering imagination, which
has stepped out of all legitimate bounds, to frame these disjointed combinations and
unnatural adventures, might be disciplined into something better. We heartily wish it
were so, for there are occasional symptoms of no common powers of mind, struggling
through a mass of absurdity, which well nigh overwhelms them; but it is a sort of
absurdity that approaches so often the confines of what is wicked and immoral, that we
dare hardly trust ourselves to bestow even this qualified praise. The writer of it is, we
understand, a female; this is an aggravation of that which is the prevailing fault of the
novel; but if our authoress can forget the gentleness of her sex, it is no reason why we
should; and we shall therefore dismiss the novel without further comment.
Dismiss the novel? How silly this person would feel now. Today, with our hindsight, it is
easy to see why this assessment is so ridiculous. Indeed, the image of the lonely wretch
and the misdirected Victor Frankenstein are two of literature's most lasting images. But,
upon reading this commentary and realizing how wrong it was, I asked myself one question,
why? Why is it that the wretch and its creator have remained so indelibly imprinted on
our imaginations? 
We need scarcely say, that these volumes have neither principle, object, nor moral...
Frankenstein was nothing if it wasn't moral. The novel poses numerous philosophical
questions. Should man have the power to create? Do we have the right to destroy that
which we create? How is evil created? Do we create our own evils? Is society's blind
pursuit of science a strength or a weakness? Does this pursuit bring us closer to our
virtues and ideals or drag us away from them? These are the questions at the core of
Frankenstein.
And, in fact, these are questions which have become very important in the last two
centuries. With the rise of industry and technology, we no longer look to God for answers
to questions which seem unanswerable, we look to our own science. But can this science be
trusted in the way we trust our God? If our own science can answer these questions, how
does God play a role? Are we our own God?
Victor Frankenstein may have thought so for an instant. He is a character who embodies
many of the struggles which characterized a new age-- an age where questions we
previously thought would always remain a mystery were suddenly very much within our
understanding, where powers we never thought we could possess are now very much under our
control.
when we did not hurry over the pages in disgust, we sometimes paused to laugh outright
Perhaps the most important part of the monster is the how absolutely human it really is.
It is at first hopeful, curious, and sympathetic, gradually mistreated, jaded, and
disgusted, and finally angry, vengeful, and lonely. The wretch is not a monster which
insights fear in us at all times. We are scared of its implications, but not necessarily
itself. In fact, we often feel sorry for the wretch. The wretch is not intended to be
gore for the sake of gore. It is violent at times, but the fact that we can sympathize,
and even find humor in the description of the wretch is what makes it all the more
lasting. The over-dramatic description may be very much a product of Shelley's time, but
the ridiculous detail gives us loads of material to compare to ourselves, making it
timeless. The idea of funny and evil at the same time is appealing and human.
The writer of it is, we understand, a female; this is an aggravation of that which is the
prevailing fault of the novel; but if our authoress can forget the gentleness of her sex,
it is no reason why we should
Being a woman very likely influenced Shelley while writing the novel, although not in the
manner suggested. The theme of parenting is important in the book and Shelley's
gentleness is indeed apparent (and certainly not forgotten, as our bumbling reviewer
suggests). Like Adam in Paradise Lost, the wretch is created with good intentions but
unlike Adam, he is left with no companion and is thrown out on his own without ever
committing any wrong.
In this theme, we have two very important points. The first is that Frankenstein runs
from his obligation to parent the wretch. The second is that the wretch learns hate,
revenge and anger only after he is abandoned by his creator. Who then is responsible for
the actions of the wretch? Does the wretch deserve love despite its faults?
As a young woman facing pregnancy and motherhood, Shelley undoubtedly sought to answer
questions like these. These were issues close to her heart. 
These are also questions which persist today. We know that people who commit crimes were
very often exposed to those crimes when they were children. Child abusers for instance,
are almost always victims of abuse themselves. Can strong parenting help prevent
violence?
and we shall therefore dismiss the novel without further comment
Frankenstein is an story that will last for centuries. It is an ageless parable. Perhaps
the reason why it has lasted so long and will continue to do so is that it is truly
unanswerable. It asks questions which demand a broad understanding of human nature--
questions which have fascinated us from the beginning and will always do so. It shows the
vague almost imperceptible line between good and evil, benevolence and malevolence,
victim and criminal. In addition, it prompts us to consider our own existence and our
influence over the existence of others. The monster and its creator are effective images
because they are both monsters that we, society, created ourselves-- out of our desire to
improve and out of our inability to predict.