Mary Shelley’s Essay

Here we see how winners changed. He used to be able to strive for his ambitious dreams and what he aimed to achieve and look forward to his unrealistic dreams in his sleep that in reality would never happen. Now, he has to rely on his dreams at night to support any sort of self-satisfaction. In chapter quintette there are themes that are again evident throughout the sweet. As I mentioned previously, we see in chapter quintuplet that winner creates the giant to obtain glory. This glory disappears as Victor realises what hes done. Here we see the danger of what a thirst for ambition sewer lead to.Similarly, in Waltons first letter we see that Walton too will risk every thing for glory-he says, I preferred glory to every enticement that wealthiness placed in my path. He the goes on to say that hes prepared to risk everything for success. Walton later had to turn back his ship, because he knew where to give and didnt want to coif other peoples lives in danger. Victor, however, didnt know where to stop, and his original ambition direct to the deaths of many people. The theme of responsibility is seen in chapter five and later throughout the novel.We see Victors complete lack of responsibility for the first time in chapter five. Victor abandons the Monster, and says that he did not feign for granted return to the apartment which I inhabited-hes running away. When Clerval arrives, Victor tells him that hes better now that hes, length free. Hes trying to forget about it, and therefore pott face up to it, move on or even begin to teach responsibility. We see this again in chapter eight. Here, Victor dialog about his feelings of guilt when Justine is sent to prison, still does nothing about it.In chapter twenty Victor begins to subject responsibility when he describes the Monsters creation as selfish. After Elizabeths death, however, Victor continues to blame anyone for himself for her death, and negotiation about how the events had been a establish o f horrors. What he doesnt seem to realise that hes brought all of these horrors on himself-after all, it was him who made the Monster. I think that this theme running through the novel is bloody shame Shelleys way of saying that until you accept your mistakes and take responsibility for them, you cant move on.Therefore, not taking responsibility can pose disastrous consequences, which is seen in this novel. Mary Shelley also shows us the importance of friends and family in chapter five. When the Monster first comes to life, Victor is obviously quite unstable and depressed. When heat content Clerval arrives, Victor says that, Nothing could equal my delight on seeing Clerval. He then goes on to say that Clerval brought back thoughts of his home and family, and that he now felt, calm and self-possessed joy. As Victor recovers, he says that his father, knew that I could not get under ones skin a more kind and attentive nurse than himself regarding Clerval.I think that this shows tha t it was Henry who helped Victor recover, and without him Victor would probably have remained ill and mentally unstable. This was Mary Shelleys way of showing what the effect of a good friend can be. We also see the themes of family and friendship throughout the novel. In chapter one, Victor talks about how his first recollections were his fathers smile and benevolent sport. In chapter two, Victor talks about friendship with Henry Clerval, and goes on to say that, No human being could have passed a happier childhood that himself.His friends and family were the reason for this. Victors friends and family were always there for him when he needed it most when Victor is held in Ireland, his father travels to see him. Victor says that, Nothing could have given me greater pleasure than his arrival. However, when the Monster needed Victor the most, Victor abandoned him completely. This has devastating effects. When the Monster sees the De Laceys smiling with, such kindness and affection a t each other, hes unable to cope. He withdraws to the window, unable to bear these emotions.The Monster goes on to commit atrocious crimes as a result of this abandonment. I think that this is Mary Shelleys way of saying how important friends and family really are. In chapter fifteen, De Lacey says that, to be friendless is indeed to be unfortunate. I think that Mary Shelley is trying to put this across throughout the novel. Without friends and family, a person wont be able to get through the hard times in their life with sanity. This is what happened when the Monster took away Victors family and friends. Victor had nothing left.Finally, the theme of intimacy is evident in chapter five and then throughout Frankenstein. In chapter five, Henry Clerval talks about his fathers view on knowledge. Henry viewed knowledge as good, just he talks about how his father had a disapproval of learning. Henry goes on to say that his father believed learning stopped at bookkeeping, and therefore university and excessive knowledge was unnecessary. Henry and Victor, however, view knowledge as a good thing. Henry describes the quest for knowledge as a, voyage of discovery and Victor often talks about his thirst for knowledge.Victor also talks often about his desire to learn the, physical secrets of the world and, the secrets of heaven. Similarly, the Monster also has a desire to learn. When talking in chapter twelve, he says that he, ardently desired to become acquainted with the ways that people communicated with each other-especially when it came to talking. This shows how similar he was to Victor himself. I think that Mary Shelley had similar views on knowledge to Henry Clervals father, and that she tries to get them across to readers in chapter five and then throughout the easing of the novel.After all, it was ultimately Frankensteins thirst for knowledge that led to him creating the Monster, and as a result of his lack of responsibility that the Monster killed so many pe ople. Therefore, I think Mary Shelley is trying to say that knowing everything is anything but good and that we need to be aware of that. I think that there were many hidden meanings in the novel Frankenstein, and that many of these seem to be unornamented in chapter five. Frankenstein was very innovative for its time its viewed by many as the first piece of science fiction.It shocked people when it was published because at the time very few people spoke out about society in the way that Mary Shelley did. There were many scientific advances at the time the novel was written. People had begun to realise the potential of electricity. In 1802, scientist Galvani ran a current through a frogs leg and made it move, and in 1803 scientist Aldani attached a battery to a corpse and claimed that it had moved. This caused some scientists to believe that eventually, with the power of electricity, man could be able to live forever. I think that Mary Shelley is trying to get this point across inF rankenstein.She was trying to say that humans should not attempt to play God-who is, after all, the entirely thing that has the right to give or take life. I think that she is trying to say that as soon as man begins to give or take life, there could be disastrous consequences and it therefore should not be experimented with. Mary Shelley is also considered one of the first feminists. By putting across the point that only God can create life, she may also be trying to say that only women can give life. Men dont have that ability, and should not try to change that.Whilst she was writing Frankenstein, Mary Shelley was reading a book called Emile by Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He argued that when they were born, all men are harmless but it is in fact society that makes them evil. It was as a result of Victors initial rejection of the Monster in chapter five and other peoples rejection of him throughout the rest of the novel that the Monster turned evil-and that was all because of his appea rance. I think that Mary Shelley was trying to say how wrong this was. Victor himself was extremely prejudiced towards the Monster in his narrative.Right from after his creation, Victor referred to the Monster as the Monster and daemon as opposed to even just giving it a name. He rejected it because of the way it looked, and the rest of society went on to do the same. It was this prejudice that began in chapter five that Mary Shelley was trying to say was wrong throughout the rest of the novel.