Provide a close analysis of a quotation from either the scene of the creature’s birth (vol. I, chapter IV) or the dialogue between Victor and the creature in the Alps (vol. II, chapter II).
Your close analysis should include all of these elements: context (what is happening when this quotation occurs, who is speaking, what is the setting?), a quotation of the passage you’ve chosen, an analysis of the language in the passage (what is being said? how is language working? ) and, finally, an argument about what this passage tells us about Victor’s relationship with the creature.
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The quote I chose “I do not doubt that he hovers near the spot which I inhabit; and if he has indeed taken refuge in the Alps, he may be hunted like the chamois, and destroyed as a beast of prey”. This quote demonstrates how the writer knows that he will be safe. When this is happening he left for another country just for experience. This shapes the meaning of the whole work because it shows how he searching for answers.
In volume 1 chapter 4, Victor expresses with great disgust, “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form?” At this moment, Victor just made his creation after two years of hard work and determination, but it was not what he has expected. Instead of being delighted with joy, Victor is disgusted with the monster. Moving towards the creature to reject it, the monster is caught off guard and seeks revenge towards Victor. This scene is massive because it shapes the meaning of the whole work as it sets the plot for the rest of the plot.
I agree with this and think that this was a very important part of the book that shifts the dynamic and sets the tone for the rest of the storyline.
I agree with the point you made in answering your question. Victor creating frankinstein was the beginning of the story since that is what the book will talk mostly about.
In chapter 5, Victor said of his creation, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” Victor describes his creation in the monster in disgust because he worked 2 long grueling years and even “deprived himself of rest and health” and yet the monster formed a “horrid contrast” with a “shriveled complexion and straight black lips.” He was in such disgust and disappointment that he had a nightmare. He dreamt that he saw his sister and when embracing her, her lips became “livid with the hue of death” and thought he was holding the corpse of his dead mother. He finally woke up to the monster holding his arm out to him and in fear he ran away. The language creates a feeling of morbidity, that we now know as Gothic horror. For example, its common place where women give birth and the reality of their child is nothing like what they dreamt. Victor “birthed” this creation that disappointed him so much that he had a nightmare of his mother.
I agree with this comment and the importance of this scene in the book as it further develops the Gothic Horror as it allows the audience to create a sense of paranoia as to if that is how Victor’s creature will become.
When Victor Frankenstein meets the creature in the Alps, the creature is surprisingly eloquent and intellectual. He speaks to Victor about loneliness and the desire for acceptance, believing that Victor should love him because he created him. In his speech to Victor, the creature says: “Oh, Frankenstein, be not equitable to ever other, and trample upon me alone, to whom ty justice, and even thy clemency and affection, is most due. Remember, that I am thy creature: I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from you for no misdeed.” Shelly uses the biblical reference of Adam to allude to the idea that much like God drove Adam to original sin, the creature is driven towards evil due to Victor Frankenstein’s lack of love and nurture. I think this scene and conversation is pivotal at this point in the book because Victor is beginning to see that he is responsible for creating a live creature, with thoughts and feelings and needs, not just a product in his lab.
In Chapter 4, Mary Shelley conveys very intensely Victor’s sense of complete frustration with the result of her work. For example, the expression “Mingling with this horror, I felt the bitterness of disappointment: the dreams that were my food and pleasant relaxation for such a long time, now became hell for me; and the changes were so quick and the overthrow was complete! ” is the moment of Victor’s realization that his “sole purpose” is to animate a lifeless body, for which he devoted the last 2 years of his life, not only did not bring him that satisfaction, but also plunged him into a state of nervous depression from the experience of the horror of meeting his creation. Mary Shelley uses elements of the Gothic language to make the reader more imbued with the sensations and feelings that the character is experiencing, while details about the process of creating the monster are not provided. The main tendencies that are felt in this chapter are horror, frustration, and despair.
I agree with you the language employed; the author conveyed to me the same feelings using those elements of “Gothic language.”
The quote I chose is ““Devil!” I exclaimed, “do you dare approach me? and do not you fear the fierce vengeance of my arm wreaked on your miserable head? Begone, vile insect! or rather stay, that I may trample you to dust! and, oh, that I could, with the extinction of your miserable existence, restore those victims whom you have so diabolically murdered!”. There are several things happening in this scene and this quote as well. First some context. He learned of his brothers murder and is convinced that it was the creature, however someone is wrongfully accused, which amplified the anger Victor has toward the creature. The language also shows Victor threatening the creature if he doesn’t restore the victims. The language is being used in a evil tone when Victor says “I may trample you to dust” almost makes Victor look kind of evil. Ultimately this reveals the relationship Victor has with the creature, which is anger and hatred. Victor is angry at the creature due to everything and hates the creature now even more after the murder of his brother. The creature does not seem to hate Victor as much because he is willing to make a deal between them.
The quote I chose was, “Like one who, on a lonely road, Doth walk in fear an dread, And, having once turned round walks on, And turns no more his head; Because he knows a frightful fiend Doth close behind him tread.” Here we see that Frankenstein is finally realizing what he has done. He has created a monster which will lead him to feel nervous and scared from now on as he realizes the mess he has made.
I agree with this quote, Victor should be excited with joy that he has finally unlocked what he wanted most, but he the opposite of that, he’s disgusted. It’s a big turning point that navigates the rest of the story.
In Volume II, Chapter II, Victor, in an attempt to feel better from his self-inflicted sickness, surrounds himself in the most beautiful settings possible. Being in places of sublime nature, Victor hopes to get rid of any thoughts of his horrific scientific creation. He wants nothing to do with it, and only wants to revel in the beauty of the view that the top of the Alps offers him. Unfortunately for Victor, however, his short reprieve from his troubling thoughts is interrupted by the very thing that is haunting his mind: his Creature that he had made. His attempts to make the Creature leave were futile, and in the end, Victor heard what it wanted. The Creature, cursed to be alive, felt lonely, and blamed his solitary lifestyle on Victor. The Creature told him, “Remember, that I am thy creature: I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.” This shows that the Creature is remarkably eloquent, and he even knows about the story of the first creation in the Bible. Not only does the Creature portray that he is knowledgeable, but that he also does not want to be a Monster. He tells Victor that if he were happy, then he “shall again be virtuous.” The Creature knows that Victor does not like him, thus him saying that he is Victor’s fallen angel, but he tries to persuade Victor by telling him that once Victor does what he wants him to, then he will be good, and will never be a bother to anyone else.
I choose the scene of the creature’s birth. “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself rest and health. I had desired it with and ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”. Victor had dedicated himself to this creation so much so that it impacted his wellbeing, yet at the birth of the creature this dream all came crashing down as he is hit with a wave of reality at how disgusting the creature and the creation of him is. He is also struck with fear, “breathless horror” as he describes it. Such phrasing shows us how truly fearful he is of this creature. Victor’s relationship with this creature is one of fear and disgust and likely regret for creating him.
The quote I choose is “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch who such infinite pains and cares I had endeavored to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!-Great God! Basically he’s lamenting on how he spent so long thinking he was gonna make a beautiful creation when he turns out to be completely wrong. This shows how the relationship between Victor and the creature is one of hate, regret, and disgust.
Volume 1 Chapter 4 sets up the initial relationship between Victor and the creature, that further characterizes Victor. After 2 years of hard, self=depriving work coming to fruition, what should be the feeling of joy and relief turns into the exact opposite. ” I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” Victor describes exactly how the very creature that he gave birth to, that he hoped would be the one to shape him as a god of a new species is now the same thing that fills him with despair and disgust. This is the first instance where we can see Victor start to hate and become uneasy about science and philosophy, things that he loves profoundly, so much to the point of him foreshadowing Elizabeths death potentially in his dreams, in attempts to forget about his creature. What he now feels, could be nothing short of regret. This sets up Victors initial mindset and feelings towards the creature which will matter later once he re-encounters it, and sets up for future character development.
Right after the birth of his creation, Victor is immiditally hit with the shock of realizing how much of his lives work and passion has gone into creating something he finds grotesque. The quote “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” from volume one chapter 4 perfectly captures this feeling of the realization of what he has done. This creature was something that he had an admitantly unhealthy desire to make, something that he put so much effort into to the point where it likely caused him ample physical and mental exhaustion. Now that he sees it’s such an ungodly figure, he has mixed feelings as he realizes that this thing he put his soul into turned out to be an abomination, he wanted it to work so bad but knows its a mosnter. I believe it is hard for him to deal with this guilt and that’s one of the many reasons he soon faints afterwords, he can’t fully process what he has done.
Victor, searching for direction after taking on isolated guilt and despair, takes himself the summit of Montanvert, a scene of majestic nature where he once felt freedom from “the obscure world to light and joy”. As he starts to feel this joy he cries out to the spirits to allow him happiness or take him away from the joys of life. He is then met with his creation as they stand there at the summit of the mountain. At this moment, these two characters disagree on whether to keep his creation alive and at this point seem to represent a commonality within their complicated existence. Both seeking relief outside of themselves. His creature has a desire to live and asks of Victor to listen to his plea, “Every where I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.” Victor, though not deemed guilty by society, is unable to be free from his own guilt and is stuck within his own form of exclusion. Together, Victor and his creation share this exclusion and desperation to find what it is to live.
this is my post!