Frankenstein- An Application of Theory

Isabel Vazquez
Mrs. Bosch
AP English Literature
10 December 2008

Balance in Frankenstein
Mary Shelley mildly accentuates balance in her gothic novel Frankenstein. Whether it is as simple as descending into the mornings dawn, Shelley’s establishment of contradicting thoughts and actions amongst the characters makes clear the nature of her protagonist Victor Frankenstein. The happenings in the novel reflect on the natural ideas of Frankenstein.
Victor’s scientific outlook on life causes the novel as a whole to be a tragedy. Towards the beginning of the novel, Victors mother dies from the scarlet fever, which she caught for caring for Elizabeth in her sickbed.
On the third day which she attended her, when Mrs. Frankenstein laid dying she yet remained relatively content.
“’will endeavor to resign myself cheerfully to death and will indulge a hope of meeting you in another world.’ She died calmly, and her countenance expressed affection even in death.”
Frankenstein’s pessimistic ideas and wretched choices cause him misery. His choices from then on seem to be drastic. There seems to be no middle ground.
Shelley adds a pleasant/indifferent numb feeling caused by an unpleasant situations. The realization of the surreal humanity or a somewhat denial of the truth. After his mothers death, Victor expresses himself strongly.
“-that the brightness of a beloved eye can have been extinguished and the sound or a voice so familiar and dear to the ear can be hushed, never more to be heard: These are the reflections of the first days; but when the lapse of time proves the reality of the evil, then the actual bitterness of grief commences.”
Victor may have been momentarily swayed by the sudden grief, but his concluding disbelief in some sort of afterlife and negative disposition towards a higher being is proof that he hold no incentives in his life. The drastic events hold drastic reactions in Frankenstein.
“My mother was dead, but we still had duties which we ought to perform; we must continue our course with the rest and learn to think ourselves fortunate whilst one remains whom the spoiler has not seized.”
‘The spoiler’ can be considered many things, but in this context what the term is being referred to is the giver and taker of life. His mother is gone but they must yet continue, fortunate which the spoiler has not seized.
In the way he mentions it he seems to be mocking as opposed to anything else. This disbelief could have easily been
Questioning the ultimate power which Frankenstein does not believe in is the reason he is able to create the Monster with no remorse. Victor only believes in good or evil. He never grows spiritually because he does not believe it will make a difference. Frankenstein’s monster however does grow. By the end of the novel he knows that his actions have been wrong but Frankenstein continues the pursuit for revenge. Theses two characters are at this point are foils of one another.
If occurring events drastic enough to change the character, he is never truly enough to stir enough action into him.
** On the third day Jesus rose again to ascend into heaven. Mrs. Frankenstein’s death is a symbolic way of wording an end to a character. Who better to make the contras with that with Frankenstein’s mother.