5/19/18 – 7/5/18
“Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. Pursuing these reflections, I thought that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption.” (Shelley Ch. 4)
Summary
(Spoiler alert: Victor never actually says the line “It’s alive!”)
Frankenstein opens with a series of letters addressed by an Arctic explorer named Robert Walton to his sister Margaret as he details the dreary conditions of his northward expedition and his introduction to a man named Victor Frankenstein who stumbled upon Walton’s ship as he was riding a dog sled across the ice in a precarious state of health. Aboard Walton’s ship, Frankenstein begins a narration of his history which led to his current circumstance in the Arctic.
Frankenstein’s narration starts with a description of his father who, due to a life in public service, had a delayed start to married life and a family. Frankenstein’s father meets Caroline Beaufort on the deathbed of her father, who had been a friend of his, and who finds herself penniless with her father’s death. This leads Frankenstein to marrying her shortly after her father’s passing. Victor is their eldest child who is pampered by his two parents throughout his childhood. On a trip to Italy, Caroline visits the cottage of a poor family, and in their house she spots a beautiful young girl with golden hair named Elizabeth. The family explain that Elizabeth had been orphaned as a baby, and Caroline decides to take Elizabeth in as her own. Victor narrates his introduction to Elizabeth writing,
“My mother had said playfully, ‘I have a pretty present for my Victor— tomorrow he shall have it.’ And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally and looked upon Elizabeth as mine—mine to protect, love, and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own. We called each other familiarly by the name of cousin. No word, no expression could body forth the kind of relation in which she stood to me—my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only.” (Ch. 1)
Victor continues to describe his blissful childhood in the company of Elizabeth and his best friend Henry Clevral in Geneva and the following birth of his younger siblings. As a child, Victor finds the writings of Cornelius Agrippa, an ancient scientist who aimed to penetrate the secrets of nature, and Victor becomes obsessed with natural philosophy and the potential powers of science. Later, Victor witnesses the blasting of a tree to a stump by a bolt of lightning during a thunderstorm, and converses with a researcher in natural philosophy on the explanation of the theory of electricity and galvanism.
Victor is sent to the University of Ingolstadt to study natural philosophy and chemistry, initially being mocked for his fascination with ancient natural philosophers, but soon learning to apply his new scientific studies with his earlier fascinations of the theoretical capabilities of science, thanks to guidance from a teacher called M. Waldman. In two years Victor becomes bored of his studies, and embarks on a new endeavor to create a living body out of pieces of corpses. Shelley writes,
“Whence, I often asked myself, did the principle of life proceed? It was a bold question, and one which has ever been considered as a mystery; yet with how many things are we upon the brink of becoming acquainted, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries. I revolved these circumstances in my mind and determined thenceforth to apply myself more particularly to those branches of natural philosophy which relate to physiology.” (Ch. 4)
Frankenstein becomes obsessed with the notion of finding the secret of life, examining corpses in church graveyards, vaults, and charnel-houses. Through examination of the dead in the pursuit of the root of death, Victor finally becomes enlightened with his discovery of the secret of life.
“From the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon me—a light so brilliant and wondrous, yet so simple, that while I became dizzy with the immensity of the prospect which it illustrated, I was surprised that among so many men of genius who had directed their inquiries towards the same science, that I alone should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret.” (Ch. 4)
After discovering the secret to reanimation, Frankenstein becomes obsessed with the prospect of turning his knowledge into a reality through the creation of a nine-foot tall monster whom he can act as a sort of father to. Months pass in which Frankenstein feverishly pursues his goal, neglecting to really contact his family or anyone else in its duration. On a “dreary night” in November, Frankenstein finally finds himself able to carry out his experiment to “infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at [his] feet.”
“It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs…His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.” (Ch. 5)
Horrified by the being he has created, Frankenstein flees his study to his bedroom, where he falls into a fitful sleep in which he dreams of Elizabeth becoming a monster as well. Frankenstein jolts awake to see his monster in his bedchamber. Frankenstein runs into the streets of Germany in a frenzy and without direction, until he stumbles into Henry who taken him into his apartment. Henry then proceeds to nurse Frankenstein back to health from his delirium.
Frankenstein plans his return to his family to Geneva once his health is restored, but receives a letter from his father who informs Frankenstein that his youngest brother has been murdered. On his journey home, Frankenstein spots his monster in the woods of Geneva and becomes convinced that the monster is responsible for his brother’s death. Justine, an innocent working girl in the Frankensteins’ house, is tried and executed for the death of Frankenstein’s brother despite her claims of innocence. Frankenstein mourns both deaths and acknowledges his responsibility.
Victor heads to a vacation in the mountains where he encounters his monster. In the seclusion of a hut in the mountains, the monster embarks on an explanation of his history since his abandonment by his creator. The monster had fled aimlessly from Frankenstein after his appearance in Frankenstein’s bedchambers, and through his unguided journeys found himself repeatedly shunned and ostracized by the humans he came in contact with. Finally the monster finds refuge in the home of the Delaceys, unbeknownst to them, and begins to sympathize and care for the family as he sees them struggle economically. The monster begins to help them get wood and completes other tasks for them, as he tries to pick up language through eavesdropping on their conversations.
The family welcomes an Arabian woman named Safie whose father is revealed to be responsible for the Delaceys’ ruin. Felix, the eldest son, begins to teach Safie English, and consequently the monster learns the language too. The monster continues his education further, reading Milton, Plutarch, and Goethe. The monster also finds the notes of Frankenstein on his creation and becomes depressed in his perception of himself as a sort of devil despite his benevolent inclinations.
The monster hatches a plan to introduce himself to the family which he has grown to love, determining that introducing himself to their blind father will be his best strategic introduction. The monster carefully executes his plan, but it backfires when the rest of the family return early from their outing and drive him out of their home. When the monster next returns to the house, the family have vacated its premises.
Anguished after being shunned from mankind again, the monster heads to the woods and stumbles across a little girl who is drowning in the river. After saving the girl’s life, a hunter shoots at the monster and solidifies the monster’s feelings of hatred towards mankind. When the monster runs into William, Frankenstein’s brother, the monster does not hesitate to strangle the boy to death and pin his murder on Justine.
The monster explains to Frankenstein that he does not wish to be malevolent, but is lonely and wishes for Victor to create for him a monstrous mate. Surprised by the monster’s eloquence and moved by his sufferings, Victor agrees.
Victor and Henry head to England to meet with scientists who can help Victor with his second experiment. Victor begrudgingly gathers his materials and heads into isolation in an island in the Orkneys to begin his task. In the midst of creating the second monster however, Frankenstein becomes horrified by the potential ramifications of his actions, speculating on the morality of his actions and how he will be perceived in history if the two monsters reproduce or if the female monster is more evil and vicious than her companion. In a fit of passion, Frankenstein tears apart the female monster he has been creating in front of the monster, enraging the monster before him. The monster cries,
“I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn. Man! You may hate, but beware! Your hours will pass in dread and misery, and soon the bolt will fall which must ravish from you your happiness forever. Are you to be happy while I grovel in the intensity of my wretchedness? You can blast my other passions, but revenge remains—revenge, henceforth dearer than light or food! I may die, but first you, my tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery. Beware, for I am fearless and therefore powerful. I will watch with the wiliness of a snake, that I may sting with its venom. Man, you shall repent of the injuries you inflict.” (Ch. 20)
Furthermore, the monster promises to be with Victor on his wedding night.
Victor heads out to sea and finds himself on an unknown island where it is revealed to him that Henry has been killed by the monster. Victor is tried for the murder and imprisoned, falling into a fevered delirium. Victor’s father helps him get out of prison once he has recovered, and the two return to Geneva. Victor decides to marry Elizabeth soon after returning, believing that the monster’s ultimate plan is to kill him on his wedding night and that if he expedites his wedding he will minimize the casualties of his family and friends.
Victor stands stationed downstairs with a gun on his wedding night, leaving Elizabeth alone upstairs in their bed chambers. Suddenly he hears Elizabeth scream, and realizes that the monster had actually been planning to murder her. Victor returns home, and his father dies of grief shortly thereafter. Victor then decides to dedicate the rest of his life to hunting down his monster and destroying him.
Victor chases down the monster obsessively, while the monster taunts him with his evasiveness. Finally, the two head so northwards that they hit the Arctic Circle, and Victor is forced to hire a dogsled to continue chasing his monster which can endure extreme temperatures with minimal nourishment. Frankenstein finally catches up to his monster, only to be separated again by a break in the ice.
The narration at the beginning of the story catches up to this point in the novel, as Walton had at this point found Frankenstein and taken him into his boat. Walton expresses his positive impression of Frankenstein to his sister and mourns the illness of his newfound friend. Walton’s crew express desires to return home from the arctic, but Frankenstein attempts to rouse their commitment to their exploration, saying,
“Are you, then, so easily turned from your design? Did you not call this a glorious expedition? And wherefore was it glorious? Not because the way was smooth and placid as a southern sea, but because it full of dangers and terror…You were hereafter to be hailed as the benefactors of your species, your names adored as belonging to brave men who encountered death for honour and the benefit of mankind…ye need not have come thus far and dragged your captain to the shame of a defeat merely to prove yourselves cowards. Oh! Be men, or be more than men. Be steady to your purposes and firm as a rock. This ice is not made of such stuff as your hearts may be; it is mutable and cannot withstand you if you say that it shall not. Do not return to your families with the stigma of disgrace marked on your brows. Return as heroes who have fought and conquered and who know not what it is to turn their backs on the foe.”
Victor asks Walton to carry on his mission of killing the monster, and then soon after dies. Walton returns several days later to the room in which Frankenstein’s corpse lies, and finds the monster sobbing over his creator’s body. The monster exclaims,
“In his murder my crimes are consummated; the miserable series of my being is wound to its close! Oh, Frankenstein! Generous and self- devoted being! What does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst. Alas! He is cold, he cannot answer me…Do you think that I was then dead to agony and remorse? He…suffered not in the consummation of the deed. Oh! Not the ten-thousandth portion of the anguish that was mine during the lingering detail of its execution. A frightful selfishness hurried me on, while my heart was poisoned with remorse. Think you that the groans of Clerval were music to my ears? My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture such as you cannot even imagine.”
The novel concludes with the monster’s exclamations of his plans to kill himself in isolation on the ice. Walton and his crew vote to head southward back to England.
Characters
Victor Frankenstein: A scientist who discovers the secret to life and creates a reanimated corpse.
Frankenstein’s Monster: Frankenstein’s creation which although naturally benevolent, turns to violence and rage after being repeatedly shunned by mankind.
Robert Walton: An Arctic explorer who transcribes Frankenstein’s tale and is then asked to fulfill Frankenstein’s revenge and kill his creation.
Elizabeth: Frankenstein’s cousin who waits at home for Victor to marry her while looking after the younger Frankenstein children. She is killed by the monster on her wedding night.
Henry Clerval: Victor’s childhood companion who embodies Victor’s vivacity and intellectual curiosity prior to creating the monster. Henry is strangled by the monster.
William Frankenstein: Victor’s youngest brother who is the monster’s first victim.
Justine: A beautiful and kind young woman who get unjustly blamed and executed for William’s death.
Overall Thoughts & Review
I was very excited to read Frankenstein to see Mary Shelley’s inception of the entire science fiction genre at the age of eighteen. I’m just going to let that fact sink into those that were previously unaware of it.
There are many things that I took away from Frankenstein, but one of my chief ones was what Mary Shelley herself outlines in her conversation with Kurt Vonnegut: that Frankenstein is much more monstrous than his creation.
Frankenstein reads as a tragedy in many ways, the primary in the story of a creator whose entire family is murdered off by a monster, but also in the story of an innocent creature who despite its ever attempt to be benevolent, is turned away from all of society and spurned repeatedly.
Mary Shelley subtitled her novel as Frankenstein: A Modern Prometheus. Prometheus is the Greek story of a man who stole fire from the Gods to give to mankind, and is subsequently punished for his actions by having his liver pecked out day after day until he is finally rescued by Heracles. Due to this subtitle, I was initially inclined to read Frankenstein as a cautionary tale against mortals who attempt to venture into realms which should not be ethically explored, such as the pursuit of blurring the line between life and death, and essentially playing “God.” And while I think this reading is accurate, I think Shelley’s message extends beyond that.
What really struck me about Frankenstein was that Frankenstein wouldn’t have been punished in the way that he was if he hadn’t shunned his creation. The fact that a voluntary act made by Frankenstein himself directly causes his subsequent sufferings brought a lot of nuance to my interpretation of the novel.
To me, Frankenstein is a cautionary tale against those who blur ethical lines purely motivated by ambition, and without any compassion or regard for the consequences of their actions. Frankenstein wasn’t punished purely for extending the boundaries of science, but for only doing so to serve his selfish pursuit of glory and then for subsequently treating his creation with cruelty. Frankenstein cannot treat his creation with kindness because his desire to create only came from a desire to be adored and exalted like a God, not to care or nurture a new creature. Furthermore, even when Frankenstein claims to destroy the mate he has begun to create for his monster on “ethical” grounds, the reality is that he only does so because he is afraid of future generations cursing his name. The way that I read it, Frankenstein is not punished just for acting as a God, but for acting as a cruel and selfish God.
It is hard to read Frankenstein and not feel sympathy for the murderous monster, as I have seldom seen truly evil creatures in literature read Paradise Lost, attempt to befriend the poor and blind, and woefully proclaim themselves as a “devil.” I feel that the fact that the monster isn’t really monstrous is somewhat obvious, what I think is more interesting is reading the parallels between Frankenstein and his monster and seeing how their actions result in their mutual demise.
One of my chief annoyances while reading Frankenstein was its portrayal of women, which baffled me as it was written by a female author. Women in Frankenstein were consistently shown as ridiculously innocent, pure, and docile, which annoyed me excessively as a 21st century reader and with knowledge that the author’s mother was one of history’s leading feminists. However, I did think it was interesting to see how women were the primary victims of essentially Frankenstein’s unchecked creative ambition. I also especially liked John Green’s assertion in his Crash Course Literature video that the novel was partially “an exploration of what happens when men fear, distrust, or devalue women so much that they attempt to reproduce without them.”
Overall, Frankenstein is a really interesting and intriguing book which is not to hard to follow linguistically, but offers up a lot of questions about the ethical bounds of mortals, what constitutes being a monster, and whether monsters are naturally created, or forced to become monstrous based off of their circumstances. I actually really enjoyed this read, although Victor Frankenstein is definitely an unlikeable protagonist, and recommend it if only for the grade A tumblr posts about it, some of which I included in this post. My only complaint in the novel would be its lack of complex female characters.
Rating: 4/5
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Off To The Bookstore 