Krystyna Tran, Alexa Bridges, John Griffin,

Jacob Breaux, Nanda Kasry

7th Period

THE PAST AND ITS EFFECTS IN FRANKENSTEIN

MEANING OF THE PROMPT:

Past:

• Gone by just before the present time.

• The history of a person, nation, or other entity.

• An earlier period of a person's life, career, or other event, that is thought to be of a shameful or embarrassing nature.

“In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the present actions, attitudes, or values of a character. Choose a novel or play in

which a character must contend with some aspect of the past, either personal or societal. Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship

to the past contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.”

RELATION TO FRANKENSTEIN

• The narrative of Frankenstein and his monster is told entirely in the past, as Victor is relating it to the sea captain Robert Walton.

• For both Victor and his creation, their pasts dictate how they interact with each other and their environment.

• Victor’s path is largely determined by his father and M. Waldman’s ridicule and encouragement in regards to his academic interests.

• The Creature’s path is entirely shaped by humanity’s negative reactions to his outward appearance and the refusal of Victor to provide his desires and requests.

EXAMPLES FROM THE TEXT

"I thank you…but you are mistaken, my friend, if thus you will allow me to name you; nothing can alter my destiny; listen to my history, and you will perceive how irrevocably it is determined” (Shelly 13).

In Letter IV of the novel, Captain Robert Walton listens as the stranger, whom we know is Victor Frankenstein, begins to narrate the story of his past and how he came to be in his present state. This interaction sets the premise of the central plot of the novel, the creation and consequences of the creature. In this quote we can see the importance of the past to the main character, Victor, in which he believes that the actions of his past, creating and subsequently abandoning the creature, will determine his own destiny and ultimately his death.

EXAMPLES FROM THE TEXT

“I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created...He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out,

seemingly to detain me, but I escaped,..Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance” (Shelley 36).

Victor brings the creature to life and is horrified by it. He abandons the creature , leaving it to survive on its own. This action of Frankenstein’s past, described in his narrative, is the catalyst of many consequences. Because of the abandonment and disgust of the creature by Victor, the creature harbors a growing sense of resentment towards humankind which leads to the death of Victor’s friends and family. This demonstrates how Victor’s past actions ultimately dictated his future.

THESIS1. A scholar transitions.

2. A young scholar quickly transitions.

3. In the novel Frankenstein, a young scholar, transitions.

4. In the novel Frankenstein, a young scholar, Victor Frankenstein, quickly transitions.

5. In the novel Frankenstein, a young scholar, Victor Frankenstein, quickly transitions as the consequences of his past affect his fate.

6. In the novel Frankenstein, a young scholar, Victor Frankenstein, quickly transitions as the consequences of his past affect his fate; leading to the creation of the creature, the death of Victor’s family, and eventually the death of Victor himself.

SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS

“She died calmly, and her countenance expressed affection even in death. I need not describe the feelings of those whose dearest ties are rent by that most irreparable evil, the void that presents itself to the soul, and the despair that is exhibited on the countenance” (Shelly 24).

The death of Victor’s mother, whom we perceive as a minor character, is actually significantly pivotal in the novel. In attempts to fulfill the void of his mother's death, Victor Frankenstein dedicated his life to and became obsessed with the concepts of morality and life. This was the preface of Victor’s desire for knowledge and the subsequent creation of the creature. If you think about the novel holistically, the death of Victor’s mother (an event of his past) dictated his life and ultimately foresaw his death.

SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS

“ Soon after my arrival in the hovel I discovered some papers in the pocket of the dress which I had taken from your laboratory. At first I

had neglected them, but now that I was able to decipher the characters in which they were written, I began to study them with diligence. It was your journal of the four months that preceded my

creation” (Shelly 92).

The creature discovers a note in the pocket of the coat which he had taken from Victor’s laboratory which depicts the initial disgust Victor felt at the sight of the creature shortly after bringing it to life. This note, which Victor had written during the beginning of the narrative, could be considered an action of his past but was pivotal the moment it was discovered as it inspired rage within the creature toward not only human society, but towards Victor specifically inevitably leading to the creature seeking revenge upon Victor.

Point of View

• While the whole novel is told in first person point of view, the narrator changes several times, allowing the same event to be told from multiple perspectives, and showing how the same past events may influence one character differently than another.

• For example, the death of William, from the perspective of Victor, is told with sorrow, invoking a hatred for the creature. However, when the creature recounts his version of the death/murder of William, the reader is more sympathetic towards the creature

LITERARY DEVICES

LITERARY DEVICESAllusion

• The use of allusions is prevalent throughout the novel(e.g the biblical allusion of God creating Adam). A significant literary allusion occurs in chapter 15 when the creature finds and reads Paradise Lost. Unaware that Paradise Lost is a work of imagination, he reads it as a factual history and finds much similarity between the story and his own situation.

• Paradise Lost, here and throughout the novel, provides a reference for the creature as he tries to understand his identity. Comparing himself to both Adam and Satan, perceiving himself as both human and demonic.

LITERARY DEVICESymbolism

The symbolism of light as a means of knowledge, discovery, and enlightenment is represented several times throughout the novel.

Walton displays an optimism for the sciences and knowledge in the quote, “What could not be expected in the country of eternal light?”

Frankenstein describes his experience and insight of philosophy and science as "a sudden light … so brilliant and wondrous"

The monster’s first experience with a fire reveals its dual nature : he discovers that it creates light in the darkness of the night, so he can learn and see but also that it harms him when he touches it., represented the acquiring of knowledge can have both positive and negative effects.

WORKS CITED• http://dictionary.reference.com/

• http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Mary_Wollstonecraft_Shelley/Frankenstein/

• http://travelerfolio.com/tf2/photos/2010/03/funny-frankenstein-monster.jpg

• http://media.photobucket.com/user/prestonjjrtr/media/Funny/FrankieDrums.gif.html?filters[term]=frankenstein%20gif&filters[primary]=images&filters[secondary]=videos&sort=1&o=47

• http://24.media.tumblr.com/3a68116f7f65f83ecbbfcbebb4ed2b47/tumblr_mufn7mmu9p1rknybpo1_500.gif