- How does Shelley show that Frankenstein and the creature are both obsessed with revenge? does either of them win? Explain.
- How do you think Frankenstein failed or erred as a human being? What traits or attributes, do you think, led to the creature's fate?
Monday, March 26, 2007
Frankenstein Chapters 22 - 24
Answer each of the questions below then include your line(s) and why it stood out to you.
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Neither the creature nor Frankenstein get the revenge that they so obsessively craved. They both plan to ruin each other’s lives, and in turn just ruined the remainder of their own existence. Both Victor and his monster have taken so much from each other, that they are just consumed with thoughts of revenge. The monster stole the lives of all the closest people to Victor, and Victor stole the monster’s happiness by making him grotesque and abandoning him in the world to fend for himself. In the end, however, Victor dies still wanting revenge and the monster morns with grief for his creator’s death.
I feel that Frankenstein failed as a human being for only the reason that he did not ever take full responsibility for his actions. He never really took responsibility for having created the monster in the first place, let alone running out on it. I feel that as long as you take the responsibility for you actions, whatever they may be and expect logical consequences for your actions, everything will be all right. The creature’s fate is already decided. He will either end up alone for the rest of his life, or he will choose to end his life from lack of social contact.
“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.” (190) This stands out because it shows the resentment that Frankenstein has for his creation that vows to get his revenge.
Both Frankenstein and the monster are very obsessed with revenge. In the end, they are both completely alone and their thoughts of revenge and hatred are all they have left. Victor has no family or friends, and the creature never did in the first place.
Frankenstein didn't fail as a human being, but he definitely made some mistakes. He did not fail because he started this whole thing with good intentions. He had no clue it would turn out this way and if he knew, he wouldn't have created anything. His mistakes were leaving the creature alone and not trying to control it. It said a lot when the creature mourned over his dead creator. That showed that he did have a compassionate side underneath all the hatred. I'm not sure that Frankenstein would have felt sad at all if he had destroyed his monster. He would have been relieved.
"And now it is ended. There is my last victim!" (209) That is a powerful quote because with Victor dead, the monster had absolutely nothing to live for. He put everything into revenge and hatred and now he has nothing to show for it and nothing to do anymore. He wasn't satisfied in the end because deep down, it wasn't what he really wanted.
The Monster's revenge comes from being denied a chance at being accepted over and over again and the lack of compassion from his creator. After so many people turned their backs on him, he vows to avenge humans for being so cruel,especially Frankenstein, because he was the one who brought him into this harsh world. Only after the monster's killings and attempts to ruin Frankenstein's life does Victor become obsessed with revenge, because the monster is destroying him. In a sense both of them won, because they both planned to kill the other, and in the end they do both die. What is more important than who won or not, is that neither of them end up satisfied with the outcome, showing that revenge is never a good thing.
"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." (208)this stood out to me because it shows the monster's pain and how he was suppose to be loving and kind, yet because of the reaction to him he couldn't be that way.
Frankenstein may not have failed as a human being, because I think that is impossible, but he most definetely made a huge error by not considering the consequences of his actions. He brought all his pain and suffering upon himself by doing so. Common sense is one of the most crucial keys to life, and one of the most basic rules is to accept consequences for your actions, therefore you should think about what they may be before acting, to prevent hardships. Victor Frankenstein did not do that.
The creature's fate was decided by Frankenstein, it was that first denial by his creator that led to his many mishaps with humans, and without relationships he experienced no happiness, which gave him no reason to live. The monster could never accept himself the way he was, because no one else would. Since he wasn't strong enough to come to terms with who he was, it was obvious what his fate would be.
Throughout the whole story Shelley shows that Frankenstein and the creature are both obsessed with revenge through their actions. Victor is constantly seeking out the creature, trying to put an end to his own fear, while the creature’s hatred towards those who hate him causes his need for revenge. Then when his creator refuses to make someone for him to share his life with, he especially becomes obsessed with the idea of revenge, and vows to visit Victor on his wedding night. Both want to make each other’s lives as miserable as the other has made it, but in the end they just end up ruining what ever chance they might have had at having a normal life. If they weren’t so obsessed with revenge throughout the whole story their lives would have been extremely different, perhaps even good. In the end neither of them will win. They both end up having no one to love in their life, and continue with the seeking of revenge. This, in turn, will continue to ruin their lives. Therefore neither one of them will ever win, until they decide to quit seeking revenge. Victor didn’t fail as a human being, but he definitely erred, his biggest mistake? Playing God. Also he never thought anything through until he was already out of luck. The creature’s undying need to be loved, led to his fate. He always wanted to just be loved, even if only by one person, but he never received love, which in turn inspired hatred for all humans. I found one quote that especially stood out to me because of the motif that I picked for my project (abortion), “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.” This provoked so much sympathy in me while I was reading it. How horrible he must feel. All that he ever asked for was to be loved, and his creator could barely even stand to look at him.
Oops, that quote is found on page 210, in Walton's final letter to his sister.
Shelley shows the obsessive qualities of Victor and the monster by writing about the chase they involve themselves in. They are both so driven by hate, disgust, anger and most importantly revenge. They both will not stop until the other is dead. The monster cannot bear the idea of Frankenstein finding solitude and happiness because he has had none in his own life, so this spurns his hatred for him. Victor is so devastated by the loss of so many important people around him that the only thing he has left to live for is seeing the demise of his terrible creation.
In terms of living longest the creature "wins" that title but as to anything else they are both losers. The monster never had the happiness and love he desired or the acceptance of his creator, and Victor loses all of the people he loved and cared about.
Truly I feel Victor's only error in life was not killing the creature early on. He had so many opportunities; the only thing I can relate this to is James Bond movies. The villain always gets ahold of Bond and has multiple opportunities to destroy him but some how he is so elusive that he manages to escape. (I know its strange to connect 18th century literature to Tinseltown, but someone had to do it).
I dont believe that the creature was led to a terrible fate. It was on his own deciding that he would take his life and end his sorrow. But I suppose to get to this point many traits weighed heavily upon him. Remorse, guilt and depression were all heavy contenders and definitely sealed the deal for his destiny. I do not feel that in any way it was noble of him to take his own life after he saw his creator was dead.
" Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change" (188). This to me stood out among other lines because of its impact and truth. It was hard for Frankenstein to comprehend after Elizabeth's death that only the day before had been their wedding. It is a very strange and difficult task to re-adjust the human mind to encompass new experiences that have occured. For these reasons I could empathize with Frankenstein very easily.
Shelley shows that both Frankenstein and the creature are obsessed with revenge through the story Frankenstein tells Walton. Frankenstein has been consumed with sorrow and grief because of his family that the creature has taken from him. Through his heartache he is unable to feel emotions other than that of hate and fear which lead him on his journey for revenge. The creature has developed a great hatred for his creator because he refused to grant him happiness in the form of a wife. The creature does not want to allow his creator to enjoy happiness when he can not. “But when I discovered that he, the author at once of my existence and of its unspeakable torments, dared to hope for happiness, that while he accumulated wretchedness and despair upon me he sought his own enjoyment in feelings and passions from the indulgence of which I was forever barred, the impotent envy and bitter indignation filled me an insatiable thirst for vengeance.”(208) I don’t think that either Frankenstein or his creation win. Both of their lives are consumed by hate and the need for revenge. When Frankenstein lost all that was important to him he continued to live only for the sake of revenge. He died with nothing accomplished and his family taken from him. The creature never experienced the life he so greatly desired. His life was turned to one of evil when he became obsessed with torturing Frankenstein. With Frankenstein dead he had nothing left to live for because his chance for happiness died with Victor Frankenstein as well as his reason for life.
I think Frankenstein erred as a human being when he chose to take it into his own hands to create a monster. Frankenstein had not thought of any of the consequences that would come from following his own interest in science and desire for greatness. As a person I think it is each individuals right to try and do what will be best for not only themselves but for those around them. Frankenstein failed to see the importance in that until he had already created the monster and promised to create for him a female. “Had I the right, for my own benefit, to inflict this curse upon everlasting generations?”(158-159)
The fact that the creature had the desires of any other human was his greatest downfall. Like any person it was impossible for the creature to accept that he would never feel the happiness of those around him. Had the monster had a mind equally as terrible as his body he would not have been as devastated by the life of solitude that he was destined to live. I think that it was the creatures desire for happiness that lead him to seek such terrible revenge. The revenge that eventually killed his only reason for living and left him to take his own life.
Throughout the novel Shelly slowly builds the obsession and need for revenge in both characters. They both start off having no desire to seek vengeance upon one another, but as the story progresses, there is more cause for wishing ill fate towards each other. After being completely abandoned and rejected by all men, the creature feels more and more misery and hates his creator for making it so. When Frankenstein continues to refuse his creation happiness, the creature is blinded by rage and becomes possessed by the idea of Frankenstein never being allowed to feel joy again.
The creature’s acts of retribution build Frankenstein's wish for the same. He feels responsible for the deaths that have resulted from what he bestowed upon society, yet casts the blame on the creature. With each death he becomes more outraged, and becomes obsessed with destroying what he has made.
The main thing that shows their obsession is their refusal to give up. Frankenstein is willing to risk his health and life to see his creation fall, and the creature takes pleasure his creator's grief and misfortune. The following quotations show examples of how Shelly wrote the characters rage and quest for vengeance.
"I was hurried away by fury; revenge alone endowed me with strength and composure; it moulded my feelings and allowed me to be calculating and calm at periods when otherwise delirium or death would have been my portion."(192)-Frankenstein
"Scoffing devil! Again do I vow vengeance; again do I devote thee, miserable fiend, to torture and death. Never will I give up my search until he or I perish..."(195)-Frankenstein
"Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. You are my creator, but I am your master; obey!...Your hours will pass in dread and misery, and soon the bolt will fall which must ravish from you your happiness forever."(160)-Creature
"It is well. I go; but remember, I shall be with you on your wedding-night."(161)-Creature
Neither character in Shelly's story really "wins." Although Frankenstein finds peace in death, he never gets to retaliate (even though he is the one who started the need for revenge) on his creation for the misery he has bequeathed. The creature, when his creator finally dies, feels the utmost sorrow when he reflects upon the pain he has caused. In the end, he never finds pleasure in causing his creator to feel so much agony and eventually his death.
Frankenstein failed as a human being for several different reasons. Trying to play God was his first error. If he had not played in unfamiliar territory, his life would never have turned out to be miserable and full of hate and reprisal. His second error was the way he treated his creation when it was brought to life. Here he has spent two full years devoting his life to creating this beautiful creature. He disregards his health, and turns away from his beloved family just to run away in horror from a creature that "muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks."(57) No matter how disgusting his creation may have turned out, human emotions such as compassion should have made him realize its true innocence and carry out his duties as a "father." His next error was in letting the creature run away. If he was really that terrified and disgusted by his creation, his duty to society would have been not to let the creature roam free, but at least end its life to save it and the society from desolation and fear.
As this creature's creator, Frankenstein feels no sympathy towards what he has caused this creature to feel, and is selfish in believing that he has made nothing but a "demon." If he were to prosper as a human being, he would have at least had the decency to give the poor creature a companion if he could not bring himself to love it.
"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."(208)
"No sympathy my I ever find. When I first sought it, it was the love of virtue, the feelings of happiness and affection with which my whole being overflowed, that I wished to be participated. But now that virtue has become to me a shadow, and that happiness and affection are turned into bitter and loathing despair, in what should I seek for sympathy?"(209)
I believe that the creature's overall tendency towards good nature is what led to its fate. He tried so hard to do so much good and to be loved and accepted, but as the quotations above show, this turned on him and is what caused him such misery, is what caused his need for vengeance, and is what caused his fall and need for death.
'"Wretch!" I said. "I it is well that you come here to whine over the desolation that you have made. You throw a torch into a pile of buildings, and when they are consumed, you sit among the ruins and lament the fall. Hypocritical fiend! If he whom you mourn still lived, still would he be the object, again would he become the prey, of your accursed vengeance. It is not pity that you feel; you lament only because the victim of your malignity is withdrawn from your power."'(209)
This really stood out to me for a couple of different reasons, first being my surprise in Walton's reaction. He heard the same story I read, yet he does not place any blame on Frankenstein and has no sympathy for this lonely and abandoned creature. However, it also stood out to me because I believe there is a little truth to what he is saying. I have no doubt that the creature feels horrible about what he has done and truly does feel pity towards his maker, but I also believe that had he not died, he would still be the object of the creature’s revenge.
For the sake of this comment, lets call the monster Frankenstein's son.
Frankenstein and his son are so deeply rooted with the intent to terrorize each others lives, that in doing so, they destroy their own. Frankensteins eminent death, contrary to his son's expectations, made him more misserable. Neither Frankenstein or his son wins, this is decided because neither of them are ever happy or satisfied. Frankenstein was a coward, nothing less. His creation of his son can be related to many current day disputes, where a father abandons his son. Victor Frankenstein is irresponsible for not caring for his son, he ruined another being's life in exchange for comfort in his own. However that did not work out well. Both suffer. The trajedy of both deaths were results from depression, and irresponsible actions. Victor's son always felt need for acceptance from other humans, although, technically, he is another species and can't expect that kind of attention from humans.
Both Frankenstein and his monster focus all of there energy on the other. There is never a moment when Frankenstein does not think about the monster. In seeking the misery of the other, they send themselves into a downward spiral. With every crime committed the monster while creating greater misery for Frankenstein, also creates greater misery for himself. Neither Frankenstein nor his monster realizes the unnecessary suffering caused by both their actions. Both of them basically loose in this twisted game that they carry out until the death of Frankenstein. “Prepare! Your toils only begin; wrap yourself in furs and provide food, for we shall soon enter upon a journey where your sufferings will satisfy my everlasting hatred.” (195) Yet, even in Frankenstein’s death and sorrows, the monster is not consoled. This only gives the monster no reason to live and he too, seeks the same fate as his creator.
Frankenstein failed as a human being when he showed no compassion to his creation. He blindly abandoned it and took no responsibility. Without taking care of what he created he just left and figured it would magically disappear. Yet, like all things ignored it came back on him tenfold. All of his problems could have been eliminated if he had taken responsibility for his actions.
The creature’s fate was determined mainly by his appearance. His motives and heart were good until corrupted by envy and loneliness. Frankenstein’s creature was never really given a chance with anyone that he met. The combination of his ghastly appearance and the awkwardness of all human encounters destined him to a miserable life. His instability and misery then caused him to commit horrendous acts, which only furthered his desolation.
In the end of the novel neither Frankenstein or his monster seem to get the revenge that they have desired throughout the story. Shelley shows how obsessed the two are with the chase and the great lengths that the two go to in order to make the other enraged. The monster's only goal is to lure Frankenstein to the ends of the earth and to elude him causing him to go crazy with hatred and a desire for revenge. Frankenstein only wants to end his misery by killing the beast that he has created. The two are very selfish and care primarily about heir own well-being.
Neither the monster or Frankenstein get the revenge that they desire. Frankenstein dies while persuing the monster and the monster has a change of heart and feels terrible after the loss of his creator.
Frankenstein was clearly a remarkably intelligent and gifted man and he could have done much more with his life than he did. When he was a childhe recognized how gifted he was nad that he had the ability to do anything that he wanted to but all of his opportunitiesdissappeared when he created hte monster. The monster took over his life and ruined everything that he did. He killed his family and loved ones and he terrorized Frankenstein until his death. If Frankenstein had never created the monster he could have done many more impotant things and done much more as a human. His life was wasted by creating a monster.
The monster wanted very much to be accepted and loved. He cared very much about himself and proved to be very selfish. Also, because of his power he thought that he could get away with anything. He believed that he was invincible and above mankind. He also had an inquenchable thirst for revenge. These traits led to his downfall.
"I knew that I was preparing for myself a deadly torture but I was the slave not the master of an impulse which I detested yet could not disobey."(208) The monster finally realizes that he is not really the master of everything. He realizes that his life has been ruled by his desire for revenge and that he was not in control of himself.
Both Frankenstein and his creation are kind and loving until something makes them mad or upset. Once they have their mind set to it they will want to do anything to get the revenge on one another. When trying to get even with each other they end up making the end. They do take so much from each other bet Frankenstein does not realize exctly what he is doing. By not making the creature another thing the doctor is not letting the monter live at peace with himself, he is stuck with a deformed body. the ceature is so unhappy that he has to make the doctor unhappy by taking what means the most to him, his friends and family.
Frankenstein was a good person and he wanted to do good things but in the end he is not really a person at all. All he did was worry about the thing he created. He did not think about hardly anything at all except for the hurtful things that he had caused because he put together a monste that tore his life apart. Frankenstein did fail as a person becasue he could not even take responsibilty for his own actions. He made a monster that could destroy anything and instead of trying to fix the problem or even tame it, he ran fro it and let it go about his oen ways.
Shelly shows how the two are so obsessed with revenge mainly after Victor destroys the other creation he was working on for the first monster. Before hand there was a little revenge wanted from both for various reasons, but after that one part they both really go down hill. Especially after Victor loses Clerval and then his wife. They are continually leading each other on. Victor is following the monster because he wants revenge, but the turmoil he goes through is part of the monster's revenge on him. He can not let Victor die because that revenge has consumed him so much that he can't stop punishing Victor, and the only reason Victor follows is to fulfill his own revenge. It's a non-stop punishment for both. Neither of them wins. All that they both wanted was happiness, yet they were never willing to let the other have it. Someone always refused to allow the other to be happy no matter what it took. In the end both of them become these lunatic wretches that only want to die. There is no happiness in their lives, all they do is torture each other and by doing so torture themselves. " After the murder of Clerval I returned to Switzerland, heart-broken and overcome. I pitied Frankenstein; my pity amounted to horror; I abhorred myself."(208) This quote interested me. Here you can tell that the monster regrets what he has done, but it doesn't take long for him to obtain his jealousy and vengeance again. He goes on to kill Frankenstein's wife.
Frankenstein failed because he let his emotions intercept his judgement. Instead of running from the thing he created he could have showed some responsibility and concern for it before he abandoned it. I think that the creature is mainly to blame. He never let things go he only continued to hurt Frankenstein. Of course that isn't completely his fault. He is lonely, and every person he ever comes into contact with turns their back on him. His hunger for belonging is overcast later by his desire to hurt Victor and his desire for revenge. He receives very few kind words in his life and the only thing he ever wished for he couldn't have, not even from his creator.
The chase is a great example of Shelley showing the extent to which both Victor and the creature are willing to go for revenge. The creature wants Victor to feel how he felt, alone and unhappy. Once all of his close family and friends have perished, the only thing that Victor lives for is the death of the monster that he created.
The only thing that either of them wins at is living for as long as they did, and the monster took that trophy by living longer. The creature never attains the happiness and acceptance that he greatly yearns for. Victor loses all of his happiness and family. So neither of them truly wins.
The only thing that I believe Frankenstein erred at was creating the creature. It was all good and fine in theory, but as soon as he did it in real life it goes awry. He should have started much smaller and studied these creatures before moving on to something that was 8 feet tall.
I think the fact that since no one would accept him, he would not accept himself is what led to the creatures downfall. The need for acceptance is something that is huge in everybodys life and this need is obvious within the book and within life today.
"...when suddenly I heard a shrill and dreadful scream." That line stood out because it is when the creature gets his final revenge upon Victor. Victor thought the creature was trying to kill him, but learned otherwise.
Shelley makes it apparent that both are obsessed with revenge throughout the entire novel. It starts with the building of an obsession which later turns into and intense hatred. The creature ends up devouring Frankenstein's life. After Victors refusal to bring to life another companion his creation has nothing left to live for except revenge. Once the creature takes the lives of everyone who is close to Victor revenge consumes his life. Victor is then left without anything to live for except revenge and seeks to destroy the monsters life. Frankenstein “awakened to freedom, [and] at the same time [awoke] to revenge”.(189) I don’t believe either the monster or Frankenstein win. Both lives are ruined and neither receive what they truly sought after.
Frankenstein’s obvious downfall was his original intent to give life. If he had not created his monster his life wouldn’t have been consumed with revenge. Frankenstein’s need for prestige and his passion for science mapped out the life which he lived. “ No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success.”
The creatures fate was shown through his appearance. No matter how educated or caring he became his appearance still played a huge role in his acceptance. “But a fatal prejudice clouds their eyes, and where they ought to see a feeling and kind friend, the behold only a detestable monster.” His want to be accepted and loved led to his anger toward his creator which ruined his life.
The creature vows revenge when Frankenstein destroys his was going to be partner and Frankenstein vows revenge when the monster kills his new bride. Neither the monster nor Frankenstein receives their revenge Frankenstein dies while chasing the monster and the monster chooses to die after seeing that Frankenstein died. Even if they would have gotten their revenge than neither one would have been satisfied in their pain, the monster would still be ugly and Frankenstein would still feel guilty and lonely.
I think Frankenstein erred as a human being because he never took responsibility for his actions or stood for what he knew was right. Although the creature's fate is somewhat sad from the day he was brought to life he was doomed to be alone for his hideousness it was just a matter of whether he wanted to end it unnaturaly.
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