Monday, August 13th, 2007, 2:37am
"Sample Page: My Half-Assed Community College Paper on Frankenstein"

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a book that has enjoyed lasting popularity since its original publication. The result of a story-writing contest between several skilled writers on vacation, Shelley’s creation was one born of a nightmare, the freakish creation of a horrid creature. The focus of the book however is not a simple monster movie tale; rather it is a look at our own humanity and what it means to truly be alive. The themes are very profound, and visited with some truly masterful imagery. Are we, the supposed greatest triumph of god’s creations, truly as wise and benevolent as we believe ourselves to be? Because truly, as the young Frankenstein learns, the horrors we encounter are often the results of our own hubris. And yet, our pride teachers us that our errors are paltry compared to that of a creature whose very existence defies the will of god.

The book’s secondary title makes mention of “The Modern Prometheus,” perhaps the most integral theme to the story. A character of Greek legend, Prometheus was the titan who stole fire from the gods of Olympus and gave it to the humans. His punishment for such actions was to be eternally chained to a rock, visited daily by an eagle who violently rips out and devours the captive titan’s liver, only for it to re-grow each night so the ordeal can be continued. Though Prometheus had only good intentions, his own decisions have led to this torment. Here, the character of Victor Frankenstein is our modern Prometheus, the parallels rather obvious. This young Faustian-phenotype has reached the end of conventional wisdom, thus pursuing the highest wisdom available within the realm of existence, the powers of a god. Where Prometheus tread in the domain of the gods to steal fire, as does Frankenstein – by attempting to wield the power of life and death. The imagery is profound, to see life as this flickering light which is at once both beautiful and yet extremely dangerous. Frankenstein tames this fire, intending to bring forth his own creation. However what awaits him is only failure, as just a punishment as those who would dare to disobey the will of Olympus. This monster, which will eventually be the catalyst that systematically brings ruin to the life of Frankenstein, is one entirely of his own creation. He believes that his monster is the one to blame, failing to recognize that his own inadequacies in both the creation and education of his Adam are why he is tormented. However, Frankenstein is still a man. Despite having committed the highest sin possible he is able to absolve himself of that sin should he choose to confess it. However like Faust it seems his arrogance leaves him unable to ever come to terms with what he has done. He bitterly hunts the monster to the ends of the earth, eventually dying without fulfillment. And this is where the creature appears for the final time, to lament the end of his father and curse the judgment of god which allows him no reprieve from his own torments. Because unlike Frankenstein, the monster is an abomination which does not have any means to atone for his sins – other than to die alone, without hope of salvation. And this is perhaps the greatest injustice of all.

Innately the monster’s own nature is not evil, his wonder and love for the world being that which drives him to despair. Every evil act he commits is ultimately one that arises out of the rejection he receives from this beautiful world. For his monster, Frankenstein serves a purpose as the creator, as god. Thusly, the monster is Adam, the first man and most important of all of god’s creations. However, Frankenstein is not a benevolent god, shunning his creation and casting it out into the world alone without benefit of purpose or companionship. The monster at first simply desires acceptance, however he is not provided a world where such delights would be offered him. There is no garden of Eden, and he is alone  Shelley consistently refers to the monster’s hideousness as the reason it is shunned, however it is what this gruesome creation signifies that lies at the core of why it is unable to find acceptance. The monster is itself a crude facsimile of man, its features not frightful because of their ugliness, rather the existence of such a hideous replication of humanity being what truly inspires terror in these people. The monster shares the same thoughts and feelings as the humans who shun it, but being without their form he is not a creature of god, and therefore undeserving of compassion. The monster laments that “God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after His own image ; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance” (94). The monster was not crafted by god, and therefore does not have the beautiful god-like features of man. He recognizes that his plight is more akin to that of Satan in Paradise Lost, whereas he desires to be viewed as beautiful and yet is shunned for these creatures which he begins to realize are perhaps more repulsive than himself.

And thus, this creature begins to scheme and plot to achieve its ends, which is where he has turned from wholly good towards evil. However a creature which at once can fathom what it means to love as well, as desire this love is not one that is evil, not matter what its actions may be to attempt this end.  However it is of little consequence, as though the monster is not itself evil, the manner of its creation is. To be fair, this is no fault of the monsters’ as it is not the catalyst of its own creation, truly the blame of this evil lies in the hands of the unfortunate Frankenstein. However, being that this monster; with a body that mocks god in its hideous likeness, is deserving of no sympathy from man. God’s wisdom is above that of a man, and though we may not understand his judgment we must know that it is indeed just. Therefore, though the monster is eloquent, though it desires the same things we desire and has no innate evil within it – the only justice for this creature is to be scorned and destroyed. It is a harsh truth, but it is a truth and one the monster both recognizes and yet refuses to accept. " Was there no injustice in this? Am I to be though the only criminal, when all human kind sinned against me? ...Nay, these are virtuous and immaculate beings; I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. Even now my blood boils at the recollection of this injustice" (175). The world in which man resides is one full of contradictions, and yet this is a world wrought by god’s hands, not by those of the young Frankenstein’s. And thus there is no Eden awaiting the monster, this is a world not made for him and not one that will ever accept him. As in Paradise Lost, this Satan is made to us a sympathetic character. But there is no sympathy that the devil deserves, no matter how human his intentions may seem.

            This is the unfortunate moral of the story. There is no room in the human heart to find compassion for a monster. We are extensions of god’s will, and thus as this creature is an insult to the glory of his kingdom, it is only right and good that man’s heart would hate such a creature with a devout passion. It may seem cruel, and rightfully so. However god’s judgment stands above that of men and thus it is his judgment which we are inclined to follow. For the monster, who has no god to ease his torment, who is spurned by his own imperfect creator – this moral is of little comfort. But it is thus.