The Monster In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
If everyone’s life is a story, Mary Shelley’s is a best selling novel, literally. However, the horror aspect is not what draws readers in, but the timeless relatability and insight into the scientific world. The most captivating part is knowing that the novel is based off the author's tragic life. Mary Shelley uses her own hardships, fears, insights, perspectives and passions to form the basis of Frankenstein and construct the characters of Victor and his monster.
Mary illustrates her personal misfortunes through the struggles of both Victor and his monster. Her emotions during these hard times are reflected within the characters. Nine days after she was born, Mary Shelley’s mother died. (Ginn) She incorporates this detail in her novel …show more content…
In the novel, Victor’s youngest brother is named William which is also the name of Mary’s newborn son at the time. (Telgen) William is portrayed as an innocent child who is defenseless against the monster. The differences in age and maturity allow the reader to see Willam as a son to Victor just like he is to Mary. Unfortunately, when Victor’s monster kills William, Victor feels responsible for the death of his baby brother. The tragic ending to this little boy reveals Mary’s anxiety about becoming a mother and raising a son. These same worries of motherhood can be seen in Victor’s thoughts as he decides to deconstruct the female monster. While Victor is alone on the island, he allows his thoughts to take over his mind and destroy the only thing his creation relied on for happiness. He wonders, “...she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate, and delight, for its own sake, in murder and wretchedness… They might even hate each other… She also might turn with disgust from him to the superior beauty of man; she might quit him, and he be again alone, exasperated by the fresh provocation of being deserted by one of his own species.” (Shelley 155) Victor worries about every scenario that might go wrong instead of thinking about the positive outcomes. The reader can see Mary Shelley thinking these same thoughts as she tries to have kids. Questioning herself about her fertility and whether she would be a decent
Mary illustrates her personal misfortunes through the struggles of both Victor and his monster. Her emotions during these hard times are reflected within the characters. Nine days after she was born, Mary Shelley’s mother died. (Ginn) She incorporates this detail in her novel …show more content…
In the novel, Victor’s youngest brother is named William which is also the name of Mary’s newborn son at the time. (Telgen) William is portrayed as an innocent child who is defenseless against the monster. The differences in age and maturity allow the reader to see Willam as a son to Victor just like he is to Mary. Unfortunately, when Victor’s monster kills William, Victor feels responsible for the death of his baby brother. The tragic ending to this little boy reveals Mary’s anxiety about becoming a mother and raising a son. These same worries of motherhood can be seen in Victor’s thoughts as he decides to deconstruct the female monster. While Victor is alone on the island, he allows his thoughts to take over his mind and destroy the only thing his creation relied on for happiness. He wonders, “...she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate, and delight, for its own sake, in murder and wretchedness… They might even hate each other… She also might turn with disgust from him to the superior beauty of man; she might quit him, and he be again alone, exasperated by the fresh provocation of being deserted by one of his own species.” (Shelley 155) Victor worries about every scenario that might go wrong instead of thinking about the positive outcomes. The reader can see Mary Shelley thinking these same thoughts as she tries to have kids. Questioning herself about her fertility and whether she would be a decent