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The Theme of Appearance in Frankenstein

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The Theme of Appearance in Frankenstein
The Theme of Appearance in Frankenstein
Frankenstein is to be “sometimes considered one of the first science fiction novels” (Fox,stacy ”Romantic and Gothic Representation in Frankenstein”). Frankenstein was written by Mary Shelley. In this novel the main characters where Victor Frankenstein, his creation the monster, Robert Walton, Elizabeth Lavenza, Alphonse Frankenstein, and Henry Clerval. Frankenstein starts out with a normal boy named Victor Frankenstein who discovers an early interest in science. Victor later goes off to college to study science and ends up creating a monster. Throughout the novel the monster is stereotyped by his looks and is traumatized and goes for revenge against his creator when Victor refuses to make him a identical monster. The theme of appearances are most evident in Frankenstein through the monsters struggle with his appearance, the extensive focus on the natural beauty of the world, and the association of ugliness to evil, and beauty to good.The theme of appearance is most evident in the novel because of the focus on the natural beauty of the world. Mary Shelley is very descriptive of how the monster is viewing the world for the first time. Within this quote the monster is discovering the beauty of night and day, “Soon a gentle light stole over the heavens, and gave me a sensation of pleasure. I started up, and beheld a radiant form rise from among the trees. I gazed with a kind of wonder. It moved slowly, but it enlightened my path; and I again went out in search of berries. I was still cold, when under one of the trees I found a huge cloak, with which I covered myself, and sat down upon the ground. No distinct ideas occupied my mind; all was confused. I felt light, and hunger, and thirst, and darkness; innumerable sounds rung in my ears, and on all sides various scents saluted me: the only object that I could distinguish was the bright moon, and I fixed my eyes on that with pleasure” (Shelley 73). Within that quote the monster

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