Obsession In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein - 1294 Words

Obsessions Come Alive â€Å"It’s ALIVE!† This is what one may think of when hearing the name â€Å"Frankenstein.† Along with this exclamation, one may think of Frankenstein as a grotesque, green-hued creature created by a scientist. Society often thinks of the character Frankenstein as the monster in a horror story. However, this common thought is completely false. Frankenstein is actually the main character who creates the monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Regardless of the novel Frankenstein’s misconceptions, a multitude of people from all corners of the globe recognize the name of Shelley’s famous book. The novel is used in countless classrooms to teach about the various themes the book contains. One of those themes is obsession and how it†¦show more content†¦Victor’s obsession caused negative physical effects that could not be cured upon completing the monster. This proves that obsession’s effects are negativ e as well as long-lasting. Another example of negative physical effects due to obsession from Shelley’s novel is the illness that falls upon Victor after completing his work on the monster. When Victor realizes the horrible thing he has created, he says, â€Å"But I was in reality very ill, and surely nothing but the unbounded and unremitting attentions of my friend could have restored me to life. The form of the monster on whom I had bestowed existence was forever before my eyes, and I raved incessantly concerning him† (46). Clearly, Victor is physically ill because he is consumed by a fever due to the monster. Completing the creation did not cure Victor’s physical illness, however, it did seem to worsen it. Victor will not be able to ever fully forget the horrible thing he has done or the illness that was caused by it. This leads one to infer that Shelley is revealing that the obsession that Victor has with his creation has physically made Victor sick and made him into a different person , completely transforming his character. It is clear that passion for something, even with good intentions, can be a bad thing because it can have negative physical effects and cause one’s persona to change. Additionally,Show MoreRelatedFantasy, Horror, And Science Fiction In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1180 Words   |  5 Pageshaunted houses filled with unseen supernatural occurrences. Out of these stories in the â€Å"Gothic tradition†, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most influential novels in history. It is considered by many to be one of the first science fiction novels. Often these stories of science fiction draw attention to the permeable boundaries separating humans from their creations, but Mary Shelley presents us with the thoughts and struggles of the creature, who is highly intelligent, often sympatheticRead More Folly of Science Exposed in Shelley’s Frankenstein and E.T.A. Hoffman’s Sandman693 Words   |  3 PagesFolly of Science Exposed in Shelley’s Frankenstein and E.T.A. Hoffman’s Sandman In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and E.T.A. Hoffman’s Sandman, elements of science are portrayed in a negative light, warning the reader of the dangers of the unknown. Many aspects of science and technology are portrayed from alchemy and robotics in the Sandman to biology and chemistry in Frankenstein. The stories feature similar main characters that break the boundaries of conventional society in order to investigateRead MoreThe Monster’s Birth in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay727 Words   |  3 PagesRomantic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, the selection in chapter five recounting the birth of Dr. Frankenstein’s monster plays a vital role in explaining the relationship between the doctor and his creation. Shelley’s use of literary contrast and Gothic diction eloquently set the scene of Frankenstein’s hard work and ambition coming to life, only to transform his way of thinking about the world forever with its first breath. In this specific chapter, Victors scientific obsession appears to beRead More The Dangers of Science in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay example1019 Words   |  5 PagesScience in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Mary Shelleys novel Frankenstein cannot merely be read as a literary work of the early 19th century. It represents the workings of young Shelleys mind. Further, it represents the vast scientific discoveries of the time, combined with Mary Shelleys intuitive perception of science. She views science as a powerful entity, but also recognizes the dangers if uncontrolled. Shelley demonstrates this fear in the book as science drives Victor Frankenstein to createRead More Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1312 Words   |  6 PagesMary Shelleys Frankenstein In order to illustrate the main theme of her novel â€Å"Frankenstein†, Mary Shelly draws strongly on the myth of Prometheus, as the subtitle The Modern Prometheus indicates. Maurice Hindle, in his critical study of the novel, suggests, â€Å"the primary theme of Frankenstein is what happens to human sympathies and relationships when men seek obsessively to satisfy their Promethean longings to â€Å"conquer the unknown† - supposedly in the service of their fellow-humans†. ThisRead MoreMary Shelley s Heart At A Very Young Age1318 Words   |  6 PagesMary Wollstonecraft Godwin as she was born, was born August 30th, 1797 in London, England. Mary Shelley’s mother died exactly ten days after her birth so Shelley had a rather burdensome life. Her father was emotionally distant from her while her step-mother treated her cruelly as a result of what little relationship Mary did maintain with her father. Mary spoke three languages, English her primary language, Fr ench her second language of choice and Italian being the third. Although the disconnectedRead MoreThe Road to Despair: Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay694 Words   |  3 PagesThe obsessed search for knowledge, fame and fortune can often undervalue one’s life and become the main focus of their existence. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, she proves that obsession is a dangerous aspect of the human behavior, which always results in a negative outcome, this is mainly portrayed through the protagonist of the story Dr. Victor Frankenstein, because of Dr. Frankenstein’s obsessive personality he fails to recognize the affects of his scientific experiments which eventuallyRead More Significance of Chapter 5 in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Essay1212 Words   |  5 PagesComment on Chapter 5’s significance in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Famous writer, Mary Shelley was born in London in 1797. She was the daughter of writer William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. Shelley’s mother sadly died while giving birth to her. This was an influence included in the later successful novel ‘Frankenstein’. At 19, she married poet Percy Shelley, who she married in 1816. Together, Mary and Percy had five children, but only one survived past childhood. This tragedy, alongRead MoreMary Shellys Frankenstein and the Consideration of Psychological Traumas Women Face in the Lack of Control Over Their Reproductive Organs1798 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿Mary Shellys Frankenstein and the Consideration of Psychological Traumas Women Face in the Lack of Control Over Their Reproductive Organs I. Objective The objective of this study is to examine Mary Shellys work Frankenstein and to consider the psychological traumas women face in the lack of control over their reproductive organs. II. Introduction Women throughout the world have experienced psychological trauma over the lack of control over their reproductive organs and whether this traumaRead More The Concepts Of Knowledge And Happiness In Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1001 Words   |  5 Pages60). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she expresses her beliefs regarding the danger of pursuing happiness through the attainment of knowledge, because true happiness is found in the emotional connections established between people. The pursuit of knowledge is not necessarily an evil thing, but it can cause destruction when it is pursued beyond natural limits. Victor Frankenstein becomes a slave to his passion for learning in more than one way; first his life is controlled by his obsession to create

Essay on The Tempest as Shakespeares Resignation Speech

The Tempest as Shakespeares Resignation Speech In Shakespeares, The Tempest, the character Prospero is in many ways similar to Shakespeare himself at the time he wrote the play. Prospero, having entertained himself with his magic for most of his life, now gives up his powers as he seems to understand that his magic is no more and no less than life itself : it is just as transitory and hollow. This seems to reflect on Shakespeares attitude toward play writing. Having spent his life writing plays and being entertained by his own employment, Shakespeare finds that his plays, while they explore the themes of life and relationship, are finally no more meaningful than life itself seems to a man who must have been feeling his†¦show more content†¦The opening line of the speech, Ye elves of hills, brooks, standing lakes, and groves ( V.i 53-55 ), seems to refer to the setting of A Midsummer Nights Dream. Further into the speech, Prospero says he has: ...bedimmed The noontide sun, called forth mutinous winds, And twixt the green sea and the azured vault set roaring war;... ( V.i 41-44). The use of the word mutinous, the reference to a storm, and the outcome of roaring war suggest the play Julius Caesar. Prospero also claims that graves at my command/ have waked their sleeper, oped, and let em forth ( V.i 48-49 ), which sounds like the spirit of the former King in Hamlet. Other connections could be drawn. In addition to all this, Prospero is bragging. If this speech were delivered by Shakespeare, and was in reference to Shakespeares works, it would not be bragging, as it takes no particular power to make a plot happen in a play. Prosperos delivering this speech is somewhat inconsistent with his attitude toward his own power throughout the rest of the book, in that he always gives the simplest, least boastful explanation of what he has done to anyone who asks, and in Act IV, Scene 1 makes it clear to Ferdinand that he is not in control of the gods, and is only conjuring spirits. The last piece of evidence for the connection I have drawn is in the solemn speech Prospero givesShow MoreRelated The Utopian Solution in The Tempest Essays2461 Words   |  10 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚   The entrance of The Tempest into theatres between 1610 and 1611, signifies a possible correlation between Shakespeares play and the colonization of the ideal New World. Before analyzing the courtly order and utopian theme in The Tempest, it is important to understand the politics and culture of the court in the early 17th century. The society that Shakespeare emerges from plays an important role in the themes portrayed in The Tempest, because it leads to the utopian solution to the political

How Is the Extract of Jekyll and Hyde Dramatic Free Essays

The realisation of the reader from this extract, that Jekyll has only been experimenting with science produces dramatic tension. Throughout the extract, Jekyll confesses that he can only speak ‘by theory alone’ regarding his attempts to create the potions to transform himself into Hyde. This represents his constant uncertainty about the results of his experiments. We will write a custom essay sample on How Is the Extract of Jekyll and Hyde Dramatic or any similar topic only for you Order Now Therefore if even Jekyll, the man performing the experiments, is uncertain of the results, dramatic tension is caused for the reader to discover the results of the experiment. Jekyll also confirms that he doesn’t know anything for certain, as he only speaks what appears ‘to be most probable’. Since the results are uncertain, the reader doesn’t know the effect the experiment would have on Jekyll. The reader also discovers that no-one has attempted the experiment before, which builds up tension and suspense about the end result and makes the reader intrigued to continue reading in order to discover it. The unknown of the experiments Jekyll performs builds drama and is dramatic since the unexpected may happen. Stevenson’s imagery of imprisonment in this extract makes it more dramatic since it portrays the idea of Jekyll being trapped. Jekyll presents being Hyde as a disguise ‘like a thick cloak’ in order to abandon his life as Jekyll, which is boring and tiresome, as if he is escaping from prison in order to live a new and free life. The ‘thick cloak’ could represent protection and by suggesting it is like a piece of clothing, this shows that transforming into Hyde is effortless and comforting to do but the constant interchanging between the views of Jekyll, when he is himself, and Hyde is dramatic. Jekyll likens the potion to a drug by saying that it had ‘no discriminating action’, explaining that it is addicting once he has tried it. However it then became impossible to prevent the change describing it as falling into ‘slavery’ and by being trapped this leads to the extract becoming tense and exciting. Metaphors are used through the extract to provide imagery for the reader. Jekyll explains that Hyde was pure evil and that it was ‘written broadly and plainly on his face’ suggesting that when people saw Hyde, it was immediately clear that he was a cruel person. By using this metaphor, Stevenson is attempting to show the personality of Hyde through his face and that his characteristics were clear from his physical appearance. After drinking the potion, Jekyll ‘had come to the fatal cross-roads’ which is a crucial moment in the novel for him, as he can choose only choose option suggested by the ‘cross roads’. This is dramatic because as there is a decision to be made which is extremely important, this builds suspense, especially as the decision carried the possibility of death which requires Jekyll to ponder his options carefully. Since the cross roads are ‘fatal’ this may imply that the cross roads will lead to disaster or death. It could also indicate that the cross roads were unavoidable as it was fate that determined Jekyll would have to make this decision. The dangerous decision that has been forced upon Jekyll makes the extract dramatic, since his decision may lead to his death. The use of violent and dramatic language by Stevenson in the extract increases the pace of the novel and makes it more engaging and exciting. Jekyll is uncertain about the result of him drinking his potion which creates tension and by ‘hurrying back to my cabinet’ this shows that there is urgency from Jekyll to discover the effects of the potion which leads to the extract being exciting and dramatic and it is building up tension. When Jekyll had transformed into Hyde he was aware that people were frightened of him and took an instant dislike. He said that people couldn’t approach him without ‘a visible misgiving of the flesh’ and by using violent language to describe their reaction, it demonstrates the severity of the cruelty that Hyde possessed. By saying ‘the flesh’ instead of skin, this shows that people were unable to hide beneath their skin, the reactions they felt regarding Hyde. This language engages the reader with the emotions felt by the characters towards Hyde, producing anxiety among the reader resulting in a dramatic confrontation that is described. The exposure of many mysteries is revealed all at once which creates a dramatic atmosphere. In the extract we learn that Edward Hyde ‘was pure evil’ which is the reason behind people such as Utterson and Enfield ‘taking an instant dislike to him’ as we learn previously. We also discover the motive for Jekyll to transform into Hyde which is because he ‘began to profit by the strange immunities’ of his position, as he is taking advantage of the freedom he has when Jekyll is Hyde. The answers to the questions which were formed by the reader earlier in the novel were slowly being revealed throughout it. However in this short extract, lots of answers are provided to the reader from Jekyll, because he is explaining the actions of both himself and Mr Hyde. Also since the novel is told in third but in this extract it is in the first person perspective, it leaves few questions remaining, allowing the reader to piece together Utterson’s perception. This therefore results in dramatic tension as the reader now understands the actions Jekyll has taken and is intrigued to discover the fate of Jekyll and Hyde. How to cite How Is the Extract of Jekyll and Hyde Dramatic, Papers