Analyzing critiques:"The Modern Prometheus"

Frankenstein was considered the modern Prometheus because just as Prometheus brought forbidden knowledge to humans, Victor brought forbidden knowledge to his own humans. According to the legend, Prometheus only defied the Gods in order to help his own race. They were always shivering and they ate raw meat. His goal was to bring the knowledge of fire to his brethren. Prometheus only had good intentions and so did Victor. His goal was to save humans from death; but he did not know that life and death was God's territory. Prometheus also did not know that the power of fire was the power of the Gods. When an omnipotent being is defied only destruction comes. Victor's consequence was his early death, which is ironic because he was trying to save people from dying, and Prometheus' consequence was his eternal suffering.

Chalk Cliffs on Rügen (1818), Caspar David Friedrich

Power of Nature

14. final words of Victor and final words of monster

Victor's final words really surprised me and so did the monster's. Victor's words are basically a warning to an ambitious explorer like Walton. Since victor found out what dangerous knowledge and ambition lead to, he wants to warn Walton. "Seek happiness in tranquillity, and avoid ambition even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries. yet why do i say this? I have myself been blasted in these hopes yet another may succeed (162)." Victor basically wants to make sure that no other human makes the same mistake that he has made. Victor still believes that he was the most miserable being on earth and his hatred towards the monster was strong even on his death bed.

The monster's words however are very different. The monster contradicts what Victor has said and argued that he was more miserable. "My agony was still superior to thine (166)." I agree with the monster that his agony was way more than Victor's because the monster had complete isolation. The monster also states that, " I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly, and exult in the agony of the torturing flames. The light of that conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds (166)." The fact that the monster uses flames to describe his death is very important. Fire and represented knowledge and discovery which is what the monster himself is; he is also discovery. If he destroys himself, he has taken that knowledge away. The light or knowledge of his existence will, "fade away," as he said. The last part of that quote shows how nature is triumphant in the end. the sea sweeping the monsters ashes symbolizes nature taking back what is rightfully hers, the power of creation.

Isolation

12. what is the difference between demon and daemon?

According to dictionary.com, a daemon a god and a demon is an evil spirit. In my interpretation, daemon is a guardian, much like God is considered our guardian on earth. I believe that Mary Shelley did not use the latter meaning of demon because she sympathised with the monster. I don't believe that the monster was actually evil. If given a chance and if loved, the monster would have made a great guardian. One quote from the book proves the monster to be considered a guardian rather than an evil spirit. "I trembled and my heart failed within me, when on looking up, I saw by the light of the moon, the daemon at the casement (121). This quote is important because it shows the monster in a new light even if Victor does not see it. It is when Victor is trembling that he shows up and when he does show up an image of a light occurs. when someone sees a light in times of trouble, they feel hope, yet in this situation Victor feels horror. Because Victor basically neglected his child, his daemon ultimately became a demon.

4. How does nature lead to human happiness?

In this novel, the presence of nature leads to rational thought. This rational thought was missing when Victor created his first monster because the presence of nature was also missing. Victor was locked in isolation. He rarely left his apartment; he only went out to get his materials. Because Victor did not let nature in, he was not able to ponder the consequences of his creation. He only cared about his glory. If he had thought about how his creation would have interacted with the world, he might not have created his monster. The lack of nature in the first part of the book led to disaster. A creature was created, with no connection to the world nor did he have any love from his creator.

When given another chance to create a creature, the only thing that was different, was the presence of nature. Instead of constantly locking himself in a room, Victor took long walks by the lake. He states, "at these moments I took refuge in the most perfect solitude. I passed whole days on the lake alone in a little boat, watching the clouds and listening to the rippling of the waves, silent and listless. But the fresh air and bright sun seldom failed to restore me to some degree of composure (108)." The serenity of nature allowed Victor to really think about what he was doing so that he would not make the same mistake he did with his first creation.

6. Trace light imagery. What are the connotations of light?

In this novel, light represents knowledge and discovery. Victor's goal or the goal of any scientist is to reach this light of discovery and reveal it to the world. This light is also portrayed as dangerous since Victor tried to gain too much of it or the knowledge, it led to destruction. Victor even said the "life and death appeared to [him] ideal bounds, which [he] shout break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world (32)." Victor believed that by shedding the light of knowledge into his dark world, that he could create change. Victor was entering a forbidden zone as he tried this because, there is only so much light or knowledge that a human can obtain. Any further knowledge could lead to disaster as Victor has found out the hard way. Victor finally discovered this light when he created his creature. When a light is shown, Victor sees his monster. "By the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open (35)." This portrayed an image of discovery. Light is associated with discovery in this image, as the creatures eyes open, Victor has fulfilled his goal of pouring "a torrent of light into his dark world."

Even Victor's creation realized the wonders and dangers of light during his first moments in this world. While Simon tells Victor of his adventures, he tells Victor of his first encounter with fire. He saw it as a beautiful thing; he says, "soon a gentle light stole over the heavens, and gave me a sensation of pleasure (71)." He quickly found it to be dangerous, "In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain (72)." This image suggests that knowledge is a good thing but when one gets too into it, it can cause danger. The fire gives warmth but when one touches it, one gets burned.

9. What does it mean to be human?

The characters in this novel are blind to the fact that the "monster" so to speak, has more human qualities, than the regular humans. Although he was made in an unnatural way, his humanity is more natural than that of many of the characters in this book. In my opinion, to be human is to possess the ability to reason. Another human quality is the ability to gain more knowledge, whether it's about ourselves or the world. We are always asking ourselves, where did we come from? who am I? Why am I here? Another very important aspect of being human is having moral behavior. We know when something is right or wrong and we sometimes act against the wrong act. All of these characteristics differ us form the animal race. Animals do not weild these characteristics and that is what makes them animals. Animals can not reason with each other, nor do they ask themselves where they came from. They just go through life as nature intended. The monster, I'll call him Simon, possess all of these characteristics until he is tainted by the so called human race. Simon's ability to reason is portrayed when he encounters with Victor for the second time. As Victor sees him he call him a devil, but Simon remains calm and tries to reason with Victor. He says, "If you will comply with my conditions, I will leave them and you at peace (68)." He says this in a calm manner yet Victor still attacked him like a vicious animal. Victor's "rage was without bounds; [he] sprang on him (68)." The creature who looks more like an animal is acting more human than the actual human.

Simon also possess the ability to gain more knowlege. Much like a human being, he asked himself, " My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destinaition? (91)"

Simon also engages in a moral act when he saves the young girl from drowning. From what I have read, this so called monster is more human than even the humans in this novel. The only thing that makes him unhuman to others is his appearance.

7. Why can't ordinary humans accept the being's appearance?

Ordinary humans cannot accept the being's appearance because they are not used to it. Even the monster's creator, Victor could not stand to look at his creation. It should be his baby, yet it's his evil monster. Right when the being opened his eyes, Victor calls it a "catastrophe," and "wretch (35)." Later, even before hearing the monster's side of the story, he calls him a devil. On page 73 when the monster finds a hut, his presence causes an old man to scream and run away in fear because of his appearance. Even the villagers run away in fear upon seeing the monster. They cannot accept his appearance because they have never seen a being of his stature and appearance. Ignorance breeds fear and hatred and that is exactly what is going on with the humans. When they do not know something or don't understand it, they fear it, and fear leads to hatred.

13. What is a monster?

In my opinion a monster is a being that does very immoral things, such as raping or killing a person. We see monsters everyday in our streets and in our homes. A monster could be a person who physically abuses another or a date raper. Even though monsters are seen in TV or in movies as having huge statures or very ugly, there are monsters that are human. In the book Frankenstein, the "monster" was automatically branded a monster because of his appearance. I looked up in the dictionary the definition of a monster and it stated that a monster was any creature so ugly or monstrous as to frighten people. Because of this definition, Frankenstein's monster was automatically declared a monster because he did indeed instill fear because he was so ugly. I do not believe that monstrosity is on the surface. It is in the personality and in the way a person treats others. Frankenstein's monster only treated others with kindness but he got hatred back. For example on page 101 when he demonstrated an act of kindness toward the girl who was drowning, he received pain in return. He shouted, "I had saved a human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone (101)." When a being only receives hatred, it is not surprising that that being would actually turn into a monster, as the monster did. The only name that we are given to Frankenstein's creation is monster because that is what he is branded even at his birth.