This video gives an overall summary of Frankenstein and the impact that it had on society.
Foreshadowing
Throughout Frankenstein there are many examples of foreshadowing. In the beginning of the novel, Walton writes to his sister that he wants to travel to North Pole. Since this is a frame story, his determination to discover the secrets of the Earth foreshadows Frankenstein's actions later in the novel. Much later, after Frankenstein had already created the monster, his brother was murdered. "...the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of two of my fellow beings." Here, Frankenstein had foreshadowed the death of Justine Moritz because only his brother had died. Victor also foreshadowed the death of Henry Clerval by speaking about his character in the past tense.
Allusions
Many allusions are made in Frankenstein. These include but are not limited to The Divine Comedy, The Vicar of Wakefield, Orlando Furioso, Paradise Lost, and Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Shelley makes these references to further enhance her story and provide another level of analysis. For example, she alludes to Rime of the Ancient Mariner because the main character of the story parallel's Victor Frankenstein. The main character felt that it was necessary to tell others his story, as did Frankenstein. Shelley also alludes to the story of Prometheus in the title of her book. The Greek mythological figure Prometheus created man, and was punished eternally for it. This greatly foreshadows the pain and suffering Frankenstein would have to endure.
Symbols
Two of the most prominent symbols in the novel are light as enlightenment and fire being a destructive but necessary force. However, one of the symbols that I found to be more interesting was sickness being a symbol of guilt. Right after he created the monster and saw his friend Henry Clerval, he fell incredibly ill. This also happened much later in the novel when Victor was arrested for the murder Henry Clerval and became sick in prison. The last time Frankenstein fell ill was at the end of the book where he eventually gave in and died from his sickness. Shelley does this to show the effects of guilt on a person, which ties in perfectly to her theme of how people cannot keep secrets from everyone, especially when it affects your loved ones.
Themes
As mentioned above, one of the major themes in Frankenstein is that people cannot keep secrets from their loved ones. Victor did everything he could to keep his secret from his family, and he ended up ruining his life. If he had told at least one other person, they might have been able to help him or at least give him some advice on what to do with the monster. Another major theme in the novel is dangerous knowledge. Frankenstein and Walton were both pursuing knowledge that was not intended for people to gain, Frankenstein finding the secret of life and Walton finding the secrets of the Earth. This is one of the strongest themes in the book because it has managed to remain relevant for centuries and almost predict the horrors of the atomic bomb.
Allegory
Frankenstein could be considered as an allegory of the making of the atomic bomb. After scientists from the United States had created the atomic bomb, they immediately regretted it. Just like Frankenstein, these scientists realized the horrible mistake they had made. They also created something that they could not control. No one could have foreseen the tragedies that ensued following the creation of the bomb. This parallels Frankenstein's actions in the novel; how he had no control whatsoever of the monster and how it destroyed everything that was important to him. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are similar to the deaths of Victor's brother, Henry, and Elizabeth.
Archetype
Several archetypes are present throughout Frankenstein. One of the most prominent archetypes present is that of the transcendent hero, which in this case is Victor. A transcendent hero is the hero of a tragedy whose fatal flaw leads to his demise. This hero also has some sort of revelation in the story that transforms their outlook on life. Based on this definition, Victor is a transcendent hero because he is the main character of a tragedy and his flaw of sacrificing anything to gain knowledge eventually brings about his downfall. He also has a an epiphany that knowledge is not worth sacrificing everything for, and he feels the need to impart this wisdom on Walton when he realizes that Walton was doing the same thing he had done. There is also the archetype of the journey in search of knowledge present in the book. Both Walton and Frankenstein share this quest for knowledge, with Walton's journey being a literal journey and Frankenstein's being more of a pursuit of God-like knowledge.
Catastrophe
The catastrophe in Frankenstein is simply the point at which Frankenstein dies. At that moment he had suffered significant defeat by the monster, with the death of his brother, father, wife, and friend. All of these deaths resulted from his creation, and when he was found by Walton, Frankenstein eventually gave up and died. His death symbolized his defeat, not only his defeat battling the monster, but his defeat as a creator. He had great examples of what a good parent should be like, however he failed to be one because of his shallow attitude.
Characterization
Shelley did a perfect job characterizing the characters in Frankenstein. She not only gave full, detailed descriptions of every character, but she also gave different views on certain characters by using different narrators. Shelley made Frankenstein seem like a mad-scientist through the narration of Walton and like a man with a deep passion and curiosity of the sciences. Even though Frankenstein tried to portray himself as a kind, benevolent creator who just made a simple mistake, he ended up sounding like a shallow, prideful man. He judged everyone by the way they looked before finding out what kind of person they are. Victor praised his sister for her beauty, and when he first met her he considered her to be this sweet and innocent little girl. He even did this with his professors, because somehow their looks paralleled their personality. Frankenstein's monster was an incredibly realistic character because it reacted like anyone else would if they were in its position. The only person that could possibly have accepted it, its creator, rejected it immediately upon its creation. This creature went its entire existence not being loved by anyone or anything, and it rightfully blamed its creator. When Frankenstein died however, the monster wept over his death because it always had conflicting feelings of loving the person who brought you into the world and hating them for giving you a horrible existence.
This video goes into great detail analyzing the character Victor Frankenstein and what made him create the monster and why he could not handle it.
Tone
The tone in Frankenstein follows a specific pattern. From the beginning of Victor's narration of events, the tone mirrors how he felt at that particular moment he is talking about. His tone is joyous when he talked about his perfect upbringing, depressing and shocking when he talks about the tragic events of his life, and angry and remorseful when he talks about his creation. These tones come in waves, where at one moment he is happy reminiscing about his childhood or a trip he took and shocked and depressed the next chapter when a tragic event ensues. Shelley also uses different tones to express her dislike for Victors character and to make the reader sympathize for the monster more.
Epic Characteristics
Frankenstein contains many of the characteristics of an epic like the Epic of Gilgamesh or the Odyssey. To begin with, the hero of the story is important and almost legendary. If Victor's story got out, he would have been considered one of the most profound and intelligent scientists of history. The setting of the story also spans several countries, including Germany, Switzerland, and the area near the North Pole. Frankenstein's creation of the monster and Walton's journey to the North Pole were intended to be great acts of valor, however both of them ended poorly. The supernatural forces involved in the novel were not gods and goddesses, however fate played a major role in the events of the story. It was fate that brought Walton and Frankenstein together; without Frankenstein Walton would not have learned that his pursuit of knowledge was not worth the sacrifices he was willing to make.
Simile
In Frankenstein there are numerous instances in which Shelley used similes. She used them mainly to add to the imagery and tone of the moment. For example, "Sir Isaac Newton is said to have avowed that he felt like a child picking up shells beside the great and unexplored ocean of truth." This is a quote from Walton and it illustrates exactly what he was feeling when he was exploring the north. Walton felt a great sense of awe and wonder just thinking about the North Pole, and is expressing the childlike curiosity and enthusiasm towards finding out the other secrets of the Earth.
Metaphor
Shelley also uses metaphors in order to accurately describe people or things. An example of this would be "harmony was the soul of our companionship." In this quote Victor is describing the relationship with his sister, which is ostensibly one of understanding and compassion. He is trying to describe his relationship as being harmonious; where he and Elizabeth fit together perfectly like two notes in a chord. However, Victor's shallowness proved that their relationship was not as strong as he thought it was, because if they were truly in "harmony" with one another he would have told Elizabeth about his creation at some point.
Hamartia
Frankenstein's hamartia or tragic flaw was his obsessive curiosity with the secrets of science and life. This compounded with his shallow mentality and pride consumed his morality and forward thinking. If he was not so obsessed with the secret of life, he would not have even tried to bring something to life. If he was not so consumed with pride he would not have tried to bring an intelligent and strong humanoid creature back to life. He could have chosen something much more small and harmless, like a frog or rodent. Victor also would not have kept his mistake a secret if he was not as prideful, for if he had told anyone about his troubles he could have gained a different perspective on what he should do. If he were not as shallow he might have been able to accept the monster, which would have prevented all of the horrible things the creature did to get revenge on Frankenstein.
Invocation
While invocations are typical for epics such as the Odyssey or the Epic of Gilgamesh, they can also be found in Frankenstein. "Wandering spirits, if indeed ye wander, and do not rest in your narrow beds, allow me this faint happiness, or take me, as your companion, away from the joys of life." This quote is from Victor, where he is calling upon the spirits to save him from his troubles. Based on this one can conclude that Shelley could have used the character Frankenstein as a social commentary. Even though Victor is not a very religious person and he created all of his issues, he has the gall to call upon the spirits to help him.
Irony
There are many examples of irony in the novel. One example is how the monster saved people's lives or helped others in some way. This is ironic because no one would have expected any good to come from the monster, especially after it was shunned by its creator. One would not have predicted that it would do more good than Frankenstein ever did, because he was raised by a loving family and the creature raised itself.
Dramatic Irony
One of the cases of dramatic irony in Frankenstein occurred when Victor met up with Henry right after Victor had created his monster. Shortly after meeting Henry, he fell incredibly ill. Henry nursed Victor back to health like any friend would, however Henry did not know the cause of his malady. While it did not directly state so, the most likely cause of Victor's illness was the sheer amount of guilt and regret he felt for bringing into the world a beast with unknown strength and intelligence. Another instance of dramatic irony happens when the monster told Victor that it would be with him on his wedding night. Victor assumed that his creation would try to kill him but it ended up murdering his beloved wife instead.
Tragic Irony
Tragic irony, or dramatic irony in a tragedy, occurs several times throughout the book. One example of this is that Frankenstein did not know that his creation loved him and just wanted someone to love it back. Right after Victor brought his experiment to life, it acted like a baby that wanted to be with its parent. However, Frankenstein was too appalled to recognize that what he created was capable of feeling emotion. It only lashed out at Victor because it was deeply hurt. However, this created a cycle of Frankenstein getting angry with the beast and hurting it and the monster getting back at Victor. If Frankenstein knew what his creature felt, he might have treated it better and avoided his ultimate demise.
Plot
The overall plot of Frankenstein is as follows: It begins as a frame story with Walton writing letters to his sister about him trying to locate the North Pole in a ship. He meets a man named Frankenstein who was searching for some beast. As they get to know each other, Frankenstein sees himself in Walton and feels compelled to tell him his life story as a warning to not sacrifice everything for knowledge. He tells Walton about his childhood in Geneva and how he was always fascinated with science. Eventually, he went to the university in Ingolstadt to learn natural philosophy. Within a few years he mastered what his professors had taught him and became fascinated with the secret to life. One day, he thought that he figured it out and proceeded to look for body parts to put together. He created an eight feet tall monstrosity that he could not accept. He shunned it, which caused it to become angry with him and destroy everything he loved and cared about. The story ends with Frankenstein's death upon Walton's ship, followed by the monster mourning the death of its creator.
Crisis
The crisis, or turning point in the story, happens when Frankenstein destroyed the mate he was making for his original creation. He had the choice of appeasing the monster by giving it something that could love it and keep it company, or destroying it to avoid making another "mistake." Since Victor chose the latter, it propelled him down the path of eternal pain and suffering. If he had chosen to make the female counterpart to his creature, he could have lived a peaceful life afterwards. The monster would have forgiven Victor for what he had done to him in the past and left him and his loved ones alone. This is arguably the most crucial point in the story.
Complications
The first complication in Frankenstein is when Victor creates the monster and runs away from it. He did not even try to accept his creation, which in turn caused the monster to want to get revenge on its creator. The next few complications arose from the beast exacting its revenge on Frankenstein by killing his younger brother. This resulted in the death of Justine Moritz, who was completely innocent, which in turn made Victor want to get back at his creation. Later, when he was making the mate for his original creation, Victor contributed to the conflict by destroying it. This angered the monster to the point where it killed Frankenstein's friend Henry and his wife.
Setting
The novel starts out on a ship heading towards the North Pole at some point in the eighteenth century. Later, when Frankenstein begins narrating, the location switches to Geneva, Switzerland at least thirty years earlier. This is where Frankenstein grew up, which to his description was a beautiful and simple place. Several years later he moved to the university in Ingolstadt, Germany. Victor did not describe this area with as much enthusiasm as he did Geneva, but nonetheless this was an important area and time in his life. After the death of Frankenstein's brother the location changed again to Geneva, specifically the mountains. By the end of the story, the narration is picked up again by Walton with the corresponding setting of a ship near the North Pole.
Climax
The climax of Frankenstein is when Elizabeth is murdered by the monster. The suspense started building after Victor destroyed the monsters mate and told him that it would be with him on his wedding night. Victor's anxiety began to rise and continued to do so when Henry Clerval was murdered. By the night of his wedding, the reader is filled with horrific excitement as they believe that Frankenstein is about to be murdered. However, in a sudden twist of events, Elizabeth is killed by the monster. This released a lot of pent up emotion from all of the foreshadowing Shelley did, and is the point of highest emotional intensity.
DEnoument
Protagonist
The protagonist of the book is Victor Frankenstein. Shelley made Frankenstein the tragic hero, however the reader ends up having more sympathy towards the monster. She achieved this mainly by having Victor have a shallow mentality when it came to judging other people. He always described how beautiful Elizabeth was and how ugly professor Krempe was. Victor loved Elizabeth more than anyone, and Krempe was the only professor that he disdained. Somehow, throughout all of Victor's narration, he grouped people into three categories: beautiful and good, neutral, and ugly and evil. The most important people in Frankenstein's life fell into the category of beautiful and good. Some people were neutral, however anyone that was ugly to Victor was considered bad or evil. The only reason why Victor hated his creation was because he created something horrifically ugly.
Antagonist
Frankenstein's creation is the antagonist in the novel because it is what Victor, the main character, is fighting against. It causes all of the conflicts directly, however the responsibility falls upon its creator. Although it is the antagonist, Shelley makes the reader feel sympathy towards it. All the monster wanted was for someone to love it and accept it, but it was shunned by everyone, even its creator. The creature even saved people's lives, and it still received hatred from everyone that saw it. Frankenstein's creation serves as a perfect foil to himself. Frankenstein is a shallow person that had a great upbringing, and he would do anything to gain the knowledge he wanted. On the other hand, his creation had to raise itself and be constantly loathed by anyone it came in contact with, and it somehow did more good than Frankenstein did in his life.
Satire
Shelley satirized many things throughout Frankenstein, but she satirized shallow people the most. The majority of the conflict arose from a man who completely judged people based on their appearance. If Frankenstein had not shunned his creation because it was ugly he would have lived a relatively happy life. Shelley wanted people to be more aware of how they treat others, especially those who have a physical issue that they cannot change.