Connect How to Read Literature like a Professor

To Frankenstein
Using the table below, write a chapter summary in the center column for the corresponding chapter of Thomas Foster‟s How to Read
Literature like a Professor (HTRLLAP). In the right column, consider how the chapter provides insight into Mary Shelley‟s Frankenstein.
Provide support for and explain your connection to the novel. You are to include at least one quotation from Frankenstein in each Connection
response (including MLA style citations). Type your answers directly into the chart (you may expand the boxes) and save electronically to be
uploaded to turnitin.com.
HTRLLAP HTRLLAP Summary Frankenstein Connection
Chapter
Chapter 1: Every journey is a quest and contains the follow five The story within a story within a story set up of Frankenstein
“Every Trip is requirements: a quester, a place to go, a stated reason parallels the three different questers in Frankenstein: Walton‟s
a Quest” for the quest, challenges along the way, and a real quest, Frankenstein‟s quest, and the monster‟s quest.
reason. The real reason is always self-knowledge Walton is seeking the North Pole for scientific advancement when
knowledge. By the end of the novel the stated goal is his ship becomes trapped in ice, preventing him from continuing his
not even important to the quester or the reader. quest. As a result of this delay, he learns that a worthier goal is
human connection and that if he continues farther into the North,
his men will more than likely perish.
Frankenstein, the second quester, is a classic Romantic hero. His
quest is to discover the elixir of life as he desires to expose all of
nature‟s secrets and further scientific knowledge. However,
Frankenstein believes that science holds the answer to the mysteries
of life when really, what makes someone human is their humanity:
emotions, sympathies, friendship, and most of all, love. The
challenge in Frankenstein‟s quest is simply himself. His own ego
and near sightedness prevent him from assuming responsibility for
his creation, telling the truth, and expressing sympathy. It is not
until Victor is on his deathbed that he realizes his mistake lay in
misguided thoughts. He tells Walton to “‟seek happiness in
tranquility” instead of “ambition” (193). However in the very next
sentence he has hope that maybe another will succeed in advancing
scientific knowledge. Victor‟s speech to the sailors on continuing
their search for the North Pole reinforces the notion that Victor
never learned his lesson (191).
Victor and Walton both are in the pursuit of scientific knowledge.
The North Pole was previously thought to harbor a paradise and
was the subject of much mystery. Walton put his scientific

Chapter 6: Shakespeare‟s eminent name is ubiquitous
“When in throughout the world. His works cover a
doubt,…” tremendously expansive range of topics. By
borrowing from the Bard, writers can add depth to
their works and build upon already established ideas.
The reader should look for connections to any of
Shakespeare‟s plays. This will enrich the
understanding of the text.
One of his most famous plays, Hamlet, contains a
heroic character hung up on indecision and
procrastination. The theme of the novel is revenge.
Henry IV follows one boy‟s journey into adulthood
as he must reach maturity to become king. Othello is
a tale of jealousy. The Merchant of Venice is about
justice and mercy. King Lear is composed the
following people: an aging parent, greedy children,
and a wise fool.
ambitions above his relationship with his sister, which the reader
glimpses through his letters. Though Walton wants to finish his
journey, his longing for human connection ultimately prevails.
Frankenstein on the other hand fails in gaining this enlightenment;
he becomes a tragic hero.
The third quester, the nameless monster, is the opposite of Walton
and Victor. His noble quest led him to depressing knowledge on the
ugly truth of society. His quest is emotional as it is with Romantic
heroes; he desires a human companionship. Nothing would make
him happier than to fit in with the rest of society. He faces many
challenges, far more than the other questers. First, his physical
deformity prevents him from bonding with any human. Then Victor
refuses to make him a bride. The monster also becomes a tragic
hero as his once revered quest is perverted into revenge. At his
creator‟s death, the monster exclaims “‟I was nourished with high
thoughts of honour and devotion. But now crime has degraded me
beneath the meanest animal‟” (196). The monster learns that it was
society that made him a monster, not Victor.
Shakespeare‟s The Tempest contains two characters that relate to
Mary Shelly‟s novel; Caliban, a half human half beast monster, and
Sycorax, his creator. Obviously, the monster resembles Caliban and
Sycorax is Frankenstein. Caliban learned language and religion
from Miranda and Prospero just as the monster gleaned knowledge
from the peasants. In further resemblance to The Tempest, Caliban
is then discarded by Prospero and Miranda and becomes regarded at
complete vile. The monster in Frankenstein suffers a similar fate as
he is considered an uncouth cretin because of his countenance. His
own creator rejects him as soon as the monster is brought to life.
The monster later recalls this saying, “‟All men hate the wretched;
how then, must I be hated, whom am miserable beyond all living
things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to
whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of
one of us.‟” (81). Caliban is the archetypal monster that is strikingly
reflected in the unnamed monster in Frankenstein.
Also, the theme of magic in The Tempest parallels the theme of

Chapter 9: A myth is defined as a story that has gravitas. Since
“It’s Greek to myths were imagined in order to explain every day
Me” phenomena, mythology is deeply connected to the
human psyche. Authors borrow from mythology to
add depth and meaning to their writings. There is
only one story after all, so why not steal from the
great?
One of the most famous works of Greek literature is
The Iliad. The Iliad follows the story of Achilles who
stops fighting in the Trojan War because his
promised wife his stolen by Agamemnon, only to
rejoin once his friend, Patroclus perishes. As
revenge, Achilles stole Agamemnon‟s woman. When
analyzing a text, look for the following themes: Men
in battle to gain control of a woman. A seemingly
indestructible man with a minute weakness and a
need to keep his dignity. A wife‟s struggle to remain
faithful to her true love. A man‟s desire to keep his
untamed science in Frankenstein. Prospero, the rational magician,
contrasts Sycorax, who is evil and uncontrolled. Victor is similar to
Sycorax through his maligned scientific ambition. His quest
overstepped the boundaries of man as he attempted to play God.
Prospero is a foil to Sycorax just as Walton is a foil to Victor. The
purpose of this foil is to illuminate that not all science is evil.
Walton‟s quest is just and would benefit all of mankind. He did not
keep his quest hidden from the world as Victor did, nor was his
ultimate motivation power as Victor wanted.
Another of Shakespeare‟s comedies, A Midsummer Night’s Dream¸
can be related to Frankenstein. The fairies mischief with a love
potion is hilarious in the setting of a play, but The Bard is definitely
discussing a serious topic. Magic can be far too wild for man to
control, as seen in this play. Keeping with the connection
established from The Tempest, Mary Shelly borrowed the theme of
magic and made it relevant to her novel by substituting science.
Victor‟s scientific pursuit caused mayhem throughout Geneva.
In Mary Shelly‟s preface to the novel, she outright states that she
used The Iliad as a source to write Frankenstein. That being said,
there are a myriad of parallels between the two texts. To begin,
Walton is the equivalent of Homer. Walton is on a ship, just as
most of Homer‟s characters are fishermen. Also in relation to
homer, Walton is the medium through which the story is told. His
letters are actually the entirety of Frankenstein, so he is essentially
the writer. Within the story however, there are striking similarities
to The Iliad. The monster is modeled after Achilles. They both are
superhumanly strong men with a weakness; the monster‟s being his
human compassion. Since the monster is Achilles, and Agamemnon
is the leader of Achilles, which makes Victor Agamemnon. With
that established, the similarities unfold themselves. Achilles/the
monster rebels against his leader/creator after his wife is stolen/is
not created. Achilles then steals his leader‟s woman just as the
monster kills Victor‟s wife. When Achilles‟s friend is killed in the
war, Achilles returns as the hero to fight. Following the template of
Achilles, the monster realizes that he is responsible for the deaths of
family safe.
Another classic Greek element is the Underworld. It
is a representation of the supreme challenge or the
darkest parts of the human psyche. Ovid‟s
Metamorphoses contains elements of transformation
which are resonated throughout literature. Oedipus is
yet another Greek myth that is popular. It tells the
tale of dysfunctional family relationships and
blindness. The term oedipal complex is derived from
this famous work to describe a man that is in love
with his mother.
Victor‟s friends, The monster exclaims, “‟I, who irretrievably
destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst. Alas! He is cold, he
cannot answer me‟” (194). At this epiphany, the monster heroically
commits suicide.
Shelly also briefly references the Underworld when she has Victor
cross a lake. She describes this particular lake in great detail, saying
“vivid flashes of lightening” made the lake “appear like a vast sheet
of fire” (59). Upon crossing this lake, Victor encounters his
monster. The lake is almost certainly the lake of fire one must cross
to encounter Lucifer in Hell. The monster is Victor‟s Lucifer: he is
the embodiment of the evils of scientific pursuit and his guilty
conscience.
As far as Mythology is concerned, Victor‟s tragic fall is most
similar to the fall of Icarus. Victor‟s Daedalus is both his biological
father and his scholarly professor, as the two warn him against the
dangers of his studies. His father reprimands Victors telling him to
“‟not waste your time upon this; it is sad trash” (24). Even Nature,
as it is a divine power, cautions Victor with the strike of lightening
on the tree (27). But Victor persists in following Cornelius
Agrippa, the outdated alchemist, just as Icarus ignores his father‟s
wisdoms and died because of his careless capriciousness. It‟s very
important to note that Icarus could have died in two scenarios:
flying too high or too low. Victor “flew too high,” over stepping the
limits of science. However, he also could have “flown too low.”
Although Frankenstein is advocating precaution in science, it does
not push for complete scientific abandonment. Victor says to
Henry, “‟How could you suppose that my first thought would not
fly towards those dear, dear friends whom I love and who are so
deserving of my love?” (47). Shelly purposely uses the word fly to
connect Victor‟s quest to Icarus‟s flight. Victor‟s statement here is
ironic though, as he does not safely fly to his loved ones, but flies
upwards (North symbolism, continued in the geography section).
Most importantly, Shelly‟s subtitle is moliminous to the
understanding of Frankenstein In Greek mythology, Prometheus is
a man who stole fire from the gods to give to mankind. Shelly‟s
Prometheus is Victor Frankenstein; the man who stole the power to

Chapter 10: The connotations of rain are rooted in history. In the
“It’s More beginning of civilization, rain was the source of life.
than Just Rain Without rain, crops perished and people died.
or Snow” Biblically, rain is symbolic of a restart. God flooded
the Earth and killed off every human except for
Noah. Authors use rain for several reasons. First, it
can be used as a plot device. Rain brings about dark
clouds and has many ominous connotations, so it can
be used to create an atmosphere. Rain can also be
used to challenge the characters in spite of the
downpour. Politically, the rain can represent equality
throughout all the people as it falls on the just and
unjust equally.
When it rains, all the dirt and grime is washed away,
leaving being a cleaner world. Authors know this and
use it in their texts. Symbolically, they can utilize
rain to describe purification or baptism. As stated
earlier, rain is necessary for life and without it, the
earth suffers. Therefore rain can act as a restoring
power, bringing life upon the earth. In the opposite
sense, rain can bring about destruction and illness.
Rainbows are a sign of hope, peace, and tranquility.
After God flooded the world, he brought about a
rainbow as a promise to never do it again. A rainbow
can mean a treaty between the heavens or nature‟s
create life from Nature. Instead of claiming Victor as a hero, she
depicts him as a villain. Just as Titan is punished for his crime,
Victor suffers immensely through the murders of his relations,
anxiety, and isolation. Shelly‟s purpose in linking Victor to Titan is
to further her thesis that men are imperfect and overstep their
boundaries at times, resulting is irrevocable consequences.
Finally, the second bit of Mythology that can be related to
Frankenstein is the tale of Pandora‟s box. Victor‟s creation, once
born, instantaneously wreaked havoc on Victor, his relations, and
the rest of Geneva. The monster could not be controlled just as
Pandora‟s box, once opened, cannot be reset.
Mary Shelly personified storms as nature‟s divine will. The
absolute power and strength of a storm illuminated man‟s utter lack
of control of natural law. In Frankenstein, rain is utilizes mainly as
a foreshadowing device. Because Victor overstepped his boundary
of a human and tried to assume God‟s role, nature rebelled against
him. It was raining when the monster was brought to life. Mary
Shelly writes, “I did not dare return to the apartment which I
inhabited, but felt impelled to hurry on, although drenched by the
rain which poured from a black and comfortless sky” (44). The
imagery and tone of this sentence obviously creates a sinister
connotation to rain, which is threaded throughout the entire text. A
storm was approaching when Victor first saw his creation after it
escaped (59). Rain suddenly erupted from the sky just before
Elizabeth‟s murder (172). All of these examples stay true to the
analogy set up in the beginning of the text.
 will and the earth.
Fog is a device used for confusion, as fog clouds the
vision in a literal sense. The confusion can be ethical,
mentally, or literally.
Snow, while similar to rain, can have a separate
meaning. Snow is white and has connotations with
purity. It blankets the earth so it can be said to give
warmth. For children, snow signals a time to play
and gambol. For animals and plants, snow is
restricting and suffocating.
Chapter 11: Violence generally always has a reason behind it.
“…More than The author will utilize violence to express a thought
it’s Gonna or idea. There are two typed of violence in literature;
Hurt You: character caused and narrative violence. The former
Concerning includes acts such as stabbings, shootings, drowning,
Violence” bombings, etc. The latter describes suffering that is
not the character‟s fault. There is always meaning
behind the death or violence in a novel, but that
meaning must be discovered by the reader. There is
no one connotation or theme to associate with
violence. To gain this skill, readers should ask the
following questions:
“What does this type of misfortune represent
thematically?”
“What famous or mythic death does this one
resemble?”
“Why this sort of violence and not some other?”
Chapter 12: Symbols are ubiquitous throughout literature.
“Is that a Identification is easy, but finding the meaning is
Symbol?” tougher. Only allegories have set in stone meanings,
The monster‟s violence is a result of his suffering and human
injustice. He does not kill because he is a savage beast with no
heart; rather, he murders as a sort of revenge on Victor and in larger
part, society as a whole. The monster proclaims, “‟I too can create
desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry
despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and
destroy him.‟” (122). As seen in this extraction, the monster
justifies his actions and is not a bloodthirsty animal. This example
of violence falls under the “narrative violence” category. Mary
Shelly‟s ultimate message is that the superficial, wrong, and
immoral views of society craft individuals as “monsters.”
Victor„s violence should also be considered in analysis. In
comparison to the monster, he does not kill with brute force, nor is
his violence justifiable. Instead, he causes suffering for his creation
through his neglect. Victor‟s actions against the monster parallel
God‟s responsibility towards humans. The monster‟s pain of
isolation is directly linked with Adam‟s pain. Mary Shelly was in
atheist, so it can be inferred that she is hinting at God‟s
imperfections. He made a mistake in not creating a woman for
Adam, but he corrected himself. Victor makes the mistake of the
century by creating the monster and refusing to create his equal.
Shelly‟s irony here is that God himself isn‟t perfect, and so humans
are nowhere near perfect. This explains how society is flawed.
Mary Shelly‟s most obvious symbol is lightening. Early in the
novel, Victor witnesses a tree struck by lightning. He recalls, “I
never beheld anything so utterly destroyed” (26). Ironically though,
like in Animal Farm. Symbols are different from
allegories because their meaning cannot be reduced
to a simple term, but rather span across several ideas
or themes. Another tricky part to symbols is that fire
in one novel can have the complete opposite meaning
in a different one. To analyze symbols in literature,
one must use “questions, experience, and preexisting
knowledge.” Because every person has read different
texts and has had a unique past, symbols can mean
different things for different people.
Events and actions can be symbols too, not just
things. Do not expect to understand the meaning of a
symbol right off the bat. Take the time to think about
everything you know, recall past stories, and connect
themes from the book.
the same element that “blasted” the tree, utterly eliminating life, is
used to strike the monster to life. So, even though lightening plays a
part in life, it did not create a full living being. The monster was
only half alive, and spent his life in complete misery.
The word “blasted,” used to describe the tree that perished in the
beginning of Frankenstein, is repeated at the end of the text by
victor. He states, “I have myself been blasted in these hopes, yet
another may succeed” (193). This slight reference to lightening is
actually very significant. By connecting himself with the tree,
Victor admits that he has failed and is ultimately dead on the inside.
True to this connection, Victor is symbolically dead as he is
deprived of any human connection.
Nature in Frankenstein is another symbol. Though there is the dark
side of nature, rain, this has already been discussed. The monster
reflects on the duality of nature saying, “I felt sensations of a
peculiar and overpowering nature; they were a mixture of pain and
pleasure” (89). Nature‟s good side is acting as the mother of all and
carries out divine actions. Every time Victor is embracing the
beauty of a mountain or lake, his anxiety is relieved. Victor at one
point states, “The very winds whispered in soothing accents, and
maternal Nature bade me weep no more” (77). Shelly utilizes
Victor to associate nature as a caring mother. The monster receives
Nature‟s aid when he is first out on his own, as foliage sheltered
him and streams provided him with drink (85). This connection on
a deeper level ties into the battle between good and evil; with
science as the enemy to nature, since nature is divine and more
powerful than a mere mortal. Victor goes against nature by playing
God, as stated before. He even admits this when he says, “It was a
most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful
harvest or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage, but my eyes
were insensible to the charms of nature” (39). This blindness
towards nature‟s divine will foreshadows the chaos that will emit
from his actions.
A third symbol in Shelly‟s work is the scientific instruments which
Victor used to create the monster. Once the monster is birthed,
Victor cannot bear the sight of these tools and refuses to even be in
 the same room as them. His instruments represent science and a
whole. It took staring the ugliness of science in the face to see the
horrors of uncontrolled progress, and once that had been done, he
was repulsed by science. He was so repulsed that he drowned all of
his instruments in a lake. The drowning is done behind Nature‟s
back as Victor committed his “crime” when the moon “was
suddenly overspread by a thick cloud.” The instruments had a
“gurgling sound as it sank,” almost as if it was a person. This act
symbolizes the casting off of guilt and refusal of responsibility to
the monster. He will not make a woman for the monster, so he
removes any sort of path to do this.
Yet another symbol is the archetypal light versus darkness. The
monster recalls, “Darkness then came over me and troubled me, but
hardly had I felt this when, by opening my eyes, as I now suppose,
the light poured in upon me again” (84). One can easily discern that
darkness is representative of ignorance and light is knowledge.
Shelly likely continued the theme of light in her novel from the
subtitle, which is a Greek reference. Light and fire is, for this
purpose, the same thing. They both are double edged, as fire can
destroy and provide warmth, and light can illuminate the truth or
blind. Victor was blinded and caused destruction. The monster
discovered the truth about society‟s unjust ways. Victor unleashed a
terrible fire unto Geneva. The monster did not use fire to cook his
food, and therefore stayed clear of destruction. However, as the
novel‟s finale, the monster proclaims, “The light of that
conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea
by the winds” (198). It is no coincidence that Shelly has the
monster burn himself. While it does resemble the Biblical theme of
„ashes to ashes, dust to dust,” it is also a metaphor for the monster‟s
realization that he was produced for unjust reasons. He therefore
burns himself to undo his creator‟s mistake.

Chapter 13: The purpose of incorporating a political element into Frankenstein exposes the horrors of the justice system. Man is
“It’s all a text is to influence the political infrastructure. unfair. The monster knows this and remarks to Victor, “‟Do your
political” Authors generally have an interest in the duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of
environment around them, so most literature has a mankind” (81). Victor will not assume his role to protect his
political aspect to it. Some common political themes
are: gender equality, class warfare, injustice in the
justice system, and culture clashes.
creation just as the government is not assuming its role to protect its
people. Justine‟s unfair trial and execution illuminates how unfair
the justice system actually is. She was not guilty of the murder of
William, but was sentenced to death anyway. Remember that
Justine means “justice;” and ironic play on words by Mary Shelly.
However, the main political aspect of Frankenstein is its overall
feminist message. Shelly employs the use of excessively weak and
one dimensional female characters ironically to comment on the
destructiveness of patriarchal society. Elizabeth represents the
stereotypical female in that time period. She does not desire to
anything beyond being a dutiful housewife, and she has no
ambition of her own. To understand the irony in this portrayal, it is
important to understand that Shelly‟s mom is was radical feminist.
Though Shelly never met her mom, she voraciously read her works
and idolized her mother. It can be assumed that Shelly desired to
follow in her mother‟s footsteps and pursue knowledge. Shelly
actually projects herself into the novel as Safie, the Arabian. Safie
is a unique woman in Frankenstein. She is the only one to defy
male power and refuse to marry her determined husband. Instead
she runs away with her true love and desires to learn the English
language.
Shelly added to her feminist manifesto by thinly veiling
Frankenstein‟s creation as a sort of pregnancy without a woman.
This would be the ultimate shackle upon women. If man could learn
to reproduce without the aid of a woman, then women would be
obsolete. Victor‟s pursuit is a selfish attempt to get rid of the
necessity of a woman. Shelly, being as smart as she is, did not let
Victor succeed. Instead, Victor realized the horror of his creation.
However, Victor is just plain stupid and egocentric. Even after he
gets a slap in the face of Feminism, he still thinks his own opinion
is superior; just because he is male. He aborts the female monster.
Now, Victor justifies the abortion by stating the female monster
may not be controlled (144). Victor extends his chauvinistic views
into his scientific work. He still views women as objects that are
bellow men. On top of that, the monster views women as an object
too. He believes that he can demand a woman and use her for his

Chapter 19: Authors have to pick a place for their story to take
“Geography place. Instead of choosing any random old spot,
really writers have reasons for why their stories are set
matters” where they are. While classically, geography refers
to trees and hills and rivers, it can also refer to the
psychology, attitude, finance, or industry in a text. It
can even be practically any element such as a theme
or symbol.
Chapter 20: Each of the seasons has a general meaning. Spring
“So does associated with youth, fertility, happiness, growth,
own benefit. The monster‟s plan backfires and his wish is not
demanded. Since the monster so often compares himself to Adam,
it is only natural that God is factored into all of this. Adam
demanded a wife, and God fulfilled this. Adam is therefore
reinforcing male superiority. If man is created in God‟s image, then
God himself is anti-feminist. The idea even resonates in the gender
of God. Since the all mighty being is male, then the reasoning that
men follow is that all men are above women. Now, once again,
Mary Shelly is atheist. She is possibly supporting her atheist views
through her logical justification of feminism.
The symbolic meaning of geography within Frankenstein is very
straightforward. The North represents distance from society and
distance from one‟s own emotion and heart. Victor goes through a
huge transformation by the end of the text. The scientist lets his
own failure turn him into a vile man bent on revenge. Victor
becomes more and more distant from his family and friends once
his monster is created. He also becomes exponentially beast-like as
he strays from the things that make someone human; love,
compassion, etc. At one point in Frankenstein, Victor expresses,
“Company was irksome to me… But busy, uninteresting faces
brought back despair to my heart” (137). This is just one of the
many examples of Victor‟s disassociation from his friends and
family.
Victor‟s increasingly psychopathic actions and thoughts are
paralleled by the physical movement of going North. The North has
connotations such as bareness, devoid of life, harsh, unsuitable.
Victor described the region by saying, “the snows thickened and the
cold increased in a degree almost too severe to support” (182). By
going North, Victor is straying further and further away from the
rest of society. He is essentially becoming a monster, as a true
monster is not physically deformed but morally deformed. Victor‟s
revenge is the only thing that kept him alive throughout his journey
North (179). Victor‟s revenge is not just, nor does he try to reason
his actions. He truly is a beast.
Death in any Spring month is definitely ironic. William, a young
boy, dies in May. This blatantly indicates a premature death. The
season” innocence, resurrection, and life. Fall denotes a
slowing down of sorts as winter approaches. This is
when the harvest is collected and either hard labor is
rewarded or laziness punished. Winter is the season
of death. Hibernation, lack of growth, punishment,
and sickly cold are all connotations of Winter.
Christmas however is completely the opposite as it
related to celebration, family, happiness, and
selflessness.
As always, when irony is applied, the meanings are
switched. A death in spring is highly ironic and may
suggest a premature death.
Chapter 21: A mark on the physical exterior can denote an
“Marked for interior moral, emotional, or psychological scar.
Greatness” Even landscapes can be physically damaged to
represent deeper meaning. T.S. Eliot‟s famous poem
The Wasteland depicts a broken landscape to expose
the brutality of war. A physical scar can also cause
emotional scarring because of the functioning of
society. Many fictional characters that are deemed
ugly are in fact noble creatures far more “human”
and capable of love than their foils.
Chapter 22: Blindness in novels has archetypal depth. A person
“He’s blind that is blind is more than likely blind
for a reason, psychologically, morally, or intellectually. Blindness
you know” can also be utilized in an ironic sense. Without the
prejudices of the eyes, the blind can be the only
person that can see. Symbolically, light is linked
with truth and darkness is linked with blindness.
monster is brought into life on “a dreary night of November,”
which draws from the foreboding quality of the approaching Winter
to parallel the horrors about to be unleashed (42). Victor‟s mental
disorder is cured by the “divine spring” that followed thereafter, but
it was only ephemeral (47). The monster‟s early years were spent
adjusting to the nuances of the human world. He observed the
seasons with a childlike curiosity. He noticed that Winter killed
nature‟s beauty and made life difficult for humans. When Spring
came, he was overjoyed and declared the earth “fit habitation for
gods” (96). In this way, the seasons were an introduction into the
cycles of life: birth and death, and rebirth again. The monster even
described death as “a state which I feared yet did not understand”
(101). This fear stemmed from knowledge of the natural cycle of
the earth. Delving further, it can be inferred that Shelly is pointing
out that nature can teach us all the knowledge one desires if it is
respected.
The monster is physically wretched but emotionally pure. His
appearance is rejected by society, so he is forced into isolation. This
deformity is ironic, as the monster‟s foil, Victor, is perfectly human
on the outside but dead on the inside. In fact, the only aspect which
makes the monster a monster his is physical appearance. Victor
described his creation as having “watery eyes” similar to his “dun-
white sockets.” The monster is also portrayed as having a
“shriveled complexion and straight black lips” (43). Naturally, this
would cause fear in a human, as any sort of deformity manifests
fear in the average, normal human being. This, of course, is a flaw
in human nature.
As far as physical blindness goes, De Lacey was a blind man. His
lack of sight allowed him to judge people based on their traits, and
not their countenance. This provided the monster with an
opportunity to establish an amicable bond with a human. De Lacey
even tells the monster that „the hearts of men, when unprejudiced
by any obvious self-interest, are full of brotherly love and charity”
(114). Ironically enough, the monster‟s efforts at friendship are
ruined by the actions of Felix, who can see. This tragic play of
events reinforces Shelly‟s thesis that society crafts “monsters.”
 Those with sight, in this case, Felix, have been taught by society
that physical deformity indicates moral deformity. In the ultimate
ironic twist, it is those with sight that are monsters. They are the
ones with moral imperfections.
Victor is the ultimate morally blind character; as he has enough
blindness to represent society as a whole. Shelly makes Victor so
ignorant of human boundaries and responsibilities to stress the
importance of keeping science in check.
Chapter 25: Every reader has a blind spot. To get past these blind Frankenstein was published in 1818, so it is important to
“Don’t Read spots, a reader must throw himself into the time understand that time period to grasp the novel‟s importance. The
with your period of the text; understanding the historical, Industrial Revolution, a boom in technology, was the major event
Eyes” political, and cultural background. of the 18th and 19th centuries. Now, Shelly, tagging along with the
Romantic writers of that era, was not a passionate advocate of the
revolution. On the contrary, she crafted Frankenstein to warn of the
dangers of the Industrial Revolution. Even though it has been said
before, Frankenstein is a novel about science‟s power to destroy
human life. Shelly did not want to see the human race end because
of an exceedingly hard to control advancement of scientific
knowledge, as it was with the Industrial Revolution. When the
monster exclaims in his final monologue, “and if yet, in some mode
unknown to me, thou hadst not ceased to think and feel, thou
wouldst not desire against me a vengeance greater than which I
feel,” he is really being used a medium for Shelly‟s warning to
mankind (198). In plain English, the monster is remarking that if
Victor had not let his ambition drive him away from his emotions,
sympathies, and care that make him human, he would not have
faced the suffering from his mistake. In relation to the Industrial
Revolution, if humans did not overstep their boundaries and make
huge progresses in science that meddled with the natural way of
things, then terrible consequences would not arise.