An Evaluation of Frankenstein

Frankenstein: An Example of Strong Characters and Intriguing Theme in Literature

The novel, Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is an important piece of English literature because it gave birth to the mad scientist archetype, which would later lead to the creation of many other fictional characters who would also push the limits of what is right and wrong. Frankenstein’s success can be attributed to multiple factors, but it’s greatest achievements lie in the complexity of its characters and in its enthralling themes of creation, morality, and prejudice that are present throughout the novel. In addition, Shelley showcases her skill as a writer through the use of a clever narrative structure and an immaculate allusion to Greek mythology, allowing these two aspects to shine even more.

Throughout the novel, Shelley includes lots of characterization for the three narrators so that by the end, the reader can sympathize with each of them, as all three undergo a tragedy by the end of their journey. Victor’s character is the most fleshed out as the reader sees him go from a passionate and ambitious young man to a morally compromised mad scientist and lastly to a vengeful grief-stricken man. His journey is parallel to Prometheus’ who in Greek mythology is credited for the creation of man, but is ultimately tortured  by Zeus for returning fire to humans. In the novel, Victor is the “Modern Prometheus” because he cheats nature by creating life, consequently leading to his suffering. His suffering as a result of his good intentions are what lead the reader to sympathize with him. The creature’s character arc begins optimistically until it reaches its inevitable tragedy when Victor refuses to grant him happiness after he is rejected by Felix’s family. Shelley creates such a complex character in the creature that the reader finds himself having a hard time deciding on whether to side with him because he is alienated or whether to side against him because of how malicious he demonstrates he can be through his murders. Lastly, Shelley decides not to give Walton’s character much to do, but she does provide him with sufficient characterization. He is seen to be very ambitious and glory-driven, however he lacks true friendship. Ultimately, his character arc also ends with a tragedy because he does not pursue his quest for a new route to the Pacific and because his newly found friend dies. This tragedy helps the reader make an emotional connection to Walton as well. To properly convey the dynamics between characters and their complexities, Shelley uses a clever narrative structure where there is a story within a story. By giving each character a portion of the book to narrate, the reader understands every decision they make and feels every emotion they feel. Seeing the story from each character’s perspective thus allows the reader to sympathize with them, as they are each the victim of their own story.

Another driving force behind the success of Frankenstein, is the richness of its themes. The central theme of the novel is creation and how morality is intertwined in it. When Victor prepares to create the creature, he realizes that “a new species would bless [him] as its creator” (Shelley 80) and that they would forever be in debt to him. And so, Victor’s role as the Modern Prometheus gives him a god complex, which is uncommon for humans. The novel explores the responsibilities associated with a god and focuses on how a human would handle them. We see this when Victor initially meets his creation, and he contemplates whether or not it is his duty to provide him with happiness. We see how difficult some of these decisions can be through Victor’s perspective as he struggles with the morality behind the creation of a new species. This is where the heart of the novel is, because for the rest of Frankenstein, Victor must deal with the consequences of his arrogance as a god, which leads to a controversial character and an entertaining tale of man against nature. By including an underlying allusion to the tale of Prometheus, Shelley suggests Victor is a hero given that Prometheus is often considered a hero for returning fire to man. However, the allusion also implies that what he does is morally wrong because in the tale of Prometheus, humanity was punished in the end. The controversial ending of this tale therefore allows the reader to decide what he or she believes Victor Frankenstein should or shouldn’t have done. If a book manages to have its readers engaging in positive discourse about their own interpretation of the story, then it has succeeded as a book.

In short, Frankenstein, is an intricately constructed tale of the morality behind creation and the consequences associated with it. The well-developed characters allow the reader to enjoy the story as if they were a part of it.