The first three chapters tell us about Victor Frankenstein's childhood and youth; the fourth, about his "discovery" of the principle of life. For movie fans these chapters may seem irrelevant: after all, we want to see the Creature being created and -amid bursts of smoke and flashes of lightning- "born." Why, then, does Mary Shelley devote so much time and space to Victor's childhood environment and his education?
Sophie Germain
11/1/2019 01:58:24 pm
Although, the main attraction of the story of Frankenstein is the creature’s creation, Shelley writes extensively about Frankenstein’s childhood. She does this to show why Frankenstein has the attitude and persona he has now. The audience has context that Frankenstein grew up in a higher class environment and has luxuries that others were not afforded. This gives Frankenstein the privilege to pursue more passion driven matters. For example, He has access to money which is heavy on the minds of other people for example, Henry’s father, so Frankenstein has the ability to spend an obsessive amount of time on developing his theory. Shelley also writes about his childhood to emphasize how strong Frankenstein’s connection is with his family, so when he starts to selfishly spend most of his time on the creature his relationship with his family and friends is adversely affected. Frankenstein is then goes on a quest to fix this relationship by trying to avenge his father’s death, but Frankenstein can’t go back to the past. He can’t go back to when his mother was alive.
Katherine Foot
11/3/2019 06:32:20 pm
Although I am unsure on whether how far you might be into the book as far as I am, Victor Frankenstein's father is not dead (unless he is, but that is irrelevant). We do know that Victor comes from a family with great wealth, however that is not necessarily the entire point Shelley is trying to convey when going in depth about Victor's past. I do understand your comment on Victor's relationship with his family because it explains his motive to avenge his brother, William. The whole purpose of Victor's background was to give context of his current state while explaining his story to Captain Walton and why he feels deep regret for his creation.
Marianne Jones
11/3/2019 08:28:36 pm
I agree with what you are saying a hundred percent. Everything Victor went through throughout his childhood is what influences him now. I think you might've meant that the death of his mother is what causes him to make the creature, but nevertheless spot on. He's a broken child subconsciously trying to fix himself in a now adult body. He at first believed his creature might be able to fix his problems, but he can't even stand to look in the eyes of his own creation- the end to disease.
Zonia Baber
11/3/2019 10:55:35 pm
I 100% agree with this statement. If Shelley never included Victors life growing up, the audience will continue to be in a confused state because there's no explanation for Victors urge to create this creature. It's also interesting that Victor's new love for the creature played a negative part in his current relationship with his family. Instead of Victor trying to fix his relationship with his family, he used his creation as a coping mechanism. It's quite clear in Victor's situation that money can't buy happiness.
Alice Eastwood
11/1/2019 05:52:32 pm
The purpose of the first chapters, that may seem irrelevant to movie fans, is to illustrate where Victor Frankenstein’s frame of mind came from. By detailing his childhood, Mary Shelley was able to show that Victor wasn’t just born with a dark view of the world. The events that occurred when he was younger drove him to be this way. She gives background knowledge about Victor’s relationship with his family to show how it has changed. As he got immersed in his vision, his relationship with his family becomes strained. Shelley did not want readers to be confused by Victor Frankenstein’s actions. If they knew his motives, they would be able to understand and see the book in a different light and not perceive it as just book about a scary creature.
Marie Curie
11/3/2019 02:01:06 pm
I agree with this entirely. By understanding Victor’s background we the readers don't have to assume that Frankenstein is evil or a horrible man but instead we know that he’s actually a person of wealth and intellect who became fixated on a certain thing. I like how you included the fact that his family relationship became strained because that plays a really large role in the way he perceives the creature and the amount of time he lost while creating him.
Ada Lovelace
11/3/2019 06:14:15 pm
I agree with your idea that Mary Shelley included such an in depth explanation of Victor Frankenstein in order to provide context to the readers. Had Shelley just fast forwarded to the place in the story where Victor reanimates his creature, readers would be confused as to who Victor is and what moments and thought processes led up the creature’s creation. As you stated, explaining Victor’s childhood plays a large role in providing clarity on what makes Victor who he is. It explains his motives along with the ways in which he developed his skills and intellect needed to create the creature. Without having a complete understanding of Victor’s past, its difficult to understand the present and Mary Shelley is aware of that. Therefore, she spends a lot of time Victor’s back story.
Vera Yevstafievna Popova
11/1/2019 10:49:48 pm
Context is the key to understanding. Through context meaning can change. For example, if a man tells someone they look like a “summer’s day” it may seem like a compliment. But if that summer day happens to be downpouring, then that changes a compliment into an insult.
Marianne Jones
11/2/2019 10:41:58 am
Mary Shelley spends some much time and space to Victor's childhood and environment because he is the main character. In order to understand the man; you have to understand who the boy was. A boy who had everything handed to him on a silver platter, yet not a lot of people to share in such a joyous concept. A boy who was very much interested in things that would be considered an abomination in his time, but kept on pursuing for the chance to change history. Frankenstein is like the stereotypical rich boy who wants more rather than be content with hat he has which throughout the book is shown as well.
Marie Curie
11/3/2019 02:04:28 pm
This is a very important detail to mention the fact that Victor was wealthy. It really adds to the story that he’s a person with a lot of money and smarts who decides to play god. I think that by remembering that Victor has money, it makes him less likable as a character because it really shows how selfish he is overall as a person and doesn’t make him as impressive since he had access to so many things that others don’t.
Ada Lovelace
11/3/2019 06:39:04 pm
I responded to this question thinking solely about how knowing about one’s past affects how you perceive them but I never considered how Victor’s social class and education played a role in how his past directly affects the outcome of events in the novel. Victor comes from wealth, which consequently lead to him receiving the education he does. His education is what made it possible for him to create his creature in the first place. In addition, his social class explains that he comes from a place of privilege and therefore feels that he is entitled to everything. He believed he is exempt from following the rules of society and the natural order.
Marianne Jones
11/4/2019 11:03:51 am
Please disregard the final sentence
Zsófia Torma
11/2/2019 01:50:04 pm
Sophie Germain
11/3/2019 07:32:55 pm
I find your take on the purpose of writing about Victor’s past interesting. As a reader, taking this perspective we can assume that Victor pursues bringing the dead to life as an outlet for all the tragedies in his life. Maybe, his research into resurrection was one way he used to grieve his mother who was suddenly taken from him. His fascination with death could possibly signify that he is still in denial that his mother is dead.
Marianne Jones
11/3/2019 08:28:22 pm
Very well said. Basically that is all Victor has really seen growing. I would like to point out as well that in the beginning she also does speak heavily on how great his was which I think as the reader makes us more remorseful when his mother dies. With this remorse we kind of give him a pat on the back for being able to move forward by educating himself in "nonsense". He doesn't allow the tragedies to stop him, but keep him going and making something that maybe he might not regret in due time.
Jane Ellen Harrison
11/2/2019 03:36:37 pm
Mary Shelley devotes so much time and space to Victor’s childhood environment and his education because she wants to develop Victor’s character from a child to an adult. Shelley wants the reader to know that Victor wasn’t a mad man all at once, but his upbringing and education made him go crazy. Victor grew up in a wealthy family and in the time period Victor grew up only the wealthy were educated. Victor grew interest in his education and especially in science.The fact that Victor loved science since childhood helps explains how Victor brought the creature to life and he wasn’t just a normal person who created life. When Shelley talks about Victor’s mother taking care of Elizabeth and eventually dying from getting scarlet fever it motivated Victor. After the death of Victor’s mother it motivated him to find a way to bring the dead alive which explains Victor’s obsession with the dead. By bringing the dead alive Victor thinks that is way of redeeming himself for not finding a way to bring back his mother.
Alice Eastwood
11/3/2019 03:37:44 pm
I agree that explaining his childhood as an educated young man brought up in a wealthy family gives the reader a sense of understanding that he was passionate about bringing the dead to life. l also like your idea of Victor’s motivation that since he couldn’t bring his mother to life he thought that trying to do what he failed to do previously would help him grieve for his dead mother. It shows his mindset for creating a creature that he, at the beginning, thought of as his masterpiece.
Zsofia Torma
11/2/2019 04:05:24 pm
Mary Shelley’s intro, which gives a background on Victor Frankenstein is boring but essential. His childhood allows readers to create a parallel between the primary narrator, Walton and Victor. In order to understand how Victor became fascinated with the idea of creating life and piecing together the creature, we first needed to understand how he was brought up and how he was inspired. We also are modernly taught that Victor is a mad scientist with the hopes of creating a brutal monster for alternative purposes. So when including the background of Victor’s past, it makes readers sympathize for him and understand what led him to making the creature.
Katherine Foot
11/2/2019 06:39:04 pm
The purpose of Mary Shelley devoting a great amount of time towards Victor Frankenstein's background is mainly for giving context behind Victor's present state and for his character development. Victor is shown to be in a state of excessive distress and depression in the beginning of the story when telling his story to Walton. The explicit details of his past, including the introduction of his family members and his time being spent in college have taken great effect on his present, and to provide context behind why he feels the way he does. By explaining the events of his life and his passion for natural philosophy, it helps the reader to understand his motive behind his abnormal human creation he so despises.
Alice Eastwood
11/3/2019 03:38:25 pm
I like the fact that you integrated Victors encounter with Walton in this explanation of why Mary Shelley did what she did. This in turn fills plot holes; as you read more you can backtrack and understand why Victor was distraught in his conversation with Walton. I agree on the fact that his background has greatly influenced his mindset and how he feels. Without context, we would not be able to connect the dots as to what pushed Victor to create this creature.
Zonia Baber
11/3/2019 11:15:21 pm
Just by Shelley including background information concerning Victor Frankenstein, it causes the reader to feel compassion and pity for Victor. Victor acts in a specific way not because he wants to, but due to his various family situations. It never crossed my mind as a reader for the audience to feel sorry for Victor, but just by reading the above statement it made me realize that Victor is human, and everyone goes through their various obstacles. Maybe this isn't Victor's true self instead he's acting out based on his previous life experiences. It's interesting to see Victor's passion for natural philosophy, and the way he takes that passion as an outlet to create an abnormal figure.
Katherine Clerk
11/2/2019 07:22:46 pm
Mary Shelly used so much time to devote her story to Frankenstein because he is the main focus of the story. Mary Shelly uses Frankenstein to show parallels between her own life. The fact that Frankensteins mom died only highlights the fact that Shelly tries to tell the readers that her life is represented in the book. I believe that the book is based off of Frankenstein because we get to know his perspective on his deepest regrets and desires. If the book was solely based on the creature the author would have given more of an insight on his thoughts. The book also was devoted to Frankenstein because if the creature was the most important the author would have given the creature a name, This makes sure that Frankenstein stays a character that we can learn more about as we go.
Ada Lovelace
11/2/2019 08:14:42 pm
I believe that Mary Shelley devoted so much time and space to explaining Victor’s education and background to provide context the readers and fill in plot holes. Any story told in the first person is naturally subjected to being told by an unreliable narrator, but by providing an in depth explanation of the character it illustrates the complexity of the character; it gives insight to the readers that explains the reasons for Victor’s thought processes and motives. Movie goers seek action and entertaining plot points. Most would’ve found the extra information to be useful but boring. In literature, context and perspective is the key to understanding any work. For example, Shelley details Victor’s educational history and intellectual abilities extensively to portray him as an ambitious individual with knowledge of the science. The scene where lightning strikes a tree and inspires Victor to create his creature precedes the major plot point that made the novel as popular as it is. Had she skipped straight to the good stuff, readers what question the setting, the characters, and the moments that led up to the creature being created.
Sophie Germain
11/3/2019 07:41:25 pm
I agree with your answer to the question because the story would feel incomplete without knowing Victor’s back story and how that drives his motives to behave the way he does. His background also gives the audience insight into why he displays certain attitudes and tendencies and why he responds in a certain way to the conflicts he faces throughout the story with Frankenstein and also within himself. I also think it is important that readers always take into account that he is telling his story to Walton.
Zonia Baber
11/2/2019 09:41:32 pm
For fans of the movie, the first few chapters explaining Victor Frankenstein's early life may seem irrelevant because majority of readers want to dive into the creation of Frankenstein. However Mary Shelley devotes so much time and space to Victors childhood, environment and education for a specific reason. Shelley wants to the readers to understand the true Victor Frankenstein before he became this "crazy" scientist that created this outrageous creation. Shelley wants the audience to understand that just because one is born with riches and wealth doesn't mean they're perfect. As a reader, Victor encounters different issues with his family and those situations mold him into the person that he is. With Shelley giving us some background information, it leaves the audience aware of Victor's character, and promotes the idea that "Not all that glitters is Gold". (Just because Victor grew up in a rich home doesn't mean he lives the best quality of life).
Marie Curie
11/3/2019 01:57:23 pm
The opening chapters of Frankenstein were used as a way for Shelley to provide a background to our main protagonist, Victor, and to build a linear cause and effect relationship between the actions of Victor. By focusing on his youth, it lends to the reader’s background on Victor and allows for a better showcase of his talents, interests, and beliefs. The backstory is quintessential to a character’s development as it acts as a foundation for the “before and after” aspect of the story. By providing context on Victor as a youth, it allows us to understand why the creature was created and what his qualifications are. If hypothetically, Shelley was to omit that part of her novel, the readers would be forced to assume the events that led Frankenstein to create the creature. These passages allow us to understand the roles that characters besides Frankenstein play in the novel as Elizabeth and Henry prove to be highly relevant characters considering they act as a foil and a love interest.
Jane Ellen Harrison
11/3/2019 03:17:09 pm
I agree with this statement because if Mary Shelley excluded Victor’s childhood the reader will assume that Victor is just crazy and created a creature with no purpose. Victor’s reason to create the creature is redemption of not being able to save his mother. Knowing that Victor loves his mother and her death impacted him makes the reader see a different side of him.Even though Victor is wealthy it doesn’t mean he is perfect and his childhood shows his flaws which impacted him in the future.
Jane Ellen Harrison
11/3/2019 03:25:46 pm
I agree that including that Victor cares about his family in the few chapter and how his relationship with his family changed after shows that Victor was very devoted with his work. Victor mentions not visiting his family or writing to them and he realized that he cared about the creature more than them. After his younger brother death, Victor regrets for not having contact with his family and he wished he didn’t spend so much time creating the creature. He reflects whether if he didn’t spend so much time with the creature he was creating will his brother be alive. He blames himself for the tragedy and he wished he did the things he didn’t do.
The Real Zsófia Torma
11/3/2019 06:00:32 pm
The Real Zsófia Torma
11/3/2019 06:12:50 pm
(Responding to Katherine Clerk’s primary response).
u stole my name, i am Zsofia Torma, ur not
11/3/2019 10:02:47 pm
I agree with Katherine Clerk because although the story switches narrators, Victor does seem to be the main character of the book. Not only are we given a long and detailed background of his childhood and growing up, but we also see his mindset of being the creator of the creature. The creature would not exist without Victor so it is essential for him to be a main character. 11/5/2019 08:23:04 pm
After reading this post, I can’t help but think about time travel and the way it could have affected Frankenstein, I’m trying to understand Frankenstein’s reasoning behind creating the creature. If time travel existed and Frankenstein was able to be with his mother again, would he have had the desire to bring the dead back to life. I wonder if his mother’s death is the only motivation to create the creature. Are there any lurking evils in his personality that we don’t know about… What normal person would go into Charnel Houses and spend years creating a new body from old ones...
Vera Yevstafievna Popova
11/5/2019 08:44:59 pm
(My previous reply was for Sophia German)
Katherine Clerk
11/14/2019 08:52:52 pm
I agree with Zsofia torma because although it might be boring we could see how Mary Shelly used the parallels between Walton and Frankenstein. They both wanted such glory and if they failed it would ultimately lead to their demise. The beginning foreshadowed the fact that quest for knowledge is not always rewarding and if failure happens you might as well be dead. This definitely makes us sympathize with victor in seeing that no matter what he had done he couldn’t take it back. Once victor made the creature there was a threat to everyone’s lives, sadly this wasn’t stopped. Comments are closed.
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