These images could depict some of the main plot points of Chapters 1-4 illustrating some main events in young Victor's life and development: his idyllic childhood and introduction to Elizabeth Lavenza, his mother's death, and his entrance into university. While these moments are important, they are by no means the only significant points in these four chapters.
Mary Treat
10/16/2016 03:25:31 pm
Chapters 1-4 in Frankenstein start Victor’s narration of the story. In the final paragraph of chapter four, “My father made . . . creation should be complete,”(Shelley 50) Victor explains how he was consumed in his artificial creation of life. He has become devoted to science since entering the university and he cares about nothing else. He shows how this consumption affected his life by saying, “The fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow-creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime” (Shelley 50). This quote shows how he has quarantined himself from society and has become nervous. Shelley includes this to add to her theme that over-dedication can lead a person to destruction.
Charlotte Knight
10/20/2016 04:32:04 pm
I completely agree with what you’re saying. I feel like this quote not only adds to theme that over-dedication can also lead to one’s destruction, but also to the theme that imagination can unleash the best and worst in man. Victor is coming from good intentions; he wanted to create life so that he can “render man invulnerable to any but a violent death” (Shelley 36). By creating life, in his vision the perfect life form, he wanted to make humans invulnerable to any disease and even death itself. But it seems that his drive to this goal is causing more trouble than it’s worth. And if the introduction with Walton is any indication, than it seems that his determination is going to bring him to his rock bottom.
Emily Stackhouse
10/20/2016 06:59:34 pm
I agree that Victor has been consumed with science and that is what leads him to make somewhat scary decisions. He was so engulfed in science and creating something that will make him accomplished, that he forgot about the destruction in which it could lead to. We can see how the structure could be foreshadowing for a later event in which could happen to Walton. Victor decides to share his story about how science and his deep motivation led to a destructive creature. Walton has the same determination that Victor once had and I agree that it will lead to serious dangers later on in the novel.
Jane Colden
10/21/2016 08:12:56 am
I agree with you when you say that Victor's story parallels Walden's, however I feel like they are different in the sense that Walden longed for company and friendship while he was on his quest. I also think that Walden will sacrifice his crew, people with whom there are no personal ties with, for his discovery. On the other hand Victor sacrifices his family for his discovery. Walden stays in touch with his sister and chronicles his struggles by writing letters to her. They're stories are similar in the sense that they are both willing to sacrifice significantly in order to discover some great "thing. w.c 105 words
Sofia Kovalevskaya
10/16/2016 04:10:19 pm
I believe Shelley’s intent for these first four chapters is to, first, introduce the main character, Victor, to show his past, and to expose the moment in which he found his occupation. In his upbringing, we were able to see how much he dedicated himself to gaining as much knowledge in the sciences as he possibly could, then entering the university, and the start of embarking on a journey that he instantly committed himself too. The most important moment lies in chapter four, pages 46-50, when Victor discusses how the secret he found, which he doesn’t inform the reader of, makes him want to devote himself to “bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelley 47). This moment adds to the plot tremendously for the rest of the story. Therefore, the focus of Victor’s childhood in the first three chapters has now shifted to his journey, whether Victor will succeed or fail in his occupation, and wondering what challenges he will face on the way. However, this section also deepens the character development of Victor. In Victor’s childhood, the reader was able to see him as a child desperate to learn and discover the hidden secrets of nature. But, as the chapters progress his character and focus shifts to being a determined young man who wants to be a legend that was known to succeed though he is willing to neglect his family’s feelings in order to complete his creation.
Anna Atkins
10/20/2016 05:50:17 pm
As you’ve already stated it is true that the purpose of these four chapters is to introduce the main character in the story. These chapters also tell us the dynamic of Victor’s family. They introduce to us how he grew up and how he got to this place he is right now. They served as an introduction to provide background for the story and explanation for victor’s action. We know that he was a curious and smart child and would not rest until he has discovers the secret life. In his confinement in his apartment we are able to create a parallel line between Victor’s life and the creature’s life for they are both lonely.
Evelyn Leland
10/21/2016 02:58:13 am
I'm in complete agreement with this response. I feel like it sums up the section very clearly and agreeably. It's given insight and points that I never would have thought or missed (I hadn't touched upon Victor's childhood!), as well as having shared a thoughtful stance and analysis on what could be the most significant moment of the four chapters: Victor's discovery of the secret he refrains from sharing. I am convinced! To put it briefly: all said fell into place and made perfect sense to me - it had also changed my views regarding the blog's questions for this section.
Evelyn Leland
10/21/2016 04:13:31 am
After I've read through other's replies to responses, I wish I could edit this :|. "read everyone's first responses, select two that interest you, and respond to their ideas" - this left a lot of room for interpretation so I left my reactions and agreements to this response .. when almost everyone else furthers or refutes points in their replies. Sorry if I put/mentioned myself in this reply too much and not enough of the original post's ideas. I should have read others' before I posted..
Mary Ward
10/21/2016 07:27:52 am
I completely agree with what you're saying because I also believe that Shelley's purpose in the first four chapters was to introduce the main character and to give the readers an insight of what Victor is like. Also, I think that with this, the readers can already have a foreshadow of the character's flaw and what could possibly happen. Victor believes too much in himself and he is never full satisfied. One day he will learn what not being satisfied/his flaw will bring to him. Since the author tells the readers about his childhood, we can tell that the story will evolve around science. word count:105
Mercy B Jackson
10/16/2016 05:32:37 pm
In chapter 4 of Frankenstein, Shelley explains the lengths to which Victor will go in order to discover further the anatomy of a human being. In this section Victor has isolated himself from society to create a form of life. Victor explains that, “If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections, and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful”(Shelley 50). This demonstrates that Victors experiment is “unlawful” because it interferes with how he lives and thinks about the world. Victor is now vulnerable because he overthinks every little thing, when he says “the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow-creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime” (Shelley 50). I believe that the authorial intent at this point is similar to that of Walden because both of these stubborn and determined characters have given their all into their findings to the point where they are blind to the outcome of their actions that will eventually lead to their destruction. Victor has forgotten about his family and what his actions will ultimately lead to, and because of this, Victors discovery that goes against human nature will most likely have a negative effect on him.(word count 220)
Anna Atkins
10/20/2016 05:59:35 pm
I admire the connection made between Walden and Victor and what the authorial intent is. In the eye of psychology what Victor is doing to himself is unlawful even though he is only harming himself. He is so focused on finding the secret of life and his determination to create an animate creature that he isolated himself from the rest of the world. He has confined himself in his apartment because according to him everything else will only distract him from achieving his goal. At this point Shelley is already trying to show us the bad side of too much determination. When you are alone in a confined place you tend to go a little crazy.
Josephine Yates
10/20/2016 10:59:26 pm
I agree with you saying that Victor has become vulnerable and will face his destruction. Victor is working extremely hard; it's at the point where it has affected every part of him. Emotionally and mentally, he is quickly slipping away from sanity. His paranoia, isolation, and guilt could have very serious, long-lasting effects on him, Being away from his family and out of communication with them could also put him in a position of having no one to turn to when he needs them. He isn't fully recognizing what he is doing to himself. His will to discover is bringing nothing but trouble for him.
Josephine Yates
10/16/2016 08:10:02 pm
“In what ways can imagination and inspiration unleash the best and worst in man?” This is addressed by Shelley in a passage on pg. 49: “The summer months passed… duties are equally neglected.” In this passage Victor says that his “heart and soul” are both engaged entirely in his work. The season was beautiful but he could pay attention to it, and he forgot about the loved ones he had left. His father had previously told him that if his correspondences were neglected, then he’d assume his other “duties” were neglected as well. The best and the worst in Victor had come out. On one hand, he was devoted to his work. He was willing to give all of himself to it. Could this be a negative effect of his work though? In my opinion, yes. Giving all of himself to work leaves nothing for anything else. He is failing to appreciate the world around him that he’d ordinarily be charmed by. He is also failing to appreciate the people who love him and are concerned by his lack of communication. His father refers to it as his “duty” to be in regular communication with him. If this one duty is neglected, he’ll assume they all are. Just as his work is his duty, attending to his family is also his duty. However, Victor sees the latter as less important. Readers can infer that this decision will come back in the future to negatively affect him. Victor may find himself lonely and living a life that he had not intended.
Sofia Kovalevskaya
10/20/2016 01:27:31 pm
I definitely believe that Victor shouldn’t neglect his family. Like his father said, it was one of his duties to keep in touch with not only him, but the rest of the family was well. Also, it would be nice to update your family on your studies, accomplishments, or daily life at the university. I believe that one day he will need his family for support or affection, and his isolation will only make it harder for himself. Overall, as previously stated, he could possibly live a lonely life in the future.
Mercy B Jackson
10/20/2016 01:53:00 pm
I agree! I feel that Victor's actions will backfire on him and his life, because like you said his duty is also to care for his family which he is lacking to do therefore he might end up lonely himself. After Victor's mom died he left to go to school, so he never gets to connect with his family and bond like families should. Victors hunger for scientific advancement is his whole life, and I think that eventually he will realize that he should have appreciated the world and his family instead of throwing himself into his experiments that may or may not backfire. I also agree with what you said about his duties, because I think there should be a balance between working, and being with your family. wc 129
Sarah Drake
10/20/2016 02:26:10 pm
I completely agree. When people are as devoted to their work as Victor has become they tend to forget about the other details in their life. Such as the people and the world around them as they grow obsessed with their work achievements. The reader can see how this growing obsession to science is negatively affecting him in his personal life foreshadowing a negative outcome in the end. Victor is isolating himself from his family who he needs and doesn't even seem to care.
Ethel Sargant
10/20/2016 07:49:56 pm
i believe this just shows how dedicated Victor is about his work and how passionate he is about making discoveries. i don't believe he is neglecting his family on purpose, but that he is honestly just too caught up in his work. i don't believe it is a negative effect of his work because it is somethings he enjoys doing. Attending to family should not be a duty but rather something that comes within, i don't believe he should be forced to communicate with anyone because it would be a possible distraction from his work. However i do agree when you say that his decisions will come back in the future and have an impact on him. (word count 117)
Charlotte Knight
10/16/2016 09:01:32 pm
One passage that I found rather intriguing was in Chapter 2 where Victor realizes the views of Cornelius Agrippa, Albertus Magnus, and Paracelsus—people who he describes as “lords of my imagination” (Shelley 36)—are ancient. He then denounces his interest in these studies and spends the rest of his compulsory education studying mathematics. But what’s most interesting is Victor’s reflection on his years as a child and ponders how people are “bound to prosperity or ruin” by what he refers to as “slight ligaments” (Shelley 37). This passage shows Victor’s romantic qualities because along with his contemplations of guardian angels “avert[ing] the storm that was even hanging in the stars” (Shelley 37) he believes in concepts such as fate and that one’s destiny is set in stone. While this draws parallels to Walton as they both share the same intellectual views, Victor uses his romanticism as an explanation of his misfortune and current circumstance. An example of this was his lament of his current state of being in which he personifies Destiny and proclaimed that her laws have his “utter and terrible destruction” (Shelley 37). He believes that he was always meant to be where he is today but he does acknowledge some attempts to divert him from his destiny. And because his use of Destiny and Fate as explanations, it seems as if Victor is refusing to take responsibility for his actions which seems rather strange. But it makes it all the more interesting to see where Victor’s endeavors have taken him.
Mary Treat
10/20/2016 07:37:59 pm
I also find Victor's idea that there is fate and that our destiny is set in stone interesting. He believes that every person's life is already determined and that Destiny has guided him toward destruction. However, Victor contradicts himself by also saying that he has made attempts to avert his destiny. If it is possible to avoid the fate one is planned to have, is the fate real? Or is this "fate" an excuse used to avoid accepting the outcome of poor choices? I believe that Victor was not a pawn of Destiny. His destruction was not planned in advance. It was his choices to play God that led to his downfall. It was this choice that ultimately caused Victor's life to spiral down, and now he wants to blame it on fate because he can't accept his punishment.
Emily Stackhouse
10/16/2016 09:09:17 pm
Hobbies, activities that we all like to do can certainly take up a lot of our time, the question though if how much time are we willing to put into it. This is the question that Victor should have asked himself when entering the lab of the university in which he attended. “From this day natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry, in the most comprehensive sense of the term, became nearly my sole occupation” (Shelley 45). Victor, narrating this part of the story, tells us that this area became his sole occupation. That means that this was going to take up his life and what he was going to do from now on. When that happens, that takes up a lot of time and the person rarely has any time for anything else. This insight provides us with insight on the kind of character in which Victor is. Victor is someone who is willing to put a lot of time and effort into something that interests him. Much like our old friend, Walton, Shelley employs another character with the same traits. I believe that Shelley added this in there to introduce us into the character in which is going to narrate the story. Readers have already seen the character who Walton is, and added someone who is very similar to provide a baseline for the narration of the story. Without including this, readers would not have any idea on the kind of person telling the story which leads them to be asking questions. By providing similarity to two different characters it allows us to see and understand a deeper meaning of the characters and ultimately the story as a whole.
Charlotte Knight
10/20/2016 03:58:42 pm
I absolutely agree! It does seem that Walton was introduced in order to draw parallels from him to Victor, especially in terms of their sheer determination and resolve. And to add on to that, I believe that Mary Shelley introduced us to Walton as a mean to establish a framing device. By meeting Victor and having him retell his story, it sets up how the story is narrated—in this case, it’s Victor retelling his story and all the events that lead up to where he is now. And just like you said, by including this it prevents the reader form having to ask questions like how the story is told. This method lets us go straight to being immersed into the plot without having to think about any technicalities.
Josephine Yates
10/20/2016 11:08:54 pm
That definitely should have been the first question he asked himself. He did recognize how much time it would take up, but I don't believe that he recognized how much time it'd actually take away from other things. He knew that his work itself would be time-consuming, but did he take into account that it'd put his family as a secondary priority. It does show that he is the kind of person willing to be devoted to what he loves to do, but it also shows that he makes decisions without thoroughly thinking about them. His love of his work shouldn't come before his love for his family.
Anna Atkins
10/16/2016 09:16:37 pm
In chapter one Victor which we knew as the stranger explains the dynamic of his family to Walton. He starts off by talking about how his mother and father met. His mother Caroline was the daughter of his father’s friend. After his death Caroline became an “orphan and a beggar”(Shelley 28). Caroline was all alone in the world and Victor’s father “came to the poor girl, who committed herself to his care; and after the interment of his friend, he conducted her to Geneva, and placed her under the protection of a relation”(Shelley 28). He was her protector and then two years later they were married. During their marriage he did everything he could to make her happy and kept her safe. Something similar happened with the relationship between Victor and Elizabeth. During one of their excursion beyond the frontiers of Italy Caroline found a peasant and his wife distributing food to five hungry babies. Caroline notices one of the children was different from the other. She noticed the “child was thin, and very fair. Her hair was the brightest living gold”(Shelley 30). Caroline decided to bring her home with her,and told Victor “I have a pretty present for my Victor --- to-morrow he shall have it”(shelley 31). So far the woman are pictured as hopeless creature that needs to be sheltered and protected. This demonstrate how Victor without even being aware of it was already in control of a creature. According to his mother Elizabeth was his to protect, to love and cherish.
Mary Treat
10/20/2016 07:56:44 pm
This idea that women are helpless and need care is important in the story. During the time period that it was written, women were seen as inferior to men and only capable of bearing children and keeping up the house. Shelley portrays this, as you said, by making both Caroline and Elizabeth in need of help by a male. I wonder why Shelley, being female, would include this in the plot. Her mother was a feminist, so I would assume that she would also fight for women's rights. Maybe at this point of her life, she accepted her place in society and didn't feel that she could be at the same level as men.
Mary Treat
10/20/2016 07:57:20 pm
114
Ethel Sargant
10/20/2016 08:10:14 pm
The idea of one human taking care and protecting another starts off generations before victor, and i completely agree with you when you say this had a major influence of him when creating his monster because like you said he was in control of a creature without even noticing it. Also his experiences as a child and never having a "normal" family may be the cause of his lack of communication and neglect when he is in university. Finally his creature may share the same values as him to "protect, to love, and to cherish" a creature of his own however he never had the opportunity. (word count 106)
Evelyn Leland
10/21/2016 03:52:56 am
I sort of disagree with using chapter one to typify the action over these four chapters of Frankenstein: so much has happened then and the passages quoted had little effect on the rest of the section. I also found it a bit weird how a lot of the focus went onto Victor's parents with how they met (up until Elizabeth) when the majority of this section details Victor's own life and actions (almost completely independent from that of his parents). I get that the main point of this response (at least what I'm led to believe) is how women are "pictured as hopeless creature that needs to be sheltered and protected", but I kind of doubt that Shelley's intent in chapter one (let alone the rest of the chapters in this section) was much focused on the views of women, or of women's oppression. I think that the descriptions of the two women in chapter one were little more than just to provide background before starting the main plot of the novel.
Jane Colden
10/17/2016 11:15:58 am
In Chapters 1-4, we are introduced to the stranger whose name is Victor. He chronicles his life from his childhood to, when he is a young man out in the world on his own. He speaks of how he has grown to be fond of science and how it came to take over his life. One passage that I feel really typifies the section as a whole is in the 4th chapter when Victor speaks about how he has left behind his home life for science. At the end of chapter 4 Victor justifies his actions by saying "A human being in perfection ought always to preserve a calm and peaceful mind and never to allow passion or a transitory desire to disturb his tranquillity. I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule" (Shelley 49). This passage answers the essential question "How can scientific advancement and exploration be both good and bad?". Victor is determined to find new technology and inventions in science but that determination has cause Victor to change into a shell of a man. He has a chance of discovering something great but he has abandoned the people who love him most for that chance .I believe Shelley wrote this section to show how obsession can turn to oblivion. Even though Victor realizes that he is caught up in his work he does not realize that in this he is losing some of his human-like nature. His obsession with science seems to have turned him soulless.
Sofia Kovalevskaya
10/20/2016 01:42:52 pm
Too much determination can be a good or bad quality, but in this case I think it would be a better quality. It’s good that Victor has found a project that he is outrageously passionate about, and he is able to devote himself. Also, the project could possibly be able to take his mind off of his family because he most likely misses them. Even though he should’ve wrote them, it’s good that he is doing something he loves.
Sarah Drake
10/17/2016 04:45:29 pm
In chapters 1-4 we learn about Victor back to when he was just a small child. I belive Shelley's purpose it to show us who Victor is and why he is that way. We learn a lot about Victor on a deeper level early in chapter 2. Shelley writes, " My temper was sometimes violent, and my passions vehement; but by some law in my temperature they were turned, not towards childish pursuits, but to an eager desire to learn, and not to learn all things indiscriminately. I confess that neither the structure of languages, nor the code of governments, nor the politics of various states, possessed attractions for me . It was the secrets of Heaven and Earth that I desire to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world"( Shelley 33). This was a particular interesting passage for me as we can see how different Victor is from people such as Clerval who is discussed in the following paragraph. Victor is more focused on "the physical secrets of the world" while Clerical for instance is more focused on "the moral relations of things" such as "the virtues of heroes, and the actions of men". I belive this includes a lot of foreshadowing on what Victor pursue in the future and the type of person he will become.
Ada Lovelace
10/21/2016 05:45:13 am
Victor's Character is revealed in the first four chapters to have a physically creative mind, and he is not very emotional because with the incident of his mother dying, and she telling him to get married, he did not settle to think about why his mother wanted him to do such a thing, but instead he went on to leave for University and pursue what he wanted to; that was gaining more knowledge in natural philosophy, and creating life. With all this, it almost looks like Victor's priority is to focus on his studies, without thinking about anything, and anyone else, which I think would have a bad effect on his life because he doesn't incorporate a social life into his education.
Mary Ward
10/17/2016 10:01:10 pm
Chapters 1-4 narrates the early life of Victor's and this allows the readers to have a better understanding what what the character is like. It also gives them background knowledge that they need to know before they become confused about the story.On page 52 Shelly writes, " I passed the night wretchedly-...I felt the bitterness of disappointment; dreams that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were now become a hell to me; and the change was so rapid, the overthrow so complete!" In this passage, the diction really presents the tone well and the image. The tone was intense and a bit wicked, but it goes with the overall tone that Shelly is trying to portray throughout the novel. This also gives the readers a glimpse about how interested Victor is in science and anatomy. The words such as "disappointment", "bitterness", and "palpitation" shows how excited and passionate he is because now he can finally do something that he truly enjoys since he couldn't find that proper experience and support at the Ingolstadt. Victor was He was so interested that he took the initiative to go dive up corpses because back in the day people weren't allowed to donate bodies for science. This is also a lead to how Frankenstein was created. word count: 2017
Mary Ward
10/17/2016 10:02:25 pm
oops word count:217
Emily Stackhouse
10/20/2016 07:13:54 pm
I agree that the diction does indeed help in deepening the characters into the story. I believe that Shelley does this so she can show us Victor’s passion for science and learning about the human mind. Like said, words such as “bitterness” and “palpitation” really allow us to see Victor’s personality. These words have much deeper meaning than words such as “fun” or “I like it”. They connect to show the intense passion that Victor has and creates. He is able to be so passionate through the diction used by Shelley to go on and create something immense such as life. If the diction wasn’t as deep we wouldn’t be able to see the great determination Victor has when dealing with science.
Ethel Sargant
10/18/2016 12:15:18 am
Shelley’s intent for these first four chapters is to give the reader an overview of Victor’s life in order to see his process and determination for seeking knowledge and wisdom. Shelley takes us into the life of victor and the reader is able to see how his journey started, giving more of an idea of who victor really is. However, I believe that in these chapter’s victor doesn’t really think about the consequences of his actions and what scientific advancements can lead to. In chapter 2 victor states “Under the guidance of my new preceptors, I entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher’s stone and the elixir of life; but the latter soon obtained my undivided attention. Wealth was an inferior object; but what glory would attend the discovery, if I could banish disease from the human frame, and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death! (35-36).” In this quote victor is overwhelming himself with possible ideas that could occur if he makes scientific discoveries and while many are positive and could help humans, this leads into the idea of humans wanting to play the role of god. Victor is so caught up with making a discovery and seeking fame and recognition that he does not measure the extent of his actions. He continues by saying “Nor were these my only visions. The raising of ghosts or devils was a promise liberally accorded by my favorite authors, the fulfilment of which I most eagerly sought (36).” These quotes relate to the central idea that scientific advancements are good when it doesn’t clash into moral values and one’s role with humanity.
Mercy B Jackson
10/20/2016 01:42:56 pm
I agree with your response because Victor is so caught up with what he will get out of his scientific advancement, that he is blind as to what he must do to achieve this goal of his. Victor left his family and everything behind so he can discover something new, kind of like Walton in the letters because he is going after something for recognition as well and he is doing whatever is necessary to achieve this. I think people should go after their dreams but to a certain extent, especially if what you are doing in the process is risky. wc 101
Jane Colden
10/21/2016 07:59:27 am
I agree response because by the end of the chapter Victor himself, admits that his scientific exploration has taken over his life. He has changed tremendously since living in Geneva. Searching for these discoveries has led to him cutting off all human interaction and he has also turned into a monster himself. I feel like Victor shows the side of science that can cause you to lose all humanity and clash into moral values. I also feel like it shows the bad side of determination. It shows how determination can cause people to become so obsessed with something that they start losing sight of reality. (Word Count 105)
Evelyn Leland
10/19/2016 10:56:15 pm
"...I was, to a great degree, self taught with regard to my favourite studies. My father was not scientific, and I was left to struggle with a child's blindess, added to a student's thirst for knowledge. Under guidance of my new preceptors, I entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher's stone and the exlixir of life; but the latter soon obtained my undivided attention. Wealth was an inferior object; but what glory would attend the discovery, it I could banish disease from the human frame, and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!" (Shelley 35-36).
Ada Lovelace
10/21/2016 05:34:25 am
Victor in in the first four chapters is seen as a determined character who has plans of his future. It starts off with his early life as child where he describes himself to be better than that of others, and privileged. On page 33, victor says "No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself/I distinctly discerned how peculiarly fortunate my lot was". Some sense of pride and arrogance is seen in Victor, which gives readers a clue of the character he is going to be in the book. He has a mindset that he is fortunate, and bright, and that he is capable of achieving what a few or non have. The beginning of chapter 3 which states that he was made to attend University at the age of 17 also shows the kind of character he is, when and how he began to have the tendency of achieving knowledge and how far he can go with achieving what he wants based on the age he started to get more advanced in education. Even though his early childhood is seen as idle one, it somehow is a foreshadowing of his future which is not very idle, and is quite unhappy because his mother gets sick(fever) , and pleads for Victor to get married to his "cousin", but Victor leaves to the University. At the University, Victors interest for natural philosophy develops, as he has an obsession of creating life, which in another way(i think) is a direct reaction of his mother's death, since her death was out of control, Victor finds a way to "control" how death sadly took the life of his mother. And also he had a mindset that creating the human would make the society view him as a valuable, and brilliant person in a way.
Alice Eastwood
11/1/2016 05:16:03 pm
Shelley’s authorial intent when she put pen to paper to create paragraphs 1 through 4 was to convey to the readers how devoted Dr. Frankenstein was to searching for perfection and creating new life. From youth to adulthood, the famed Frankenstein has searched and searched, obsessing over this perfect being. “It was the secrets of heaven and earth that [he] desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied [him], still [his] inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in it highest sense, the physical secrets of the world" (Shelley 22). By incorporating this into her writing, Shelley, going back to this underlying theme of perfection, hints at/ foreshadows that Frankenstein’s curiosity will lead him to something. She does not come out completely to state exactly what will happen, but her main focus in these paragraphs is to lure the readers into the novel by releasing interesting little bits of details, like this one. Comments are closed.
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