The Resolution

"I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames. The light of that conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds. My spirit will sleep in peace, or if it thinks, it will not surely think thus. Farewell" (pg 211).

Oh my lanta!! I admit...this book was decently boring up until the last two chapters. I want to know what the heck Walton was going on in Walton's mind when he was faced with this story of two monsters (other than what was said in the letters of course). If I were him, I would feel like I was in some sort of dream. Not only did he randomly find this dude who created life with this bare hands...but he found the creation, too, which had killed off all of the creator's family. Insanity. After reading the last chapter, I had trouble deciding whose side I was on in the end: Victor or the monster? Honestly, I think that they ended up having the same personality. They were both benevolent people to begin with. Victor worked hard in his studies and cared deeply for his family, but ended up being alone and miserable in the end. The monster desired to learn language and love from the cottagers, but he ended up being alone and miserable in the end, too. The novel seemed like a big long description of the two characters chasing each other around, trying to get revenge. To be honest, they could have been each other's good friends had they given the other the chance. I enjoyed the book for the most part; however, the complaining and whining about misery grew old after awhile.

Benevolence/Malevolence

"...I saw at the open window a figure the most hideous and abhorred. A grin was on the face of the monster; he seemed to jeer, as his fiendish finger he pointed towards the corpse of my wife. I rushed towards the window, and drawing a pistol from my bosom, fired; but he eluded me, leaped from his station, and running with the swiftness of lightning, plunged into the lake" (pg 187).

Earlier in the novel, I blogged about my feelings of sympathy towards the monster and state of loneliness...and I am sure that I was not the only one who felt bad for the poor, "wretched" monster. After this scene, though, where he guiltlessly murders Elizabeth, my feelings have changed a bit. I think this is why the creation of Frankenstein is such an interesting character. He evokes different emotions from the audience at different times in the story. For example, towards the middle, the audience could relate to his hurt and agony, but now they despise him for his evil acts. In my opinion, Mary Shelley uses the monster as a perfect portrayal of society. The monster shows both benevolence and malevolence (lack of benevolence) that society maintains. Although difficult for us to admit, we are created to be benevolent beings; however, it is easier to be malevolent after enduring hardships. This is why it is easy for the audience to relate with Frankenstein's monster.

Suspense

"Sometimes I thought that the fiend followed me and might expedite my remissness by murdering my companion. When these thoughts possessed me, I would not quit Henry for a moment, but followed him as his shadow, to protect him from the fancied rage of his destroyer. I felt as if I had committed some great crime, the consciousness of which haunted me. I was guiltless, but I had indeed drawn down a horrible curse upon my head, as mortal as that of crime" (pg 155).

Okay, seriously Frankenstein??? What in the world are you doing skipping around Europe when you have a monster to please??? Not only does Frankenstein tick me off during this scene, but he is acting absolutely stupid, too! He has almost waited a year before beginning to create the female monster when he knows the consequences of his actions. HIS FUTURE WIFE IS AT STAKE! Does he not understand that putting this task off will inflict suffering and death on other people besides himself?? How could he be so selfish!!!?? Anyway...the last line of the quote left me with suspense. He did not say he "might have" drawn down a horrible curse upon his head, but he INDEED had drawn down a horrible curse upon his head. This line is one of the reasons I had trouble putting the book down before falling asleep last night. Frankenstein knows how to draw his audience in at the right time. Because of his cliffhangers, the audience pays attention to more detail and foreshadowing in order to figure out the result of his neglect. Now, I want to know if the female monster is ever created...or if it is created in time to please the creature. If Elizabeth ends up dead because of Frankenstein's ignorance...I'm going to be so angry.

Foreshadowing

"For a few moments I gazed with delight on her dark eyes, fringed by deep lashes, and her lovely lips; but presently my rage returned; I remembered that I was forever deprived of the delights that such beautiful creatures could bestow and that she whose resemblance I contemplated would, in regarding me, have changed that air of divine benignity to one expressive of digust and affright" (pg 136).

In this scene, when the monster revels at the beauty of William's mother, he reflects on his lonely life where he does not get to experience the affection of a woman. After he describes the beauty of the woman in the picture, I knew that he was trying to foreshadow his desire for a woman of his own. I knew that somehow he was going to attain a female companion of his own. Sure enough, at the end of the chapter, he requests the creation of a woman to Frankenstein. This request reminded me of one of the Frosty the Snowman episodes shown on ABC Family during the Christmas season. There is one episode where the kids roll up another snowman, or snowwoman, to be Frosty's wife so that he is not alone when the kids go inside after dark. They are both lonely, strange creatures with kind hearts that deserve someone to acknowledge them. It will be interesting to see IF the female monster is ever created, and what she will look like if she is created. Will they be happy together? Or will it be the disaster that Frankenstein predicted?

Theme: Loneliness

"Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me? Agatha fainted, and Safie, unable to attend o her friend, rushed out of the cottage. Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father, to whose knees I clung...But my heart sank within me as with bitter sickness, and I refrained...I quitted the cottage, and in the general tumult escaped unperceived to my hovel" (pg 129).

Of course, as any other human being with a heart, I felt sympathy towards the creature while he told his story. However, this particular scene, a great example of a main theme (loneliness), had me sitting up in bed with my eyes glued to the text. I had high hopes for the monster when he chose to introduce himself to the cottagers. By the routine of their daily lives, they seemed open-hearted and kind, and I guessed that they would take the monster in as a friend. Obviously, I am too optimistic at times. Their rejection of the monster not only made him he feel alone, abandoned, and hopeless, but it made me feel hopeless for the monster, too. He honestly is not asking for much! In fact, I think he has worked for the cottagers for so long that he deserves more than acceptance...he deserves a friend or a companion. I have not finished the novel, but I do know that the monster has asked Frankenstein to create him a woman with a similar appearance. To me, this is the saddest part. He must ASK to have someone CREATED in order for him to feel less lonely. If Frankenstein understands his story and feels sympathy, too, then why doesn't he take the monster in as his friend?

Elizabeth and Victor

"And when, on the morrow, she presented Elizabeth to me as her promised gift, I, with childish seriousness, interpreted her words literally and looked upon Elizabeth as mine--mine to protect, love, and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own..."

I am sure that this is a common topic or question among the audience: what is the relationship between Victor and Elizabeth? Although they refer to each other throughout the first half of the novel as "cousin," there seems to be more there than family relations. Victor continues to describe Elizabeth as someone who was "more than a sister" but that leaves so much room for interpretation. Does he mean that he loves her in a different way than a sister? Or does it mean that they are just really close? Although it would be sort of creepy if they had romantic feelings toward one another, I almost think it would be kind of cute. Technically, they are not related and have grown up side-by-side; therefore, they already know one another and care for one another. But how would there family react? Would they expect a romantic relationship to form between to the two of them, or would they be completely surprised? Ahh the suspense! I secretly hope they get together, and that she does not die (because that is what people are telling me will most likely happen). I am going to remain positive, and hope for a happy ending between the two, even though Victor makes it clear that he winds up miserable.

Annoyance

"I see by your eagerness and the wonder and hope which your eyes express, my friend, that you expect to be informed of the secret with which I am acquainted; that cannot be; listen patiently until the end of my story, and you will easily perceive why I am reserved upon that subject. I will not lead you on, unguarded and ardent as I then was, to your destruction and infallible misery..." (51-52)

One aspect of the novel that I have found rather annoying, is Frankenstein's tendency to leave out important (in my opinion) and interesting information. When describing his work and time spent creating the monster, I was waiting for details as to the method he used to form the monster. However, he tells the audience that providing that information would lead to misery. In other words, his creation of the body led to his own misery. After reading this quote, my curiosity sparked, and I wanted to know why obtaining such information would lead to unhappiness. It's rather odd to me that he has worked so hard in his studies and career, and all of the knowledge he has spent time attaining, has come back to haunt him. It scares me actually. To know that I may one day work so hard for something, and it only leads to misery. Anywho, I just want to know if he reveals to his family and society that he was the one who created the monster. I want to know if he reveals how he did it to anyone ever...or if he has always kept it a secret. I guess I'll just have to wait and see!