Frankenstein Or The Modern Prometheus Essay, Research Paper
The story Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus made different feelings to me. I read it first time about five years ago, and when I read it now, I understood the concept differently.
The story has a from of letters from Mr. R. Walton, the traveler, to his sister Margaret. Walton wanted to reach the North Pole and wanted to discover new parts of the World. In the land of ice his ship found a man, Victor Frankenstein. He told his story, why he was there and what happened to him, to Mr. Walton in order to warn him from doing something bad . Mr. Victor Frankenstein was a scientist who wanted to discover something new. His desire for it was so strong that he put all his efforts and life to it. He studied chemistry, anthropology and other nature science. He made researches with death body and he wanted to alive it. One day he was successful and he created a man. It was ugly Creature with a man body shape, but very big and strong. Frankenstein was shocked by his work and he run away from his laboratory. When he went back, the Creature was not there. From that time the Frankenstein s life changed dramatically. After that accident his best friend Henry Clerval arrived to visit him and took him back to the home. His young brother William was killed and his sister Justine Moritz was suited to be guilty from that crime. Frankenstein knew that she was not murderer; he know who was it, but he did not have enough power and courage to said it. He was afraid that people would find out what he created. He felt he should protect his family from the Creature. Frankenstein was depressed and ill. He wanted to find the Creature and revenge William s and Justin s death. He wanted to correct his mistake and kill the Creature. Once Frankenstein went to the trip and in the mountains a he met the Creature after long time. The Creature told him about his life. About how he was happy when he knew only feelings such hunger, thirst, cold and warm. Then he was confronted with people s fear. He helped to safe child from the river and his reward was shot by child s father. The Creature started to think about pleasure from saving the life, about pleasure from love and about pain of loneliness. Then Creature observed one family for a long time and learned to speak and started to think about it existence. Creature did not now who is it author, who are his peers, whom to love and how. He was unhappy to know these new feelings. Creature though that Frankenstein was responsible for not experience these feelings and he prepared revenge. He wanted Frankenstein to feel such a big pain such Creature. It was reason why William was killed. Creature demanded Frankenstein to fulfill his responsibility toward him and create the female. Creature promised if Frankenstein gave him the female, he would never more occur in his life. Frankenstein promised it in order to protect his family. He started the work. Later on he came up with idea that he did not have a right to bring another cruel and ugly monster to the civilization. He took the risk that it is smaller evil to destroy own
From this story many ideas and questions came to my mind. I am not sure if I understood the story well, but for my, the author wanted to point on some ethical principles. Does a person have a right to play with life? If Frankenstein discovered way to alive dead body, should he inform society about it? Could be such research used in medicine? When the person made something bad, should he inform the society about it? Also I think than author wanted to show the evolution of feelings. The creature was happy while knows only lower feelings such hunger, cold. Later on he found out other feelings and started to be unhappy. Should the Frankenstein create another Creature in order to fulfill the Creature s needs?
Another thing is the attitude of mankind toward something different. The author developed the idea that the fear and inability to understand the stranger can be harmful. Human nature is to refuse something different than they used to see. I like one part from dialogue between Frankenstein and the Creature when the creature said, I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind? You, my creator, would tear me to pieces, and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me? Shall I respect man when he contemns me? The Creatures desire to be affiliated with a men was very strong, but was refused mostly because of body-shape. We can see the same principle in the society. One example could be racism.
Other idea is how strong individual s desire can be. Frankenstein did not thing about others, about consequences, while he was fulfilling his own desire. Should the person put at risk a group of people in order to fulfil the desire? Is personal pleasure more than group s pain? While reading this book these questions came to my mind. Even though the story is about irresponsible behavior of individual, I still think that and individual should do what wants. But he/she should be responsible for the act and not to harm others. The story also strengthens my opinion that we do not have right to judge person before we analyze him/her. Prejudges could cause big evil in the society.