Monday, September 3, 2012
Religious Monstrosity
I believe that Frankenstein’s sudden spiritual transformation is a key part of his wider metamorphosis into a creature similar to the one he created. The Creature is the first character to appeal directly to nature when, after Frankenstein agrees to make him a companion, he swears, “by the sun, and by the blue sky of heaven, that is you grant my prayer, while you exist you shall never behold me again” (159). Shortly after this, Frankenstein appeals to forces greater than himself, exclaiming, “Oh! stars, and clouds, and winds, ye are all about to mock me: if ye really pity me, crush sensation and memory” (159). This appeal is simply for a merciful death, rather than direct intervention on his behalf to achieve a goal beyond his power. It is far different once Elizabeth is murdered and his father passes away. After his grief gives way to anger, he “knelt on the grass, and kissed the earth” (203). This body language suggests that he is submitting himself to nature, and recognizing it as a higher power. He then swears vengeance against the creature, “by the sacred earth on which I kneel, by the shades that wander near me, by the deep and eternal grief that I feel, I swear; and by thee, O Night, and by the spirits that preside over thee” (203). Frankenstein appeals not only to nature, but also to the Night, which, as the domain of darkness, is the natural opposite of the lightening and fire which Frankenstein used to bestow life and was previously fascinated by. I think it is valid to note that the Night, and by extension darkness, is associated with antagonistic powers. Frankenstein’s transition to darkness makes him more similar to the monster, which prefers the travel and act at night (152). After his initial conversion to worshiping nature and the Night, Frankenstein goes so far as to bestow spiritual value on the Creature itself, mistaking it for a good spirit. While Frankenstein knows that the monster regularly leaves him supplies to draw out his miserable existence, when there are not explicit signs that the food was left by the monster Frankenstein chooses to believe that “it was set there by the spirits that I had invoked to aid me” (204). Frankenstein’s sudden worship of nature and the Night, along with his confused belief in spirits, is part of his larger transformation into an isolated and vengeful man similar to his Creature.
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After the monster kills Elizabeth seems to be when all the great scenery around Frankenstein that he once nearly worshiped out of admiration, seems lose all its influence on him. Page 196 is covered with the scenic nature Surrounding Frankenstein from the many fish to the mountains, and the sky. Elizabeth's death seems to mark Frankenstein's complete conversion to the dark side. After Elizabeth's death, Victor takes little notice of the divine nature around him, and this is the turning point to which Frankenstein fully and inadvertently transforms into a monster just like his creation.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with Lachlan's idea that Frankenstein and the creature are becoming more similar. The creature, upon seeing Victor's dead body, exclaims "That is also my victim! In his murder my crimes are consummated...what does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I , who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovedst" (217). This eerily compares to Frankenstein's feelings before his death about the creature. He realizes that he had an unfulfilled obligation to the creature, saying, "I created a rational creature, and was bound towards him, to assure, as far as was in my power, his happiness and well-being. This was my duty," which mirrors the creature's sentiment about killing things Victor loved (216). Just as Victor killed the creature's dream of a family, the creature killed Victor's family and friends. Similarly to the creature, Victor also blames himself for murders that he did not commit with his own hands. I think that, by the end of the book, both Frankenstein and the creature regret their previous actions, and wished that things had turned out differently.
ReplyDeleteBoth statements, made by Lachlan and Anker, concerning the transformation of Frankenstein into a monster are quite interesting. Reiterating the point about Frank.'s conversion after Eliza.'s death, on page 199 it says "...I saw the fish play in the waters as they had done a few hours before; they had then been observed by Elizabeth." Frankenstein continues on to say that he has to be possibly the most miserable being on this earth; even if there is beautiful nature around him, nothing could fix the grief that has captured his soul. This is when vengeance becomes his only drive, which is to continue living in this world of so much grief, just like the creature's. He so state this: "I had formed in my own heart a resolution to pursue my destroyer to death..." (201). Again, as Lachlan points out, the creature and Frankenstein become of similar beings.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the attraction towards night is something that is similar with the Creature and Frankenstein, but in a different sense. Both Frankenstein and the Creature use night as a refuge from their problems. At night Frankenstein is able to dream that his family is still alive and is the only place he is able to find solace. The Creature finds a similar comfort in night because it hides him from the humans who distain and reject him. Therefore, the night allows them both to ignore their deepest issues.
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