Themes in Frankenstein

Pursuit of Knowledge

• Victor tries to pursue secrets of life, almost act as God

• Robert Walton tries to explore where no one has before (to reach North Pole)

• Result: destruction, danger, etc.

Nature

• Common theme of Romanticism is that nature can lead to emotional experiences

• Victor goes to mountains to feel better after William and Justine’s deaths

• The monster’s spirits are lifted when winter ends and spring begins

Monstrosity

• Monster: tall, ugly, mix-matched body parts• Victor: ambition, secrecy, and selfishness• Who is really the monster?

Secrecy• Believes M. Krempe, the natural philosopher he

meets, to be a role model as M. Krempe is consumed with the secrecy of his work

• Victor keeps the act of creating the monster a secret

• Obsession of destroying the monster is a secret• Monster keeps his identity a secret• Both the monster and Victor share their stories

with Walton to escape and be empathized with

Texts

• Walton’s letters hold Victor’s story• Victor’s letters hold Monster’s story• The Monster’s story includes Felix and

Safie’s story• The Monster needs to hear and watch the

peasants to read of his creation in Victor’s journal

• The Monster leaves notes for Victor in the ice

Prejudice

• People assume that the monster is evil based on his looks, in the beginning though he is open-hearted and warm

• De Lacey, the blind man, is the only one who accepts the monster

• How the monster is treated affects the way he turns out (good vs. bad)

Revenge• The monster’s revenge on Victor by killing his

family• Wants revenge after the scenario with Felix and De

Lacey• This ensures that the monster will never be accepted

in society• This means revenge is the only thing he has

• Victor wants revenge on the Monster for killing his family

• Result: both turn into real monsters

Isolation

• Victor creates the monster only after being isolated

• The monster turns vengeful only after being isolated

• The monster’s vengeance is to make Victor feel isolated by killing his family

• Result: isolation from family and society is the worst fate and the cause of hatred, violence, and revenge