The Ending

I wasn't expecting this ending. I did nto think that this many people would end up dying. I thought there would be some big epic battle between Frankenstein and his monster or there would be a giant uproar in the town and they would riot against the monster until he died. BUt in the end, the monster is one of the few to actually survive the story. It was a very good and interesting ending but I was just expecting something a lot different because of my preconceived notions coming into the novel. I really liked how it tied the beginning letters which allowed the story to catch up to the point in which it started and progress from there. As a whole, I really enjoyed the novel.

Dr. Frankenstein=The Monster

Dr. Frankenstein and the monster share severals parallels. They both lead very lonely lives, and every attempt to fix this results in more apin and suffering. They are both searching for some sort of knowledge. Franksenstein is seeking knowledge of the natural world, while the monster is seeking knowledge of the human society. When Frankenstein ruins the monster's chances of finding a compatible mate, he destroys Dr. Frankenstein's chances by killing Elizabeth. They always have to even out theplaying field, so that neither will maintain a more happy life. In the end, they both either die or leave as a sad and lonely man without any family and success.

Before and After

My vision of what Frankenstein was has drastically changed after reading this novel. Through movies and television, I have a vision of the monster as a tall green square-headed monster that waddles and moans with its arms held out in front of him. The Frankenstein depicted in SHelley's novel does not walk in this way and is very educated and speak fluently. This surprised me while reading the novel because I thought I had a good idea of who the monster was coming in. I have never seen a version of Frankenstein that had that big of a vocabulary. The media changed this image in order to make a more entertaining and scary version of the monster. A monster who uses big words and reads Paradise Lost is just not as scary as a silent monster chasing you throught the street.

Sad and Lonely

I cannot help but feel bad for the monster. He tries so desperatly to fit into regular human society but fails each time. He learns the language, studies behavioral movements, and even contributes his own labor to help the family in the cottage. But everytime he shows his face in public people are shocked and scared and try to fight him off. The monster is a very simple minded person who just wants to be accepted, but is constantly rejected. He then goes on to live a very sad and lonely life where he regrets even being created because even the one who made him fears his appearance.

Not a Scientist

Even after writing a novel about a scientist with many imprtant themes of knowledge and science, Mary Shelley is not very well educated in this field. A reader paying close attention can find several holes in her scientific argument. One of which is how can a dead body of one man have become a eight foot man with super strength. The fact that this is a fantasy novel should allow the reader to suspend belief in order to get wwhat the suthor is truly trying to say in its themes. THe science does not have to be 100% correct in order for the reader to recognize the themes in the novel. This book has several lessons about prejudgment and how our actrions affect others. Mary Shelley may not have been a scientist but she could articulate a good moral story.

Natural Vs. Unnatural

Dr. Frankenstein is facinated with the natural world. He made it his life goal to study the works of the natural, an dis in awe when he loooks out at the beauty of nature. He studied natural philosophy and has a basic understanding of what the natural world is. So why then did he create the unnatural being of the monster. He created him because the monster symbolized the unknown to him and an eagerness to learn. However when he realized that the monster was not natural it scared him and caused regret and panic.

Theme

There seem to themes of fate and how events are inevitable and unchangable. Frankenstein is faced with the death of several members of his family. He takes responsibility because he blames the creation of the monster as the source. However, he knows that he is unable to change these events and that whatever is supposed to happen will end up happening. He accepts his fate even though it is hard. He works to prevent future destruction but knows that in the end it is not up to him to decide.