Sunday, November 18, 2012

Frankenstein: Page 81-97


Frankenstein
By: Mary Shelley




From Chapter XIII to Chapter XVI, the story takes a new path and new twist. Previously focused primarily on the story of Victor Frankenstein, the tale now terns to the story of his creature's development. This story illustrates the impacts of the past on the present and informs the reader of the creature's progress.

A key element used in the creature's story is that of metaphors. These metaphors provide comparisons and vivid descriptions by relating the creature to other people or events. One such example is illustrated in the phrase, "As yet I looked upon crime as a distant evil; benevolence and generosity were ever present before me, inciting within me a desire to become an actor in the busy scene where so many admirable qualities were called forth and displayed (Page 90)." This passage indicates that the creature is like a distant actor in his past. The creature is unconnected intrinsically to his past actions of evil intent as the creature himself is inherently good, but following the role of evil and violence. Slowly, however, the creature realizes that such a role begins to describe his life, and that is when the creature once more meets Frankenstein, his creator, and the play becomes real. This metaphor can also be extended to not only the creature, but also the family who act as distant actors in the creature's life. In this metaphor, the creature represents the audience as he constantly watches the story plot develop through the family's daily actions. Their story becomes, in a sense, a fairy-tale that the creature longs to be apart of and which he eventually enters. 



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