Alex Tran English 1b Tim Melnarik Dracula or Frankenstein To be considered a monster the character must possess an appalling appearance or personality. Monsters have heavily been prevalent throughout human history, striking fear into the hearts of people for centuries. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula Frankenstein’s monster and Dracula possess appalling personalities and exterior that attributes to their own unique monstrosity. They are both iconic monsters that have terrified people around the world for ages. However, they are two very different creatures; for instance Frankenstein is a monster because he is shunned by society for his grotesque appearance. Dracula is a monster because he feasts upon the living for …show more content…
Out of resentment Frankenstein aims to harm his creator, Viktor Frankenstein, by murdering those close to him. Frankenstein’s monster would strive to murder innocent people closest to Frankenstein as revenge for abandoning him and for his grotesque appearance. His lust for revenge is further exploited when Frankenstein breaks his promise of creating the monster a partner, therefore the monster retaliates in vengeance by murdering Elizabeth “leaving a murderous mark of his grasp on her neck” (Shelley, 242). The monster’s murderous intent is fueled by his lust for revenge against his creator. Blaming Frankenstein for all of his misfortunes, such as his horrific appearance and not relieving him of his solitude by not granting him a partner. Revenge forged Frankenstein’s monster from a compassionate giant to a vengeful monster. Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster share the same attribute that all monsters possess which is murdering innocent human beings. Frankenstein’s monster and Dracula have differing beginnings and motivations that makes them uniquely different from one another. Frankenstein’s monster was created from the experiments of Viktor Frankenstein in hopes of creating the perfect human being. However, those hopes did not come to fruition as he created a grotesque monster. Frankenstein abandons the monster, stating “[He] was unable to endure the aspect of the monster that [he] created” (Shelley, 36). Viktor Frankenstein had already deemed his creation as a
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the character Victor Frankenstein illustrates betrayal in the way he abandons his creation, with no hesitation he leaves him behind. With the feeling of abandonment ,the creature feels anger towards Victor which leads the “monster” to become a villain. Love and family are all the monster wants, but it is something that Victor could not give due to his own internal battles. As result, the monster begins to take Victor’s loved ones such as: little William and his wife Elizabeth. The monster kills
John Gardner’s Grendel and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein both include characters who are labeled as monsters. Grendel and the Monster share common characteristics such as being ugly, strong, large, and they kill others. They are both insecure about their appearance and how society portrays them. Grendel and the Monster use violence to try and cope with their insecurities. In the literary works Grendel and Frankenstein, both the monster’s physical appearance and their interactions with others cause them to become an outcast from society. This leads to rejection of themselves, low self-esteem, and ultimately they create havoc within their communities.
There is a seemingly endless cycle of revenge throughout the novel, which connects Frankenstein to his creation. When Frankenstein finds out his creation is the reason for William and Justine’s death, it drives his deep emotions for the beast. “My abhorrence of this fiend cannot be conceived. When I thought of him I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflame, and I ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed”(Shelley74). He is reflecting on the creatures actions which have pushed him to wish the creature was never born. In a sense, he is
Frankenstein shares many of the same characteristics with monsters, such as his appearance, his selfishness, and his aberrant desire to be Godlike. Victor Frankenstein is described as grotesque, almost demon-like, during the scene in which Frankenstein laments his fury on
As the perception of women changes constantly, society is the only factor in creating their ideal image. These societal views are the basis of their treatment, with the expectation that it is beneficial for them. However, societal expectations of women in the Elizabethan and Victorian eras severely limit their freedoms and rights. William Shakespeare’s Othello and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein portray most women in their typical roles. Both authors depict the level of injustice in society’s treatment of women through the passivity of women causing their deaths, the silencing of vulnerable women and the portrayal of women as more humane than men.
What defines a monster? Is it one’s appearance or one’s actions? In today’s society, a monster is often considered evil or inhumane. In Frankenstein, the creation that Victor Frankenstein makes is called the monster, but throughout the book we are shown the compassion of the creature and the monster-like qualities in Frankenstein. The creature with “his yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion, and straight black lips” (Shelley 35) caused people to fear and judge him only off of appearance, never getting to know the true morals of him. Victor Frankenstein can not only be labeled a monster, but also a sociopath. Being a sociopath does not always mean being a monster, but in today’s society the two terms often go hand in hand with one another. According to the American Psychiatric Association there are seven diagnostic criteria that categorize a sociopath. Included in those seven are three major ones that Victor Frankenstein shows throughout the novel: extreme antisocial attitude and behavior, pattern of irresponsibly, and lack of remorse for actions
When monsters are thought of a very distinct picture comes to mind. An ugly creature that is out for blood, born into a life where causing misery is his driving force. Do these features really define what a monster is; works of literature like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Shakespeare’s Othello tell quite a different story. Monsters are not born but made just as people are not born evil but can sometimes end up there. Othello and the Monster start of as good men looking to be part of society but were pushed out because of what others perceived them to be. This caused them to mentally and physically isolate themselves from everyone allowing hatred to take over. Iago and Frankenstein also helped to instill thoughts
“When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, the, a monster, a blot upon the earth from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?” (13.105). In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and the film Edward Scissorhands directed by Tim Burton, the theme of alienation is explored because the creature and Edward are unable to evolve into ordinary members of society due to long periods of isolation and monstrous characteristics. Firstly, The isolation that both the creature and Edward experience from being alienated by their creators leaves them both oblivious when trying to abide by the rules of society.
Frankenstein and Edward Scissorhand are both about two different creators creating their own kind of creatures, and the journey through the whole process and the life after creation. In both the novel and film we are able to compare different aspects of both the novel and film. Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and Tim Burton’s film Edward Scissorhands have many similarities and differences starting from the desire of wanting to feel love, to the cause of all the violence. A few of the similarities and differences visible throughout the novel and film are: quest for knowledge, companionship, and their creators.
A multitude of signs illustrates similarities between the Frankenstein’s creature and Mary Shelley. These indications show that the novel may be an autobiography. However, the novel shows a lot of the characteristics of science fiction. The novel can be a real description or fiction narrative, but not both. An informed opinion about this controversy requires the evaluation of relevant critics. Sherry Ginn uses “Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein: Science, Science Fiction, or Autobiography?” to adequately argue that the novel Frankenstein is based on Shelley’s experiences and fears, that it is not an autobiography, and that it has all the characteristics of a science fiction narrative.
Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, contains two different, but remarkably similar characters. Victor Frankenstein was a man who desired family and knowledge. He adored science so profoundly that he created a creature out of parts that he gathered from charnel houses and graveyards. The creature and Victor both share the same desires and other similarities. As the novel goes on, the two show just how similar they truly are.
In the novel frankenstein, the theme was mostly revenge because the creature was frustrated on how his the only creature like that and very ugly that no one understands. He wanted revenge because he thinks he shouldn't be alive so compares himself to satan. “When I reflected on his crimes and malice, my hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation. I would have made a pilgrimage to the highest peak of the Andes, could I when there have precipitated him to their base (shelley 42). Revenge plays in a role where the creature wants revenge by victor making him a creature where he didn't feel like he should've been created. As he wants revenge the creature kills a person to prove victor that he was a mistake. By doing that, victor feels guilty and thinks that
Towards the end of the book the similarities between victor frankenstein and the monster grew more to resemble each other.
Frankenstein’s and society’s rejection of the monster, however, drove him to an uneven passionate pursuit for a companion. He forced Frankenstein to create a female monster, and he provided motivation by killing Frankenstein’s loved ones and threatening to kill more of them. The monster recalls in this final scene of Shelley’s novel how his desire drove him to evil. “. . . do you think that I was then dead to agony and remorse?--He . . . suffered not more in the consummation of the deed;--oh! Not the ten-thousandth portion of the anguish that was mine during the lingering detail of its execution. A frightful selfishness hurried me on. . . .” (153) At that point in the novel, the monster has changed from good in nature to evil in nature. His own desires are more important to him than the well-being of others and he is willing to commit murder in order ensure the fulfillment of his desire.
In the Romance novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley she illustrates themes of innocence and revenge. The book focuses on a wild scientist named Victor Frankenstein. The novel goes through many stories and perspectives on the life of Frankenstein's creation. Throughout the novel the monster tries to prove to the society that he is not a horrible creature and that his physical attributes do not represent him. Although he tries hard to accomplish this goal, society does not believe him so the monster decides to get revenge on Frankenstein. The society is responsible for the deaths that occurred in the novel because they assumed he was a certain way based on his looks, their violent towards him, and they mentally hurt him with their words which turn him evil and make him obsessed with revenge.