Mary Shellys Use of Characterization in Frankenstein

Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, is a novel that's kept readers hooked for ages. The way she builds up the characters is especially worth mentioning. It adds layers and complexity to the whole story. Shelley dives into big themes like ambition, responsibility, and what happens when you try to play god. Let's break down how she crafts these characters and what it does for the story.

Victor Frankenstein: Ambition Gone Too Far?

The main guy in this story is Victor Frankenstein. Right from the start, he's shown as a smart but super ambitious young man who's all about cracking life's secrets. You can see it when he says, "A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me" (Shelley 36). That's pretty wild, right? Victor's drive to learn pushes him into science, leading him to make that monster everyone's talking about.

Through Victor's journey, Shelley shows us what unchecked ambition can do. Sure, his goals might've been good at first, but he just doesn’t think about what's right or wrong. His obsession with being like a god and creating life brings on his own disaster. That monster? It's like a giant warning sign of what happens when ambition goes unchecked.

The Monster: More Than Meets the Eye

Then there's the monster. People often call him "Frankenstein's creature," which is kind of unfair if you think about it. Even though he looks scary, Shelley's given him depth. At first, he's just curious and innocent, wanting to connect with people around him. But man, society really shuts him out and treats him bad, so he ends up vengeful and wants payback against Victor for leaving him high and dry.

Shelley's got us rethinking our ideas of beauty vs ugliness or good vs evil here. The monster’s experiences show how crucial empathy is—his actions come from feeling lonely and rejected. Through this character, she asks some big questions about humanity and how we treat those who are different from us.

The Rest of the Crew: Elizabeth and Walton

Shelley doesn't stop with just Victor and the monster; even the side characters have their own stories going on. Take Elizabeth—Victor’s adopted sis and love interest. She’s all about love and virtue, showing off ideals of femininity back then. Her role stands out against all the horror Victor gets tangled in.

And Robert Walton? He’s basically there to frame the story for us as an outsider looking in on all this madness. As a ship captain aiming for the North Pole, his ambitions match Victor’s in some ways—it really highlights how chasing dreams can have serious fallout if you're not careful.

Final Thoughts

Wrapping it up—Mary Shelley's character work in Frankenstein plays a huge part in getting across her themes and driving the narrative forward. By painting such layered pictures of folks like Victor Frankenstein, his creation, Elizabeth, and Walton—she's tackling ideas about ambition gone wrong or our duty toward each other head-on! The book still makes waves today because it reminds us why empathy matters while sounding alarm bells over unchecked ambition.

References

• Shelley, M. (2003). Frankenstein (Penguin Classics).
• Mellor, A.K., & Morton D.H., eds (1995). The Cambridge Companion to Mary Shelley.
• Baldick C.(1987). In Frankenstein's Shadow: Myth Monstrosity Feminism.
• Sterrenburg L.J.(1979). "Mary Shelley's Monster: Politics Science Psychoanalysis".
• Lepaludier P.(1999)."Monster Myths". A Review of Literature Criticism .