Themes Identified and Character Analysis in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein essays

Themes Identified and Character Analysis in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein essays Knowledge, social responsibility, society's view of beauty, and secrecy are major themes that occur in Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein. Shelley is able to identity some of the most hideous of human characteristics in her characters, focusing on how easily an obsession can become a blinding, dangerous force. Frankenstein and his monster represent the good and the bad that can come from the reckless pursuit of knowledge. Frankenstein's inability to accept his responsibility leads to endless suffering. This paper will examine how Shelley develops her characters throughout the novel and will also explore the important themes Shelley focuses on to make her We can clearly see how the theme of knowledge is intrinsically connected with scientific exploration in this story. This is significant because during the nineteenth century, many new scientific endeavors included the ability to "create artificial men and automations" (Johnson xiii). Additionally, favorite topics of the time included alchemy and galvanism. It is also important to note that Shelley adopted her father's belief that society was a corrupting force. (xiii) According to Martin Garrett, author of Mary Shelley, many conversations revolved around "the nature and the principle of life, and whether there was any probability of its ever being discovered or communicated . . . perhaps a corpse would be reanimated with the aid of electricity, or perhaps the components of parts of a creature might be manufactured, brought together, and endued with vital warmth" (Garrett 33). In addition to being a part of such lively conversations, Shelley had also read Sir Humphrey Davy's Discourse on Chemistry prior to penning her novel. Davy's notes conclude that chemistry grants man " powers . . . which have enabled him to modify and change the beings surrounding him, and by his experiments to interrogate nature with power, not simp...