Analysis Of Mary Shelley 's ' Frankenstein ' Essay examples

In the first few pages of Mary Shelley 's novel, Frankenstein, two basic ideas of life oppose one another; fate and free will. Fate is the evolution of events beyond a person 's control and free will is the power of acting without the constraint of fate. For centuries people have argued between the two, but few will actually resign to one idea or the other, meaning they believe there 's something in between. Similarly, few people can 't imagine a life without one or the other. However, Mary Shelley creates a contrasting picture in this novel by allowing the characters, Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the monster represent the difference between fate and free will.

The first character Mary Shelley uses is, Walton Robert. Walton 's quest for the North Pole is most certainly a choice, and actually resembles his earlier ambitions of becoming a poet. Later in the year he abandoned his aim to find a place among the great poets of the past. In all honesty, Walton has no genuine aim at all, but he is so driven by a vague, yet impulsive, will to make his mark in the world. Terry M. Thompson states that, "because Walton has long dreamed of uncovering some of nature’s most profound secrets—despite the many attendant risks—and then basking in the personal glory of such discovery, he has often been described unflatteringly" (Thompson 1). While undertaking his journey, the discovery of the Pole, the satisfaction of curiosity and the glory of being the first to discover it, he…