Compare and Contrast of Frankenstein and The Birthmark
In both stories “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the plots focus on the power of science, knowledge, and creating “perfection”. The book, “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley is about a man named Victor Frankenstein who is studying natural philosophy. Throughout the years of his studies, he develops an obsession with figuring out how to create life. As he continues his research, he becomes certain that he has found the secret to generating a “perfect” life. After spending many sleepless months on trying to create life out of death, he is finally successful. When his creature awakens, he realizes that his creation turned out to look like a horrific monster. …show more content…
The book “Frankenstein” takes place on a number of different settings. Victor is born in italy; grows up in Geneva, Switzerland; and moves to Germany to study, where he creates the monster in his laboratory. Throughout his time in Germany, Victor is living in a house. On the very top floor of his house is where he has created himself a lab which he describes as, “my workshop of filthy creation” (33). His lab is a chamber secluded from the rest of the house, where he gathers body parts for his experiment. Similarly, “The Birthmark” also takes place in a laboratory; but In contrast, the story only takes place under one setting. Like Victor, Aylmer also has a lab where he creates the potion that removes Georgiana’s birthmark. There are two sides to Aylmer’s lab, and the atmosphere of the two rooms scream opposite. The private room is beautiful and refreshing; as for the actual laboratory, it reeks of chemicals and is dark and dirty. His lab is described as, “Around the room were retorts, tubes, cylinders, crucibles, and other apparatus of chemical research. An electrical machine stood ready for immediate use. The atmosphere felt oppressively close, and was tainted with gaseous odors which had been tormented forth by the processes of science” (401). Aylmer’s lab is filthy but still seems to be his comfort zone. Although Victor is quite wanderlust throughout “Frankenstein”, both Victor and …show more content…
Both Victor and Aylmer are perfectionists and scientists, who push their knowledge to the limit. Victor causes a serious mess after fiddling with creating life, bringing a monster into the world. Aylmer tries to perfect his wife, and ends up being her cause of death. Both themes revolve around the two characters depending on science in order to create perfection, but they both end up far from perfect. Both settings take place within a laboratory, except Victor changes his settings more than Aylmer. Both characters are similar because they feel as if they are Godlike, due to their confidence in science; and they both end up failing in different experiments. Georgiana’s birthmark and the monster both symbolize imperfection and acceptance in their own way. “Frankenstein” and “The Birthmark” both share similar qualities, but at the same time, prove their
In both stories “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and “The Birthmark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the plots focus on the power of science, knowledge, and creating “perfection”. The book, “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley is about a man named Victor Frankenstein who is studying natural philosophy. Throughout the years of his studies, he develops an obsession with figuring out how to create life. As he continues his research, he becomes certain that he has found the secret to generating a “perfect” life. After spending many sleepless months on trying to create life out of death, he is finally successful. When his creature awakens, he realizes that his creation turned out to look like a horrific monster. …show more content…
The book “Frankenstein” takes place on a number of different settings. Victor is born in italy; grows up in Geneva, Switzerland; and moves to Germany to study, where he creates the monster in his laboratory. Throughout his time in Germany, Victor is living in a house. On the very top floor of his house is where he has created himself a lab which he describes as, “my workshop of filthy creation” (33). His lab is a chamber secluded from the rest of the house, where he gathers body parts for his experiment. Similarly, “The Birthmark” also takes place in a laboratory; but In contrast, the story only takes place under one setting. Like Victor, Aylmer also has a lab where he creates the potion that removes Georgiana’s birthmark. There are two sides to Aylmer’s lab, and the atmosphere of the two rooms scream opposite. The private room is beautiful and refreshing; as for the actual laboratory, it reeks of chemicals and is dark and dirty. His lab is described as, “Around the room were retorts, tubes, cylinders, crucibles, and other apparatus of chemical research. An electrical machine stood ready for immediate use. The atmosphere felt oppressively close, and was tainted with gaseous odors which had been tormented forth by the processes of science” (401). Aylmer’s lab is filthy but still seems to be his comfort zone. Although Victor is quite wanderlust throughout “Frankenstein”, both Victor and …show more content…
Both Victor and Aylmer are perfectionists and scientists, who push their knowledge to the limit. Victor causes a serious mess after fiddling with creating life, bringing a monster into the world. Aylmer tries to perfect his wife, and ends up being her cause of death. Both themes revolve around the two characters depending on science in order to create perfection, but they both end up far from perfect. Both settings take place within a laboratory, except Victor changes his settings more than Aylmer. Both characters are similar because they feel as if they are Godlike, due to their confidence in science; and they both end up failing in different experiments. Georgiana’s birthmark and the monster both symbolize imperfection and acceptance in their own way. “Frankenstein” and “The Birthmark” both share similar qualities, but at the same time, prove their