Passion In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Passion is a powerful desire, and it is sometimes difficult to contain feelings and listen to the voice of reason. Such struggle is endured by Victor and his creature in the novel Frankenstein; both individuals are carried away by their overpowering passion that they do not see the irrationality behind their motives. Victor asserts that “[His] application soon became so ardent and eager, that the stars often disappeared in the light of morning whilst [he] was yet engaged in [his] laboratory”, showing how his passion consumed him and prevented him for preserving his health (29). He also claims that “Despondency rarely visited my heart; a high destiny seemed to bear me on, until I fell, never, never to again rise” (157). Victor is consumed in …show more content…
Frankenstein is a framed narrative, meaning Walton re-tells Frankenstein’s journey to his sister in the letters he sends to her. The beginning and final letters show Walton’s journey before and after hearing Victor’s cautionary tale, while the framed narrative highlights Victor’s journey and his similarities to Walton. In the letters, Victor cries “Unhappy man! Do you share my madness? Have you drunk also of the intoxicating draught? Hear me, - let me reveal my tale, and you will dash the cup from your lips!” (12). Victor sees Walton about to commit the same mistake he had, and he hopes his take will save Walton from a terrible fate. The framed narrative allows readers to see how Victor and Walton are similar due to their hunger for greatness. Moreover, this strategy introduces the theme of isolation since Walton asserts he feels as though he “shall find no friend on the wide ocean”(5). The passionate sailor feels isolated as he endeavors into the unforgiving terrain on the North Pole; the theme of isolation is carried through in Victor’s tale for he also feels alone with “no one near [him] to soothe [him] with the gentle voice of love”(131). Both men feel as though they have no one to confide in. Walton is the bearer of the tale, and his narrative leads readers to view the characters …show more content…
When presented with the creature’s perspective, he is first presented as an innocent being seeking love and knowledge, yet he is deprived of love and mistreated by humans, which lead to his evolution into a creature of hate and murder. The monster recalls his first moments with difficulty, saying “all the events of that period appear confused and indistinct”(70). The monster resembles a newborn child, born into a strange world and unable to recall its first moments alive. The creature eventually begins to polish his senses, and wander out into man’s neighborhood only to experience neglect. The lack of nurture made the monster feel like “a poor, helpless, miserable wretch”, which initiates his transformation into a devilish creature. In fact, once he encounters a small hut, he describes his discovery as “an exquisite and divine a retreat as Pandemonium appeared to the daemons of hell after their suffering in the lake of fire”(73). Such a grotesque comparison to the demons of hell demonstrates that the monster was already suffering and being affected by his lack of nurture. Furthermore, after being rejected by humans he encountered in his travels, the rejection of the DeLacey family ignited a fire in the creature’s heart. He describes his agony, claiming “[I] was no longer restrained by the fear of discovery, I gave vent to my anguish in fearful howlings. I was like a