The Responsibility Of The Monster In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The major fault of Frankenstein as a character is not being able to accept responsibility for his creation and this is the first step along that path that he only accepts responsibility when he has lost everything. This extract comes at a critical point of the novel as Frankenstein has reanimated the monster and ran away from him. This impacts the development of both Frankenstein and the monster as characters. Frankenstein is tormented by what he has done. It is important to note us as the reader are limited in our perspective of the monster because the novel is told in the first person perspective of Frankenstein This essay will explore the context and the Shelley’s writing choices within the extract and explore how it impacted the rest …show more content…
Shelley emphasises the monstrous nature of The monster in the extract so it meets 19th-century expectations of monstrosity; for example Shelley uses alliteration in phrase, “Miserable monster” as it reinforces the monstrous nature of Frankenstein’s creation. Likewise there is also the juxtaposition of Victor calling the monster, “beautiful,” with the monster also being described as monstrous, “a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.” It emphasises the unnaturalness of the monster as he is beautiful and yet hideous and monstrous and this is added to with juxtaposition of the pure white teeth and the black lips. Frankenstein in the extract says a “Breathless