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). …show more content…
The "ignorance is bliss" attitude often leads to a deadly reality, like when Victor created the monster and the self-controlling view of life brings the responsibility of actions with it, like when the monster knew the consequences of his actions. Regardless of which view of life a person believes in, there is humanity, lying in the middle, stretched one way by the need for control and pulled the other way by the carefree human
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). …show more content…
The "ignorance is bliss" attitude often leads to a deadly reality, like when Victor created the monster and the self-controlling view of life brings the responsibility of actions with it, like when the monster knew the consequences of his actions. Regardless of which view of life a person believes in, there is humanity, lying in the middle, stretched one way by the need for control and pulled the other way by the carefree human