Literary Elements: Foreshadowing - Allegoory
Foreshadowing... my more than sister, since till death she was mine only By saying "till death", Frankenstein is foreshadowing Elizabeth's eventual death at the hands of his creation
I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown power, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation. By saying this, Frankenstein is foreshadowing what will happen once his monster comes to life, with unknown power and deepest mysteries being how the monster ends up killing people
The picture appeared a vast and dim scene of evil, and I foresaw obscurely that I was destined to become the most wretched of human beings Frankenstein stated this and it is foreshadowing the fact that throughout the rest of the story, he will lose everybody he cares about and truly become wretched.
Thus spoke my prophetic soul, as, torn by remorse, horror, and despair, I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first of my hapless victims to my unhallowed arts This sentence foreshadows more deaths to come, as instead of just listing William and Justin as hapless victims to his unhallowed arts, he says they are the first victims, which implies that there are more to come
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Allusions
There are many allusions throughout the novel which is evident if you just read the title, which includes "The Modern Prometheus". There are many references to this, like Victor who is similar to Prometheus because he has a unique power. The Monster is like the fire inside Prometheus which causes Victor to be punished.
Victor reads works by Cornelius Agrippa while at university, and his professors mention works by Dr. Darwin. While at the cottage, the Monster is found reading works such as Paradise Lost, Plutarch's Lives, and Sorrows of Werter, and is very interested in Paradise Lost's depiction of Satan since they are both rejected from society. There are also quotes from Rime of the Ancient Mariner in many locations in the book. |
Symbols
Light is a major symbol in Frankenstein which represents enlightenment. At the beginning, Walton is heading to the North Pole which he believes is eternally light with the goal of unveiling the secrets of the universe. Victor uses light to describe new discoveries he has throughout the play, like saying "A new light seemed to dawn upon my mind" when he discovers natural philosophy, and "a sudden light broke in upon me" when he discovers the secret to creating life. By creating a new species, he hopes to pour a "torrent of light into our dark world". But, just as light can be dangerous in large quantities, Victor and Walton do not consider the dangerous consequences of their quests.
In reference to the allusion about Prometheus, the fire that Prometheus gave the humans caused him to be punished by the Gods. In the same way, Victor gave the gift of creating life to humans, but suffered punishment, with the monster destroying his family and life. Fire also appears as a dangerous force used for sustenance and punishment. Sustenance as when the monster discovered fire, and punishment as when the monster describes demons suffering in lakes of fire. |
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Themes
Pursuit of knowledge and the consequences of it
Victor is an obvious example of how this can lead to negative things, like his discovery of creating life which leads to many terrible things that he is chased by for the rest of his life, like death, unhappiness, and obsession. This also relates to Walton and his pursuit to discover more in the Arctic. “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been” Revenge This theme encompasses the entire novel, whether it's Victor trying to kill the monster due to his murders, or the monster killing because Victor ruined his chance at a normal life. This drives the plot forward and gives characters their purpose. “…shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery…Man, you shall repent of the injuries you inflict” Morals, distinguishing right from wrong Victor's decision to create life is the first instance of this, with moral dilemmas such as stealing other body parts to create life. When the monster requests a partner, Victor should consider it and think of it in a big picture sense. Morals also come into play when Victor keeps the secret of the monster to himself, is it right for him to let a dangerous monster loose without warning people of it? |
Allegory
Frankenstein is an allegory in the sense that it is the story of God and the creation of the first human, Adam.
Victor is essentially God, who creates a being in his own image, and the monster is supposed to be Adam. However, unlike God, Victor is creating out of pride and curiosity instead of love, and rejects his creation as opposed to being pleased with it. The monster is like Adam such that he is alone when he is created and asked his creator for a companion, but unlike Adam he is not beautiful and does not get his wish of a companion. |