Protagonist

"My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture such as you cannot imagine." page 208

I believe that this is one of the most important passages in the book. I've been trying to decide if the protagonist is the monster or Victor. This passage finally made me decide the monster. I believe that deep down he is good. However, his hubris is susceptibility to the poison of the violent world into which he was created. He is a gentle and kind creature until humanity exposes him to hate and rejection. He moves the action forward by his demand of a mate and his numerous murders. This makes him sound bad, but this is the influence that the outside world had on him. It was a constant battle between the good and evil inside of him. He mourned every time he murdered and he even mourned his hated creator. That is true humanity.

Well, That's Depressing

"He could not live under the horrors that were accumulated around him; the springs of existence suddenly gave way; he was unable to rise from his bed, and in a few days he died in my arms." Pg. 188

I am really depressed right now. I keep going back and forth between feeling bad for the monster and feeling bad for Victor. Right now it's Victor. He has lost everything. I think it is interesting that the monster has been the one to take it all. After all, Victor is the creator. I would think that he would be the one who would have power over his creation. However, his ambition was so great, that he created something that was stronger and greater than he himself was. I would think that with this knowledge he would have been more prepared and seen Elizabeth's death coming. After all, the monster has never sought to take his life, simply those around him. He doesn't want his creator dead, he wants him to suffer as he himself has had to suffer.

Connections!

"But he found that a traveller's life is one that includes much pain amidst its enjoyments." pg 154

This line really caught my attention. Victor is speaking about Henry but my thoughts quickly jumped to Walton. It seems like this phrase seems to define him. He, a traveller, felt completely along and friendless. The reader can assume by the mood of his letters to Margaret that he is homesick. Yes, he was enthusiastic about the expedition and the hopeful end result. However, it was the journey to this end result that he has a great deal of difficulty with. I just found this passage interesting because it connects two people in Victor's life who are very different from one another in most ways.

Motivation

"Suddenly, as I gazed on him, an idea seized me that this little creature was unprejudiced and had lived too short a time to have imbibed a horror of deformity. If, therefore, I could seize him and educate him as my companion and friend, I should not be so desolate in this people earth." page 136

When I started reading this book, I had no idea that I would like the monster. I assumed that I would react in a similar way as the other characters do, in disgust. The whole idea of this type of creature is weird to me. But it is interesting how much this book teaches the reader about humanity. The monster is simply trying to be human. He wants companionship and love. However, he has also been poisoned by the evil of humanity. His knowledge of violence changes his perception of the world as does the rejection that he constantly faces. He never wanted to become a monster, but that is what the world made him.

Foil Characters

"My days were spent in close attention, that I might more speedily master the language; and I may boast that I improved more rapidly than the Arabian, who understood very little and conversed in broken accents, whilst I comprehended and could imitate almost every word that was spoken." Page 113

This passage is one of many that illustrate how Safie is a foil to the monster. The monster learns much faster than she does. However, she also foils him in look and demeanor. The family loves Safie and describes the beauty of both her outward appearance and her voice. The monster himself sees her beauty. To summarize, her grace charms them. The monster does the opposite. When seen by humans, they run and hide in fear. Early on when he tries to speak, he is surprised by the horrid sounds he makes. And lastly when he sees his reflection, he is appalled. Safie is a gentle and graceful creature and brings joy into people's lives while the monster feels, and is, unwanted.

Eloquence

"I found that these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings to one another by articulate sounds. I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness, in the minds and countenances of the hearers." Pg 106 Since the creature came back into the story, he has surprised me with his eloquence. I have always imagined Frankenstein's monster as dumb and inarticulate. However, Shelley's eloquent and flowing style is not interrupted by his speech. This specific passage really surprised me. The fact that he could teach himself to speak simply by observing is neighbors is amazing to me. And he not only speaks, he speaks very well. His grammar is flawless and his vocabulary is vast. Frankenstein had no idea what he had created. Earlier on in the chapter, the creature describes when he discovered that he was ugly. This really surprised me. It makes the creature almost seem human.

Consolation?

"...solitude was my only consolation-deep, dark, deathlike solitude." pg 86 I found this statement very intriguing. Victor is a truly strange man. I don't understand why darkness and despair would help his situation. Things are already bad enough. Why does he get comfort from more depression. It seems like an odd emotional state that I can't even begin to imagine or comprehend. He is truly desperate and depressed if deeper darkness is his only comfort. It's not like it is his only option. He has a great family who is there for him and going through the same thing. I would think that he would turn to them.