"The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardor that exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart." (Chapter 5)
"Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change. The sun might shine or the clouds might lower, but nothing could appear to me as it had done the day before. A fiend had snatched from me every hope of future happiness; no creature had ever been so miserable as I was; so frightful an event is single in the history of man. But why should I dwell upon the incidents that followed this last overwhelming event? Mine has been a tale of horrors; I have reached their acme, and what I must now relate can but be tedious to you. Know that, one by one, my friends were snatched away; I was left desolate. " (Chapter 23)
Above are two famous quotations from Mary Shelley's novella Frankenstein. The role of change is so monumental in this story, that it almost takes on a role as its own character.
Are these two quotations saying different things about the concept of change? Or do they work together to provide one common statement relating the effect and importance of this concept?
How do their placements in the text relate to your understanding of their meanings/your response?
Garrett Richards
ReplyDeleteEnglish 10 Honors
P.5
Devastating change occurs in Shelley’s Frankenstein, which works to shape Victor and his role in the story. The two quotations mentioned in the prompt work together to explain to the reader how devastating and unexpected change, like a death or an accident (the creation of the monster), is difficult for humans to understand and psychologically manage. At first, Victor was thrilled with the possibility of creating a new being because he believed that good fortune would result for him. When he sees his ugly creation his excitement vanishes, (“the beauty of the dream vanished”) and he is instantly filled with disgust and horror. The sudden change in events shocked Victor; however, he has yet to understand what this will mean for himself and his family. It is not until the end where he faces the reality that this sudden change (the creation of such a horrible creature) truly made him alone and destroyed any of his hopes of “future happiness.” The quotation’s placement in the text is critical to developing this concept of change. In chapter 5, Victor first encounters the monster but only experiences feelings of disgust and horror. His family and friends are still alive; therefore, he has yet to develop feelings of hatred towards the monster. In chapter 23, Elizabeth is murdered and Alphonse dies, therefore leaving Victor virtually alone. He now has a thorough understanding of how change (the creation of the monster) truly affected his life.