Frankenstein Essay

Discuss the elements of context in Frankenstein, particularly, how the ideas of disruption and identity are explored.

Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” clearly develops and explores the critical ideas of disruption and identity through means of literary forms and features, as well as the historical, literary and personal context reflected in the novel. These ideas are supported by the composer’s portrayal of the main thematic concern of the novel, that is, the consequences of man playing god via the abuse of science.
The idea that disruption is a result of society’s blind abuse of science is explored through the resulting occurrences of the protagonist’s actions in the novel. Victor Frankenstein suffers an unfortunate interruption to his life and his state of mind after not realizing the consequences of man playing god. This is demonstrated through Victor’s warning to Walton: “But I- I have lost every thing and cannot begin life anew.” This portrays how his life has become disrupted as a result of the “dangerous… acquirement of knowledge”. Victor’s act in creating the monster serves as a basis for his mental collapse and disruption after the deaths of William and Justine in the opening chapter of volume two “I was seized by remorse… to a hell of intense tortures…deep, dark, deathlike solitude. I, not in deed, but in effect, was the true murderer.” The composer’s use of harsh consonants in ‘seized’ and ‘tortures’ as well as alliteration, heightens the intensity of Victor’s madness, thus reflecting the romantic context in which it was composed. As Victor begins to question his deeds, he sinks lower into a mental state of disorder. This representation of madness also reflects the gothic context, as the archetypal gothic hero displays these qualities. This representation of context further enhances the exploration of the idea of disruption
[ In considering the historical paradigms of the time in which “Frankenstein” was written, a deeper meaning of disruption is...