FRankenstein essay quotes and analysis

Creature’s connection to nature (Paragraph 4)

"[The Creature] missed the sun and stars."

Childlike innocence through nature (Paragraph 4)

"the winds play on [his] cheeks."

Positive nature imagery (Paragraph 4)

"the cheering warmth of summer."

Rousseau’s philosophy on innate goodness (Paragraph 1)

"God makes all things good; man meddles with them and they become evil."

Social rejection and cruelty (Paragraph 4)

"some attacked me."

Emotional longing vs fear (Paragraph 4)

"longed to join them, but dared not. [He] remembered too well the treatment [he] had suffered the night before."

Rousseau’s gentle education ideal (Paragraph 1)

"prepare the way by soft means, not harsh methods."

Victor’s ambition to be God (Paragraph 3)

"A new species would bless me as its creator and source."

Victor’s goal to illuminate the world (Paragraph 3)

"Pour a torrent of light into our dark world."

Nature’s hiding places (Paragraph 2)

"I pursued nature to her hiding places."

Prometheus myth angering Zeus (Paragraph 1)

"Zeus, who thunders on high, was stung in spirit, and his dear heart was angered."

Prometheus' punishment

Bound in Tartarus with his liver eaten daily; Pandora unleashed suffering on mankind.

Victor on disillusionment (Paragraph 4)

"I was required to exchange chimeras of boundless grandeur for realities of little worth."

Satan's ambition (Paragraph 2)

"I will raise my throne above the stars of God."

Victor’s warning to Walton (Paragraph 1)

"How much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow."

Genesis serpent’s promise (Paragraph 3)

"When you eat from it, your eyes will be opened."

Analysis: Creature’s connection to nature

The imagery connects the Creature to nature, seen as a pure, soothing force, highlighting innate innocence.

Analysis: Childlike innocence through nature

The verb 'play' evokes innocence, reinforcing the Creature’s purity before societal corruption.

Analysis: Positive nature imagery

'Cheering' and 'warmth' suggest comfort, emphasizing the Creature’s joy in harmony with nature.

Analysis: Rousseau’s philosophy

Reflects the idea that humans are born good but corrupted by society, mirroring the ideal Émile.

Analysis: Social rejection and cruelty

Shows harsh treatment by society, marking the Creature’s corruption beginning with external cruelty.

Analysis: Emotional longing vs fear

Contrast of longing and fear showcases trauma and highlights societal cruelty's conditioning impact.

Analysis: Victor’s ambition to be God

Divine language ('bless,' 'creator') reveals God-complex, aligning Victor with Promethean overreach.

Analysis: Victor’s goal to illuminate the world

Subversion of Enlightenment metaphors critiques belief that knowledge alone can save humanity.

Analysis: Nature’s hiding places

Sexual imagery frames Victor's pursuit of science as invasive, casting ambition as a violent intrusion.

Analysis: Prometheus myth angering Zeus

Prometheus' theft incites wrath, paralleling Victor's 'creation' as a warning against divine ambition.

Analysis: Prometheus' punishment

Foreshadows torment and destruction, critiquing Enlightenment ideals of noble ambition and progress.

Analysis: Victor on disillusionment

'Chimeras' symbolize illusions, showcasing that idealized knowledge leads to disillusionment.

Analysis: Satan's ambition

Mirrors Victor’s power-seeking, emphasizing ruin from the pursuit of god-like knowledge.

Analysis: Victor’s warning to Walton

Contrasts limited, peaceful understanding with destructive aspiration, suggesting