Draft Essay 3

Amber Watkins

Ms. Cline

ENG 102

11 Oct 2011

Frankenstein

Everyone gets lonely at times. Throughout the book Frankenstein is a gift to have in one’s life. I believe this book is based on companionship and basically being selfish. In the beginning of the book any reader can understand that Frankenstein was looking for someone to travel by his side. Later on in the story another event occurred where the Monster wanted to have a companion because life does get lonely no matter what or who you are. While reading the story I gave the monster a lot of pity because all of his actions he had committed to was only inspire of Frankenstein not creating him a friend. Although anyone who reads this story would have a different view about the book. As i read the book i believe that Frankenstein is a very selfish person in many ways, in many ways it had to do with having a companioning, and I come to the understanding that it can be compared to feminism in a way. Frankenstein was selfish about the way he handled things in life and with family. I feel as though Frankenstein handled things wrong in life and should’ve had better reasons for his actions.

Frankenstein longed for a companion to travel on his long journeys with. I would say that friendship is the key theme in the story. When Frankenstein set off to travel on his long voyage he longs for someone to cherish the moment with him, and this showed he didn’t like to be alone. "I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavor to sustain me in dejection (p.10)." When I first read this I assumed that maybe Frankenstein just doesn’t like to be alone and he is most family oriented, and he might just miss family. When i took the time to look into the statement and I realized that he was just being selfish and arrogant. He only wanted someone to travel along with him so he can be arrogant and boast on his success in the travel. Frankenstein wanted someone to stand and watch him bask in glory which would make someone jealous. Being alone can cause someone to do unbearable things because that person may feel that they have no meaning in life. "Urged by this view, I refused, and I did right in refusing, to create a companion for the first creature (p.206)." I believe that this was a selfish act, and that Frankenstein was wrong for not giving the creature a companion. All of the times Frankenstein was lonely and longing for a friend, he couldn’t understand the monsters pain and create him one. Another occasion occurred when I thought of Frankenstein being self-seeking is when he went home. "Ah! I wish you had come three months ago, and then you would have found us all joyous and delighted (49-50)." Any of the times Frankenstein could’ve came home to visit he only came to the funeral of his brother’s death, when everyone was morning over the loss. I found this to be very selfish of him and he didn’t even stay long to morn with the family.

            When reading this book I didn’t know Frankenstein was as selfish until i put all of the pieces together. Another selfish act that Frankenstein had committed was the reasons for creating the monster. He only created the monster just because he wanted to prove to everyone that he could, but once it was created he abandon it. This also shows a great force of feminism shown throughout the story also. In the article, "the women of Frankenstein" by William Veeder he discuss how the weakness in Frankenstein favored the women. "After admitting that women are no more immune than men to weakness, she insists self-justifyingly that women are less weak (271)." This means that not only are women weak but mean can be as weak as the women. Most people find women weak in the society; I just find that this just shows men can be as weak as women at times. When I read this it opened my mind about a lot of things that I have viewed about Frankenstein. When women are lonely they long for a friend or someone to be with, and like making other people jealous about what they have and consume. I thought Frankenstein compared to these entire description. Frankenstein is egotistical in many ways and I consider that him being with someone to share his time with is only to boast about his success, and is an act of making people envy him. I believe that Frankenstein cared about no one but himself. When he was on a voyage he wanted someone to be with him, when he created the creature he only did it to tell people he could, and when the creature needed him most he abounded him and would create something that he wanted dearly.

I believe that the purpose of Mary Shelly writing this book, "Frankenstein" was to just meaninglessly say that everyone gets lonely at times. Although this was only written for a contest she was entering. I also believe that she created this book so she can show that anything can get lonely to. Like humans, animals, and anyone of that matter can throw temper tantrums after a while. In the article "On Frankenstein" by Percy Bysshe she states, "It was impossible that he should not have received among men that treatment which led to the consequences of his social nature (186)." The consequence that Frankenstein gave the creature was not creating a companion. I believe he gave the creature this consequence because the creation itself was beyond belief. Creating something similar to this creation would only cause him to disown another one of his creations. I believe that the creature was just trying to fit in with everyone else and be human, but by his looks he saw that couldn’t be so. During this consequence the monster rebelled in a way that caused Frankenstein to lose loved ones. The creature killed some of the people close to Frankenstein because he wouldn’t create him someone to be with. This caused the death of close friends, and family.

            During the story I had self-pity for the creature. All he wanted was someone to talk to and someone to treat him like he was everyone else. Frankenstein to be selfish towards the monster and not help him only made the creature rebel in a hateful matter. The creature committed to murdering anyone who was close to Frankenstein out of spite because he wouldn’t create anyone for him to share his life with. The hidden selfish act they people probably didn’t recognize was that the creature Frankenstein has created was never even given a proper name. I compared this as getting a adopted daughter and not calling her by her name, and a name is what signifies a human being as a person. A name not only just gives an identity; it also fits into that person’s personality, and gives others perspective about one another. So I can understand why the creature would so what he has done. When Frankenstein set off to kill the creature I thought of it as sad and self-centered. I recognized that he only wanted to kill the creature in revenge from killing his loved ones. Frankenstein was seeking revenge. I found this to be ironic because I thought the creature was just revenging himself towards Frankenstein because he was making him suffer by being alone. I would say in both situations that the friend was revenge in the enemy.

            Although I really enjoyed this book I believe I probably had that same perspective as many people. Some of the articles I have chosen to add didn’t just justify on him being selfish but they helped in many ways to give examples to show his selfishness. I tried to compare him and Frankenstein to more on the feminist side not only because a woman wrote it but I believe to state that not all women are lonely criers. I believe based on all of the emotions that went on that it was mostly based on the value of friendship and acceptance. Being the monster that the creature was he felt alone. There was no one to talk to him and communicate with him because of the way he was created. I believe if Frankenstein had created him someone to be with he could have avoided the whole situation with his lost loved ones and the self-centered state of mind that he was in.