The Presentation Of Despair In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
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"Frankenstein" is a Gothic Romantic Novel written by Mary Shelley in 1818. Victor
Frankenstein experiences an idyllic childhood surrounded by a loving family. After the death of his mother, he vows to find a cure and stop death. He returns to a University in Germany where he applies his new-found knowledge of science to create life but when his creation comes to life,
Frankenstein is horrified by his bizarre accomplishment. Meanwhile, the creature flees into the woods and disappears. The monster feared and rejected by every human encounters except for one. Frankenstein returns home when he learns his brother is murdered and Justine, a friend of
Frankenstein, is falsely convicted and executed. The monster demands that Frankenstein create…show more content… To be friendless is indeed to be unfortunate, but the hearts of men, when unprejudiced by any obvious self-interest, are full of brotherly love and charity. Rely, therefore, on your hopes; and if these friends are good and amiable, do not despair.' (15. 113) The kind old blind man of the family offers friendship to the monster and suggests that the monster is right: humankind is barbaric, and blinded by its own prejudice. He gives hope as he sympathizes with the monster's unhappiness, telling him not to despair and insisting that: "the hearts of men … are full of brotherly love and charity and saying that it will "afford [him] true pleasure to be in any way serviceable to a human creature" (15.30) Sadly, this ends when the family comes home, see the monster and react the way all those who “see” do, with fear and loathing – they ran him off.
This was then the reward of my benevolence! I had saved a human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone. The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain,