Overview:
Frankenstein finishes his creature but rather than the relief he expected, he suddenly feels horror at what he's done. When he realises this, he runs away from the creature and quite literally bumps into his old friend. As they are catching up, Frankenstein becomes very ill for a long time.
Point 1:
Frankenstein has 'an anxiety that almost amounted to agony' when he was waiting to see if his creature will actually come to life. It becomes clear that beauty plays an important part as he immediately is sickened by the 'creature' which he now takes to calling a 'monster'. His description of this creature is 'his yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips... I rushed out of the room.' He fixes on his creatures appearance, perhaps meaning that because he deems him ugly he can't be around him. Appearance has been used before to describe his feelings towards someone, showing the importance he puts into this. He describes Elizabeth's physical beauty- 'there was one which attracted my mother far above all the rest. She appeared of different stock... this child was thin, and very fair. Her hair was the brightest living gold, and... seemed to set a crown of distinction on her head... bearing a celestial stamp in all her features.' This is completely contrasting to the description of the creature. He loves his 'more than sister' but hates the 'monster' that he has created.
Point 2:
Shelley describes both Frankenstein and the creature similarly. The creature is described as having a 'shrivelled complexion' and when Frankenstein meets his friend, Clerval says 'I did not before remark how very ill you appear; so thin and pale.' Frankenstein views his creature as some sort of monster even though he hasn't actually done anything to be given this title, yet is Frankenstein not a monster for creating a life and then abandoning it? The creature is also said to have 'a convulsive motion (agitating) it's limbs', the exact same thing happens to Frankenstein, 'every limb became convulsed.' There is a definite likeness between their characters, this either symbolises Frankenstein's character to be monstrous or it could be like the creature, he may have been brought back to life- realising that what he did is wrong and waking up from something that possessed him for 2 years. We feel more sympathy for his character when it seems that he has become mentally disturbed by what he has done as he 'did not recover his senses for a long, long time.'
Interesting connections with Victor and his creation. You make perceptive comments on this point.
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