The Idea of Birth and Creation in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein - Book Report/Review Example

TEACHER The idea of Birth and Creation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a novel that communicates the distinction between birth and creation, in which Shelley focuses on the product of one man's idealistic motives and desires that lead to the interference of nature and results in the creation of a horrific creature. Shelley's character, Victor, is a doctor that is seemingly not destined to failure from his initial desire to overstep the natural bounds of human knowledge; rather, it is his poor parenting towards his creature that leads to his creation's thirst for revenge as a result of his unjust life. Victor is blinded by the idealism that hopes to conquer the method of birth through un-naturalistic process, and so the creation accuses him for delivering him into a world where he could not ever be wholly received by the individuals who inhabit it. Not only failing to foresee his faulty idealism, nearing the end of the tale, he embarks upon a final journey, consciously choosing to pursue his creation in vengeance, while admitting that his fate is at risk. The creation of an unloved being and the pursuit of unnatural life render Victor more accountable for his own death than the creation himself. Through an analysis of birth and creation and its manifestation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the idea of religion, boundaries and morality will be explored, as the desire to conquer nature will ultimately lead to an individual's demise. Similarly, a link to Milton's Paradise Lost will be explored in relation to biblical creation. Traditionally, the conception of birth and creation has roots in a religious context, as Christian faith prominently recognizes its relation with God as the creator. George Levine and U.C. Knoepflmacher, editors of The Endurance of Frankenstein: Essays on Mary Shelley's Novel, both suggest that Shelley's narrative operates back towards a traditional religious form, as it reinforces the idea that the character of Frankenstein's Monster offers us a metaphor that expresses the central dualities and tensions of our time by suggesting a world without God. (Levine and Knoepflmacher, 1982, p.8) As God is a religious entity signifying creation and showering humans with the gift of birth, both Levine and Knoepflmacher illustrate that through Frankenstein, we are confronted immediately with the displacement of God and women from the acts of conception and birth. (Levine and Knoepflmacher, 1982, p.8) As Victor Frankenstein suggests: "It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my enquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world." (Shelley, 2000, p.37) The idea of uncovering secrets of heaven and earth and discussion of an inner spirit are critical words that link Shelley's language to religion in a sense, as heaven is associated to God and creation. Ultimately, it can be mentioned that Victor Frankenstein is trying to play the role of God as creator by trying to create life through his own labor. Moreover, science and religion are two opposing forces that have varying ideas about birth and creation. As Victor Frankenstein tells his tale, he admits to the error of his obsession with science, as he states: "None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science. In other studies you go as far as others have gone before you, and there is nothing more to know; but in a scientific pursuit there is continual food for discovery and wonder." (Shelley, 2000, p.50) Through the idea of scientific discovery, there is a link to Levine and Knoepflmacher's idea that Shelley is portraying a world without God, as He is taken over by science and science actually succeeds in creation in that Victor is a scientist. However, the question of morality must be made and whether it is morally right to create life, or 'give birth', without a proper pairing of mother and father and also, without love. Likewise, the language that Shelley uses through Victor's character is interesting, as she illustrates more religious phrases, as Victor states: "a new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me." (Shelley, 2000, p.54) Victor Frankenstein lusts for greatness and strives to gain power, which can be seen as a challenge towards God who is traditionally viewed as the 'almighty'. Victor is astounded by the idea of fame and glory that his creation, the monster, will grant him. He becomes obsessed with the power associated with his idea, as it is too good to be true. Yet, the idea of morality comes into play again, as Victor struggles with the ethics of his plans, as he deliberates: "When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it." (Shelley, 2000, p.53) Victor Frankenstein realizes the massive attention he will receive from his creation and his society, yet he struggles to negotiate whether he is doing the right thing. Unfortunately, his obsession takes over his mind, as he continues with his project only to produce a monster that is physically unwelcome and emotionally unstable. Moreover, the idea of morality in terms of birth and creation through unnatural means is shown by the Monster himself, as he claims: "...instead of threatening, I am content to reason with you. I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind You, my creator, would tear me to pieces and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me You would not call it murder if you could precipitate me into one of those ice-rifts and destroy my frame, the work of you own hands." (Shelley, 2000, p.130) The Monster tries to justify that had Frankenstein not have been passionately immersed in the creation of a superior being that is repulsive as a result, all his sufferings would cease to exist. However, the idea of whether it would be called 'murder' if he were to be killed is important here because this shows how unnatural creations do not exist in the same way to use law and justice in society as humans do. Shelley's portrayal of creation is parallel to Milton's account of origin in his work Paradise Lost, as Milton also uses language to show his meaning. Milton begins his work with a reversal of meaning, as he uses the Bible as his subtext: "Of man's first disobedience, and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man Restore us, and regain the blissful seat, Sing, heavenly Muse, that on the secret top Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didst inspire That shepherd, who first taught the chosen seed In the beginning how the heavens and earth Rose out of Chaos" (Milton, 2003, I. 1-10) Milton begins his work by describing the fall of man and death as a result of disobedience to God, which parallels Shelley's idea of her character Victor and his reversal of life, as he creates life out of death. Basically, Frankenstein cannot fully accept death and he seems to be confused with the idea of its ability to take a species and turn it into non-existing matter. He thinks that if he can find a cure for death, he will be at peace. His obsession with death arrives from his depression over his own mother's death. He is fearful and wishes to renew life where death unfolds: "I thought that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of timerenew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption." (Shelley, 2000, p.70) Frankenstein feels relief as he devotes his time to something that he finds beneficial and satisfactory to his own life. Answers to death will provide Frankenstein with the freedom to live. Yet, the reversal of life and death in both Milton and Shelley's texts shows their similarities and the denial of God and motherhood, as Levine and Knoepflmacher have suggested. It is interesting how Milton does not begin his work like the Bible's Genesis of: "in the beginning" (Good News Bible, 1976, Genesis, 1) On the other hand, he considers man's first disobedience, which is the refusal of God. Shelley is similarly reflecting this notion in her work, as the idea of birth and creation are reversed towards death instead. Consequently, Frankenstein realizes the nature of his curiosity with the rejection of life, birth, creation and death, as he is sad about the people he has hurt in his process. He finds that his former obsession with life and death ruined his life and those of his family members, as his Monster kills his brother and murders the child of his cousin. His actions prove to be detrimental as these lives are all fatally affected. He acknowledges how curiosity is his demise: "It was to be decided, whether the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of two of my fellow beings." (Shelley, 2000, p.81) Frankenstein does not deny that his misfortunes are the result of his former desires to create life. He is distraught that his actions have affected so many people. He clearly sees how his urges and impulses have destroyed him. Yet, he neglects to see how his actions have affected his Monster, as the Monster claims: "Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant; but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man." (Shelley, 2000, p.120) The monster is deeply affected by Frankenstein's mistakes and he does not understand the concept of humanity as it is unclear and new to him. The reason for such confusion may be the result of confusion in the womb as a life holder, as Victor's laboratory is a metaphor for a mother's womb, as it is named: "workshop of filthy creation". (Shelley, 2000, p.52) Furthermore, the Monster's birth was not one of joy and happiness like parents would feel, as Victor himself is disgusted by his own creation, as he claims: "But now that I had finished the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart". (Shelley, 2000, p.55) Although Victor's creation took the same amount of time as a mother holds a baby in her womb, as the labour of his work is seen to take: "Winter, spring and summer passed away during my labours" (Shelley, 2000, p.53), the unnatural method of his creation was doomed from the start. Shelley's language links to motherhood, as the word 'labour' is used to express Victor's continual work on his product. Through natural birth, humans are able to understand the nature of our being and our abilities to create and destroy; however, Frankenstein's Monster is unable to appreciate this, as society rejects him and creation is a meaningless word. For the Monster, life and death are the same thing because he is cannot understand the beauty that lies in birth, because ultimately he was created in reverse-through death, or pieces of dead objects and put together to form life. Ultimately, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a novel that explores the theme of birth and creation in various ways that can be seen to link to traditional religion, God, motherhood, and death. Through Milton's Paradise Lost, the use of language in both texts can be seen to contain messages of caution, as they both deal with desire. The basic morality of the situation can be set out to suggest that the obsessive desire to conquer nature, will ultimately lead to one's demise, as nature is powerful and protective of both creation and birth. Works Cited American Bible Society. (1976) Good News Bible With Deuterocanonical and Apocryphal Books. United States: United States Bible Societies. Levine, G., and U.C. Knoepflmacher. ed. (1982) The Endurance of Frankenstein. Berkeley: The University of California Press. Milton, John. (2003) Paradise Lost. London, England: Penguin Classics. Schwartz, Regina. (1989) Remembering and Repeating: Biblical Creation in 'Paradise Lost. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. Shelley, Mary. (1993) Frankenstein. Hertfordshire, England: Woodsworth Editions Ltd. Read More