Frankenstein quotes and important themes
Yellow quotes are those from Victor and the Green from the monster, dark blue are important themes. If anyone thinks I have missed any important quotes/themes out please add so I can edit.
- Created by: MissMcfarlane
- Created on: 02-04-13 23:34
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- Frankenstein
- “ the first misfortune of my life occurred – an omen, as it were, of my future misery” – VF, P.25
- “...a dreary night... with an anxiety that almost amounted to agony” – VF and the day of creation, his mental state and pathetic fallacy, P.35
- “...one hand was stretched out” – VF on the monster as Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam, P.36
- “...my candle was nearly burnt out” – VF, a metaphor for his sanity, P.35
- “...he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks” – VF on the monster as a newborn baby, P.36
- “During the whole of this wretched mockery of justice, I suffered living torture.” – VF, the beginning of injustice; brought on simply by himself, P.54
- “Justine died; she rested; and I was alive.” – VF; is death better than life at this point? P.61
- “...deep, dark, death-like solitude” – VF, P.61- setting
- “All men hate the wretched” – M, proving himself different to humans, P.67
- “I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel” – M is comparing himself to the devil. Whereas he should have been a perfect being, he became an archetypal fallen angel, like Lucifer for example, P.68
- “; my soul glowed with love and humanity” – M, until he realised he was not human, P.68
- “Cursed be the day... in which you first saw light!” – VF. Unlike convention, the symbolism of light here is negative, P.69
- “Like Adam, I was created apparently united by no link to any other being in existence, but... he had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous... I was wretched, helpless and alone.” – M links himself to Adam, realises he is not a perfect creature, or a human. He acknowledges his alienation, his loneliness, P.90
- “Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition” – M is the fallen angel, P.90
- “I am blind, and cannot judge of your countenance, but there is something in your words which persuades me that you are sincere.” – De Lacy. M speaks eloquently, is compassionate (at this point) and cares for the De Lacy family, but on the outside is a monster, P.94
- “This was then the reward of my benevolence!” – M saves a woman from drowning, and is shot in doing so. Again, it is his appearance, not his intention, that is seen by mankind, P.99
- “Oh! my creator, make me happy” – M, this is the simplest demand to his father/creator, P.102
- “in his murder my crimes are consummated;” – M, upon seeing VF dead, believes justice has been done. He who abandoned him has suffered. P.158
- “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion” – M did actually develop fully, though. He was, however, an aborted experiment, P.160
- I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.- shows mans quest for knowledge
- My more than sister… since till death she was to be mine only -(Incest. Roles of women, shows how women are seen as objects
- The remains of the half finished creature, whom I had destroyed, lay scattered on the floor, and I almost felt as if I had mangled the living flesh of a human being. - Victor betrays the monster again by destroying the female
- “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through…. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me”- Victor creates the monster for selfish reasons
- THEMES
- Human nature
- Monsters and men
- Nature / nurture
- The Creature’s idiolect
- The double
- The role and power of language
- Frankenstein’s idiolect
- How well written is Frankenstein?
- Recurring language
- Happy ending?
- Comparative characters
- IS Frankenstein Gothic?
- Literary references
- Can the Creature be blamed for his actions?
- Modern popularity
- Is Frankenstein a psychopath?
- Influence of Shelley’s life and experiences
- Religion
- Death
- Frankenstein’s (in)sanity
- Father / son relationships
- Knowledge and ambition
- Romantic / Enlightenment?
- Character and class
- Frankenstein’s sexuality
- Having children
- Love
- GenderRoles
- Sex
- The Family
- 'good' and 'evil'
- criticism of social attitudes (showing the dangers of ostracising people on unreasonable, prejudiced grounds)
- need to respect the Creator and Creation
- criticism of Percy Shelley as an absentee father
- the need for family and friendship
- a birth anxiety narrative
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