Frankenstein Mary Shelley

Frankenstein

Mary Shelley

Victor Frankenstein is a modern day Prometheus. Both Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus created life, Victor Frankenstein creating a single monster and Prometheus was said to be the creator of humanity. Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus both do not accept limitations in their attempts at creating new life; they both break through the limits of society which ends in their isolation from the world. The downfall of Victor Frankenstein is much like that of Prometheus, Victor Frankenstein's downfall is his creation, as with Prometheus his creation is what develops into a problem and concludes with his downfall.

Victor Frankenstein created life out of the body parts of deceased corpses and the reanimation of those body parts result in the creation of the "Frankenstein Monster ". Prometheus uses clay as a base and water to mould the clay into man; he uses his power to create a nobler creature than all the other creatures after his brother Epimetheus ran out of materials.

To make his creature Victor Frankenstein "dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured the living animal to animate the lifeless clay" (Shelley 40) and frequented dissecting rooms and slaughterhouses. To reanimate these pieces and bring them to life he then used a simple spark of electricity to generate the power to bring them to life.

Prometheus much like Victor Frankenstein uses materials that are common in everyday life; body parts are a little more grotesque and difficult to get than the clay and water that Prometheus used but still very common. Prometheus used clay and water to mould the creation of man where as Victor Frankenstein sewed body parts together. They both used the power they had to create life but in different ways.

Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus both break through limits while thinking and creating life. In Victor Frankenstein's time the thought of creating life out of deceased body parts is out of the question and not considered possible to this day. Even though Prometheus is a Titan the idea of creating man was frowned upon by Zeus.

Victor Frankenstein's creation of the Frankenstein Monster was a scientific breakthrough in his time and mind, this pursuit makes Victor physically and mentally isolated. Through the time spent creating this monster Victor had become more isolated. Victor begins indirectly telling people where he has been "You have guessed right; I have lately been so deeply engaged in one occupation that I have not allowed myself sufficient rest, as you see; but I hope, I sincerely hope, that all these employments are now at an end and that I am at length free."(Shelley 46) his lack of sleep is now causing him to be ill "If you had seen the man who thus capitulated for his safety, your surprise would have been boundless. His limbs were nearly frozen, and his body dreadfully emaciated by fatigue and suffering. I never saw a man in so wretched a condition"(Shelley 10).

Prometheus suffered a forced physical