Frankinstein essays

Frankinstein essays At a first glance, readers can make an immediate connection between Mary Shelleys Frankenstein and the following three stories: the Prometheus myth, Paradise Lost, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Shelley used allusions to these three stories in Frankenstein to help clarify many vital ideas of the work. An allusion is an implied or indirect reference that is especially used in literature. Shelleys characterization in the novel Frankenstein is effective because she uses allusion in the Prometheus myth, Paradise Lost, and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Victor Frankenstein and Prometheus are similar because they share an obsession for creating life. In order to illustrate this similarity, Shelley uses The Modern Prometheus (subtitle), which compares the two characters and their creations. Frankensteins creation was made out of dead human body parts, and was called The Creature. Likewise, Prometheus created human life out of clay. Both Victor and Prometheus are eventually punished as a result of their creations. Victors monster is violent and kills people, and Zeus ties Prometheus to a rock, where vultures eat his liver. The Ancient Mariner and Robert Walton are alike because they both ventured on a sea journey where they encountered bad luck. On the Ancient Mariners journey, he killed an albatross, which is a sign of bad luck. His crew made a necklace out of the albatross in which he wore for the rest of the trip. Bad luck also came during Robert Waltons journey, when he and his crew encountered dreadful weather. The crew insisted on turning around and heading back home; however, Walton wanted to continue the trip. Mary Shelley compares Walton to the Ancient Mariner when she said I am going to unexplored regions, to the land of mist and snow, but I shall kill no albatross; therefore d ...