“. . . Archangel. . .” (15)

Archangel is the English name for the Russian city of Arkhangelsk, the major sea port of the 19th century from which Walton rents his ship and crew. It is through this port that many Arctic expeditions depart, with Shelley foreshadowing the irony to come as the novel both begins and ends with experiences in the northern wilderness – starting with Walton’s journey from which he aims to return alive and ending with Victor’s final trek from which there can be no return.

Source:

"Arkhangelsk." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arkhangelsk.

Picture Credits:

Arkhangelsk. Digital image. My Trip to Shenkursk and My Communal Life There. Doukhobor Geneaology Website. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://www.doukhobor.org/shenkursk1.jpg.

Novel Format

The format in which Shelley chooses to set up the novel is strange: Frankenstein begins by telling another person in a face-to-face meeting, about his ordeal and life. However, he is able to quote letters written both by and to him word for word. If he is truly speaking directly to Walton, he is unlikely to be able to recount the letters so perfectly and far more likely that he would simply paraphrase the important parts. This is yet another instance of disillusion and a lack of realism within the novel, which raises questions as to Victor's abilities and intents within his tale.

The Dark Side of Passion

It is undeniable that Victor’s passion for science is admirable. Like many passionate people, however, it is his love of the subject area that is eventually his downfall. From fiction, as in Shakespeare’s Othello to real-life British minister Peter Hain, many have been struck down by the very thing they love above all else. Victor Frankenstein is so consumed by his love for his work that can see nothing other than that for which he is passionate about – even disregarding the love of his life to focus on it. This is the danger of passion: it is possible to be blinded by it to the point of losing everything else that has ever been important. This is the foreshadowing made by Shelley, as Victor's creation is, ultimately, the cause of his demise.

Sources:

"Othello." Sparknotes. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://mb.sparknotes.com/mb.epl?b=855&m=1244552&p=4&t=351739.

"Steve Richards: Hain's passion for the job may be his downfall - Steve Richards, Commentators - The Independent." The Independent News UK and Worldwide News Newspaper. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-hains-passion-for-the-job-may-be-his-downfall-769719.html.

Don't Assume

When the monster begins speaking on page 88, his eloquent speech patterns are the exact opposite of what the reader has been lead up until this point to believe. Given that Victor has talked about his creation as a monstrosity, it is logical to assume that he is the grunting beast portrayed as a monster in many horror movies. However, this is not the case. The unnamed creature is, in fact, an intelligent, articulate being. He is compassionate and logical, as Shelley portrays him as one who is indubitably endearing to the reader, who fully understands his plight to gain acceptance in a world he was not meant for.

“William is dead!” (64)

Mary Shelley had a son named William who was born in 1816 – before she began writing the novel. After its publication, her son died of malaria at the age of 3. In a bizarre case of real-life foreshadowing, she had killed her son’s namesake at the hands of the monster within the story. To the people of the early 19th century, malaria was a scourge very much like Frankenstein’s monster: its source was unknown and it killed almost all those with whom it came in contact. While tragic, it seems that Shelley’s Frankenstein, however unwillingly and unknowingly, predicts her infant son’s fate.

Source:

Mary Shelley Biography." UNet Users' Home Pages. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://people.brandeis.edu/~teuber/shelleybio.html.

Picture Credits:

William Shelley. Digital image. A Cultural History of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - Friends & Family. Mt. Holyoke. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist257s02/students/Lindsay/images/WIlliam%20Shelley.jpg.

Fire

Given that the creation of the monster by fire destroyed Victor’s life as he knew it – and his spirit in the process - it seems fitting that his body should meet its end by fire as well. This parallel is connected by Shelley on the very last page of her novel as Victor tells Walton that “[he] will ascend [his] funeral pyre triumphantly” (197). With this fire, Victor can rid himself of the plague that his creation has caused and finally be free, even if it requires leaving this world behind.

“Amidst the wilds of Tartary. . .” (179)

Frankenstein chases his monster into Tartary, a vast, somewhat remote region encompassing parts of Europe and Asia. This relatively unknown, under-empowered region is a fitting place for Shelley to set the final part of Victor’s tale as he chases the monster. With its low population density and little clout in world affairs, the monster and his creator are no longer a threat to the masses through their destructive actions on themselves, those around them, and others affected by their collective misdeeds.

Source:

"Tartary - definition of Tartary by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia." Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Tartary.

Photo Credits:

Tartary. Digital image. Central Asia. Georgetown. Web. 23 Aug. 2009. http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/millwarj/website%20images/TARTARY%20MAP%20small%20=%20M23.jpg.