Frankenstein and Modern Prometheus Essay

Submitted By claird
Words: 608
Pages: 3
Open Document
Christine Laird
Mrs. Sexson
AP Literature
22 August, 2012

Title: Frankenstein – Or, the Modern Prometheus Prometheus was a Greek God who stole the knowledge of fire from Zeus and gave it to the humans. He was then punished for his actions and bound to a rock, having an eagle devour his liver day after day. He became “the lone genius whose efforts to improve human existence also resulted in tragedy.” Victor Frankenstein can be described using the same statement. Ultimately, Prometheus was freed by Hercules and Victor was freed by death.

Author: Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Mary Shelly was the daughter of William Godwin, a valued social theorist, and Mary Wollstonecraft, a well-known woman author of the time. With parents both with similar lifestyles, Mary was destined to be the same. Her mother died shortly after she was born so Mary was raised by servants, then a stepmother, and lastly by her father. Mary began to write Frankenstein during a story-writing competition held in Switzerland in 1816. It was her first and most famous novel. She later went on to write other books as well. When her husband died she went back home to England and raised her son.

Themes: Victor’s pursuit of knowledge is the most dominant theme in the story. As Victor Frankenstein desperately searches for the unknown knowledge, he goes past any previous human discoveries. Robert Walton learned from him that such a dangerous pursuit is destructive and not safe. Nature’s significant effect on the moods of the characters is a noticeably used theme. The condition of the weather also reflects on the situation the characters are in. When Victor discovered something new, he kept it a secret and hid it from others. Therefore, secrecy is another theme used. Although he got to the point where he did not like keeping secrets, he continued to do so and was ashamed and felt guilty. When he confessed everything right before he died, he was freed from that guilt and was able to die with a peace of mind.

Setting: The time period is the eighteenth century. There are many different places that are explored in the story, such as Geneva, Switzerland, where the Frankenstein family is from; Ingolstadt, Germany, where the monster was created; Chamounix, and the Orkney Islands. At Chamounix, the monster asked Victor to make him a companion. At the Orkney Islands, Victor then creates another creature to keep his monster company.

Point of view:
Show More

Related Documents: Frankenstein and Modern Prometheus Essay

modern prometheus Essay

Judy Lee Honors English 24 October 2013 Frankenstein - The Modern Prometheus The novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein can be considered as the “modern Prometheus” due to the fact that Frankenstein’s main behavior is similar to what Prometheus had done. In Greek Mythology, Prometheus “standing tiptoe on [Mount] Olympus, stretched his arm to the eastern horizon” (“Prometheus” 1), took fire from the sun and gave it to the humans down below, who were living in darkness. Now…

Words 374 - Pages 2

Nature Vs Nurture In Frankenstein

In the centuries following its publication, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus has become one of the most iconic Gothic horror novels ever written. Through the letters of Robert Walton, a daring explorer on a journey to the North Pole, Shelley tells the tragic story of Victor Frankenstein. A mad scientist living in 18th century Europe, Frankenstein initially believes he can help humankind by finding the key to immortal life. Things take a disastrous turn, however, when his…

Words 1038 - Pages 5

Frankenstein Vs Prometheus Research Paper

In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and the Greek mythology, “Prometheus” there are several similarities that connect the two stories. “Prometheus” is a Greek mythology that tells the tale of a Titan who created men from clay and stole fire from Mount Olympus to give to man. “Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus” is a novel written by author Mary Shelley that shares the journey of a young scientist who created a flawed creature in an idiosyncratic way. Both the Titan (Prometheus) and the scientist…

Words 985 - Pages 4

Frankenstein Dialectical Journal Essay

Journal 2 While I read Frankenstein the one literary device that stuck out to me was, Mary’s use of symbolism with nature having a healing effect on victor and other characters. This technique is obvious in chapters six, nine, and ten because characters would go outside and feel better because of the fresh air and the beautiful nature. In chapter six Victor and Henry go on a walk through the environment of Ingolstadt and after the walk Victor says, ““We passed a fortnight in these perambulations:…

Words 586 - Pages 3

Paradise Lost In Frankenstein Essay

revealed is the way Frankenstein and his monster see each other in relation to themselves. Frankenstein curses the day he created the creature who went on to destroy any chance of happiness. The monster shares a similar sentiment of Frankenstein, who created him in such a hideous form and would not complete his own version of happiness in creating a female monster. Through the use of biblical references, the two characters find commonality in at least one storyline, both view Frankenstein as a God to the…

Words 1039 - Pages 5

Who Is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?

Mary Shelley was a romantic writer during the 1800s. Shelley started her Ghost story as a short story, she wrote “Frankenstein” or , the Modern Prometheus”, and it was published in 1818. Producers have altered her work through video clips. According to Shelley in her story “Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus’’ she describes the protagonist Victor Frankenstein as the scientist instead of the monster. Victor was fascinated by all the things he saw during the storm. In Shelley’s excerpt she states…

Words 311 - Pages 2

Frankenstein: Frankenstein and Human Condition Essay

Frankenstein is the story of a man whose ambition conducts him to seek for supernatural powers. In his attempt to reach a God-like level, he acts basically for his own interest and wants to see his name glorified by humanity. Power and Glory—two of much-discussed human ambitions—are his primary aims. To achieve this goal, he makes an extensive use of knowledge and science. The whole scientific knowledge he acquires through his research and his experiments will lead him to desolation, loneliness and…

Words 922 - Pages 4

Frank: Novel Frankenstein Essay

Frankenstein From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the novel. For the characters, see Victor Frankenstein or Frankenstein's monster. For other uses, see Frankenstein (disambiguation). Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus Volume I, first edition Author Mary Shelley Language English Genre Horror, Gothic, Romance, science fiction Published 1818 (Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones) Pages 280 Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel written by British…

Words 7465 - Pages 30

Motivation In Frankenstein

that fiction can also be understood as an author’s inferiority complex, expressing something that they wished to be in real life, and writing it in order to feel superior. In Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley, it’s possible to witness this kind of evolution, but in its character,…

Words 929 - Pages 4

Essay on Frankenstein Literary History

We are going to create a FrankenWiki –a resource folder related to Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. You will locate and save articles about topics related to Frankenstein. So what topics could or should be covered? You will share your presentation and handout through Googledrive. Make the presentation as interactive as possible. You can include some external links, but the work must represent your own efforts first and foremost. Consult the revised rubric for more details. You must collect…

Words 309 - Pages 2