essays on the book frankenstein

109 Outstanding Frankenstein Essay Topics

Welcome to the Frankenstein Essay Topics page prepared by our editorial team! Here, you’ll find a selection of top ideas, questions, and titles for any academic paper. We have topics about Frankenstein’s literary analysis, characters, themes, and more.

• 🔬 Literary Analysis
• 🎭 Characters
• 📊 Compare & Contrast
• 🗺️ Navigation

🎓 References

Frankenstein is a famous novel, and students will often have to write papers about it. If you have received such an assignment, this article is for you! When writing a Frankenstein literary analysis essay , there are many areas you can consider, such as characters, themes, and context. Below, we have provided 99 outstanding ideas that you can use for your assignment or to find inspiration. Don’t forget to illustrate your arguments with quotes from text when writing your Frankenstein literary analysis.

🔬 Frankenstein Literary Analysis Essay Topics

• What are the literary devices used to create the image of Victor Frankenstein ?
• What literary devices are used to create the image of the Monster?
• What is the importance of setting in Frankenstein ?
• Romanticism in Frankenstein : the use of poetry in the novel’s narrative
• Who is the narrator of Frankenstein , and why is the narration important?
• Narrative technique in Frankenstein .
• Nature symbolism in Frankenstein .
• Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as a tragedy
• How does weather reflect the narrative of Frankenstein ? Give examples.
• What does fire symbolize in Frankenstein ?
• How is the power of nature depicted in Frankenstein ?
• What is the purpose of letters in Frankenstein ?
• The importance of allusions in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .
• Biblical symbolism in Frankenstein .
• Why is Frankenstein called Modern Prometheus?
• Point of view in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Frankenstein : a deconstructive reading
• Analyze the romantic elements in Frankenstein .
• Is Frankenstein a gothic novel?
• What literary devices are used to create fear in Frankenstein ?
• What is the writing style of Frankenstein ?
• Examine the role of suspense and foreshadowing throughout Frankenstein . Do you think these devices are effective?
• How does foreshadowing differ among the three main narrators of Frankenstein (Walton, Victor, and the Monster)?
• What is the purpose of the ring composition of Frankenstein ?
• How does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein allude to the myth of Prometheus?
• How is Frankenstein a romantic and horror novel?
• What role do letters from Elizabeth play in Frankenstein ‘s narrative?
• What would the novel be like if it was narrated by only Frankenstein or only the monster ?
• What does the novel gain from having so many levels of narration? Why do you suppose it might have been structured with so many embedded narratives?
• In what ways and for what ends does Mary Shelley utilize the myth of Prometheus in her novel, Frankenstein ?
• Three Separate Narratives within Shelley’s Frankenstein
• Frankenstein : Weather, Seasons, and Emotional Symbolism

🎭 Frankenstein Essay Topics: Characters

• How are women depicted in Frankenstein ? How does Shelley make them look passive?
• Why isn’t Frankenstein ’s monster given a name?
• Who is the real monster in Frankenstein ?
• Is Frankenstein ’s monster responsible for the characters’ deaths ?
• What did the childhood of Victor Frankenstein look like? What role does it play in the narrative?
• Does the monster’s eloquence and persuasiveness make it easier for the reader to sympathize with him? Why do you think most film versions of the story present the monster as mute or inarticulate?
• Trace the similarities between Victor Frankenstein and the Monster . Consider their respective relationships with nature, desires for family , and any other important parallels you find.
• Do Victor and the Monster become more similar to Frankenstein ‘s plot? How does their relationship with each other develop?
• Victor attributes his tragic fate to his relentless search for knowledge. Do you think that this is the true cause of his suffering?
• Why does Shelley describe all female characters in Frankenstein as self-sacrificing and passive?
• Who is more human, the Monster of Frankenstein ?
• Analyze the motivations of the main characters in Frankenstein .
• Victor and the Monster feature radically different perspectives on the events of Frankenstein . Whose viewpoint do you support?
• Is the Creature’s demand for a female companion a valid request? Examine the pros and cons of Victor’s compliance.
• After watching the she-monster torn to pieces, the Creature vows that Victor will “repent of the injuries (he) inflicts. Is the Creature justified in his feelings? Why or why not?
• What role does Elizabeth play in Frankenstein ?
• What is the motivation behind Victor’s vow to find and destroy his creature? Has he learned any lessons?
• Discuss the humanity of Frankenstein ‘s Monster.
• What role does Justine Moritz play in the novel?
• What is the Monster’s experience of meeting people? How do they react? Why is it so?
• How does the Monster learn to read and speak? What is his motivation?
• What role does Safie play in Frankenstein ? Look at her situation from the feminist perspective. She considers marrying a Christian as the only way to become a freer woman. What does this fact tell us about the society she lives in?
• Why does the Monster kill William Frankenstein?
• Examine the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his monster. How do they interact and communicate with each other?
• How does the creature of Frankenstein form the archetypal monster/horror character?
• “Victor Frankenstein and the Monster share the same personality: like father, like son”. Defend or attack this statement.
• How does Walton’s narration affect the story? How does it affect your interpretation of characters and events?
• Do you think that the monster has free will? Provide textual examples in support of your claim.

🌻 Frankenstein Essay Topics: Themes

• How is the theme of loneliness depicted in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley?
• Discuss the role of sickness in the novel. Victor often seems to fall ill after traumatic events. Is this a means of escape, and, if so, is it effective?
• In what ways does Frankenstein present science and knowledge as dangerous and destructive ?
• How is the idea of exploration revealed in Frankenstein ?
• Responsibility as a Theme in Frankenstein
• How are the dangers of obsession shown in Frankenstein ?
• What ethical concerns the use of animal and human bodies by Victor Frankenstein might raise?
• Analyze Frankenstein through the prism of feminist theory
• Describe the theme of kindness and compassion in Frankenstein
• Frankenstein : the theme of birth
• To what extent does Frankenstein support Mary Wollstonecraft’s claim that women were treated as inferior to men?
• Homosexuality in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• Science is portrayed in a bad light in the novel Frankenstein . The author implies that the direction that civilization moves in is determined by what it understands about power. Analyze this statement in relation to the current society.
• Does Frankenstein present the value of the domestic circle?
• Describe how the theme of ambition is presented in Frankenstein .
• Throughout the novel, Victor Frankenstein states that he had no choice, that he was destined, that it was fate that he created the monster. Were his actions really a matter of fate? Or is he simply using fate as an excuse for his actions?
• Critical analysis of human Nature in Frankenstein , as it Connects to Freudian Psychology
• Scientific inquiry in Frankenstein
• Frankenstein as a feminist novel
• Desire and revenge in Frankenstein and Prometheus
• The theme of knowledge portrayed in Frankenstein

⌛ Frankenstein Essay Topics: Context

• Describe how Mary Shelley’s life experiences influenced the story of Frankenstein
• What is the historical relevance of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley? Find in the text the examples of reactions to the historical movements of the Enlightenment , industrial revolution, and romanticism.
• How are the ideas of Shelley’s parents presented in Frankenstein ?
• How does Frankenstein rely on the ideas, beliefs, and issues presented in other texts?
• How might Frankenstein be read as a commentary on scientific progress?
• Historical Context in Frankenstein
• Frankenstein : the autobiography of Mary Shelley?

📊 Compare & Contrast Frankenstein Essay Questions

• Compare and contrast Frankenstein and The Last Man by Mary Shelley
• Science & Nature in Frankenstein & Blade Runner
• How is the theme of revenge shown in Frankenstein and Hamlet ?
• Frankenstein : compare the novel with the movie of 1937
• Compare Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray
• On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer vs. Frankenstein : compare & contrast
• Compare Frankenstein and Macbeth
• Make a comparison of The Handmaid’s Tale and Frankenstein
• Which Frankenstein movie is most like the book?
• Macbeth & Frankenstein : compare & contrast
• Discuss the differences and similarities between Victor Frankenstein and Beowulf
• Compare and contrast Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Robert Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde .
• How has Frankenweenie , a film by Tim Burton, transformed Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to appeal to modern audiences?
• Frankenstein vs. Great Expectations : compare & contrast
• From superhuman to posthuman: The gothic technological imaginary in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Octavia Butler’s Xenogenesis
• Science, gender and otherness in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kenneth Branagh’s film adaptation
• Compare and contrast the theme of appearances in Frankenstein to the same theme in other literary works.
• Monstrous characters in Frankenstein and Hedda Gabler
• Pity and revenge in Frankenstein and The Cry of the Children
• Technology’s effect on human relationships: comparing Station Eleven and Frankenstein
• Gender roles in Frankenstein and Fantomina
• Choosing a Topic: Purdue OWL
• Selecting a Topic: UM-Flint
• Introduction to Research: Cornell University
• Find a Topic Idea: Questia
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Essays About Frankenstein: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the greatest works of literature; if you are writing essays about Frankenstein, you can start by reading some essay examples. 

When we think of Frankenstein, we often picture a hulking monster. However, “Frankenstein” refers to one of two things: The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, or Dr. Victor Frankenstein, the scientist who created the great beast. The monster is Frankenstein’s monster, not Frankenstein himself.

Dr. Frankenstein defies nature in the novel and creates sentient body-stitched body parts. Unfortunately, his creation turns on him, and the scientist eventually dies. The novel is a good reminder of our very nature as human beings and our place in the world. 

If you want to write a good essay about Frankenstein, read these essay examples and prompts for inspiration. 

1. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: Critical Essay by Andrew Eliot Binder

2. suspense in frankenstein by sophie tyler, 3. dr. frankenstein’s three big mistakes by charlotte gordon, 4. frankenstein is a tragedy, not a romantic novel by jennifer n. adams, 5. frankenstein & gender roles by frederick hopkins, 1. why can readers empathize with the monster , 2. is franknstein “the modern prometheus”, 3. the true monster of the story, 4. lessons we can learn from frankenstein, 5. does frankenstein deserve its fame, 6. the influence of frankenstein.

“Shelley immediately likens Frankenstein to his own creation through the word “wretched,” and, in doing so, present an irony. Frankenstein deserts his “wretched” creation, who then becomes hungry and harassed by society. But when the roles are reversed, and Frankenstein is described as “wretched,” he is given “soup,” shelter, and protection from being “tormented.”

Binder’s essay compares the characters of Walton and Frankenstein, showing the importance of human relationships. Despite their similar upbringing and personality, Walton craves companionship while Frankenstein isolates himself; the former survives while the latter perishes. Binder believes that Shelley intends to show the importance of being part of society, for we will not survive without it.  

“The message of the novel is that scientists should have self-control in their work to avoid becoming obsessed, otherwise this will lead to their ‘destruction’ as was the case with Frankenstein. In the novel Captain Walton learned from Frankenstein and decided to put an end to his obsession of reaching the north..”

In her essay, Tyler discusses how Shelley creates suspense in Frankenstein through word choice, the symbolism of darkness, pacing, and short sentence structure. Put together, Shelley evokes a dark, foreboding tone, showing the scientist’s terror as the novel progresses and, consequently, the message that scientists must not overstep their bounds and have restraint in their work.

“Artificial intelligence isn’t likely to kill us all—but the more people work on the problem, the more the odds go down. Frankenstein’s creature did not have to be a blight on society. He devolved into a monster of revenge because he was abandoned by his creator.”

Gordon writes about the rise of artificial intelligence and its similarity to Shelley’s Frankenstein . He describes Dr. Frankenstein’s mistakes, unwillingness to share his research with others, neglecting his creation until it was too late to stop it, and poor design due to inadequate resources. A.I. researchers can learn from these mistakes to ensure that their creations do not prove detrimental to others’ lives, as in Frankenstein or society. 

“What Mary Shelley had written, was a tragedy. Both characters, Frankenstein and the monster suffered great tragedies in their life; Frankenstein suffered from the continuous loss of family and friends from his own mistake and the monster suffered a life of solitude and not having known love, kindness, or friendship.”

Adams poses a theory that Frankenstein is a tragic work of literature rather than a romantic novel. Frankenstein and the monster suffer greatly, and conflict is demonstrated against each other and in their heads. Their actions throughout the novel are a result of their tragedies. Adams does an excellent job of conveying her beliefs and presenting evidence to support her claim. 

“Jane Austen once wrote ‘hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be calm waters all our lives’. This helps to sum up the possible mention of the need for the emancipation for women throughout Shelley’s book. We are introduced to varying female roles throughout the book, from Elizabeth to Safie, the ‘gender roles’ have varied in empowering one character while leaving the other to be the representation of the ‘times’.”

Hopkins’s essay discusses how Frankenstein reflects Shelley’s views on gender roles. For example, the character Justine is a “passive, submissive” woman of the time; she meets an unfortunate end. Safie, on the other hand, is more independent and brings joy to everyone when she is present. These examples, among others, reflect Shelley’s desire for society to change its attitude towards women. 

Prompts on Essays about Frankenstein

A significant aspect of the story is the monster’s “humanity.” Readers can identify with his character and relationship with society. It is interesting to discuss why this could be the case. Delve into the question, “how do we relate to the monster?” Write about the different ways the monster appears more human and “worthy of empathy,” so to speak.

Interestingly, Frankenstein is suggested to be a modern version of the Greek god. Look into who Prometheus was in mythology and consider the similarities between him and Dr. Frankenstein. How is he a “modern Prometheus?” Use sources to support your findings, and create a compelling argumentative essay.

On a surface level, Frankenstein’s creation is the “monster” in the novel. However, some argue that the true monster is Frankenstein, for tampering with the creation of organic life. So who is the monster to you? There is abundant evidence to support either character; for an engaging essay, get quotes from the novel and online sources. 

Behind Frankenstein lies a set of truths about humanity and some values and lessons we can learn from. What do the story and characters reveal about our inherent nature, and what lessons can we apply to our own lives? You can write about one or more, but be sure to explain them in detail.

Frankenstein is regarded as one of the most famous works of literature, on par with Romeo and Juliet, Moby Dick, and other classics. Should it be considered “one of the greats?” Based on readings and research, decide on your response and defend your position.

Particularly in the world of horror, Frankenstein has had a tremendous impact. Your essay can discuss the novel’s lasting legacy and its effects on pop culture, the science-fiction and horror genres, and literature. In addition, you should include examples of works that exhibit noticeable influence from the novel and its characters. 

Check out our guide packed full of transition words for essays .

If you’re still stuck, check out our general resource of essay writing topics .

Martin is an avid writer specializing in editing and proofreading. He also enjoys literary analysis and writing about food and travel.

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The Definitive Guide to Analysing Frankenstein for Your English Essay

Are you studying ‘Frankenstein’ for English but have no idea how to come up with an analysis for your essay? Look no further as we’ve got you covered with a summary of Frankenstein, and we’ll walk you through the key characters, context, themes and a  step-by-step guide on how to perfect your analysis.

PLUS, we’ll provide you with a sample analysis table (also called a TEE table ) and a sample paragraph for Frankenstein!

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to ace your analysis of Frankenstein — let’s jump into it!

Frankenstein Summary Key Characters in Frankenstein Context Themes Explored in Frankenstein Essay Analysis of Frankenstein Studying this Text for the HSC

Summary of Frankenstein

The text is told in an epistolary narrative form using three narrators: Robert Walton, Victor Frankenstein, and the monster. The novel begins with a series of letters by Walton, an arctic explorer, to his sister. He writes of his encounter with a weakened Victor on the ice, who he nurses back to health aboard ship.

Victor’s Perspective

The narration shifts to Victor as he begins his tale, beginning with his nurturing and idyllic childhood with Elizabeth Lavenza, his adopted sister, and Henry Clerval, his best friend. Victor attends the university of Ingolstadt where he becomes engrossed in natural philosophy and chemistry and isolate himself from his family.

He becomes consumed with the pursuit of scientific knowledge and decides to create human life by fashioning the body from corpses. After bringing the monster to life, Victor is horrified by the sight of him and runs away, falling into a hysterical fever after the monster’s disappearance.

After his recovery, Victor prepares to return home to Geneva when he receives a letter from his father telling him that his youngest brother, William, has been murdered. On his way to his family house, Victor sees the gigantic figure of the monster lurking in the woods and is certain that he is William’s murderer.

He soon discovers that Justine Moritz, the family’s trusted servant, has been accused of William’s murder and is executed after her trial. Victor becomes tortured by grief and escapes to the Alpine valley of Chamonix. The monster approaches him and eloquently proclaims that he is intrinsically benevolent but turned cruel due to his suffering.

The Monster’s Perspective

The narration turns to the monster’s perspective as he recounts the beginning of his life and his refuge at the cottage of the De Lacey’s. Seeking love and companionship, the monster yearns to learn their language and gains knowledge by reading books, learning of his creation by reading Victor’s laboratory journal.

After summoning the courage to speak to the cottagers, he is rejected and violently beaten, forcing him to flee. The monster becomes possessed by revenge and travels to Geneva to find Victor, strangling William after he screamed in terror.

The monster ends his tale by b egging Victor to create a female monster for him to have as a companion.

Access the Frankenstein Downloadable Sample Paragraph and Examples of Analysis here!

Back to Victor’s Perspective

Victor resumes his narration and initially refuses but eventually agrees. Victor and Henry travel to Scotland, where Victor isolates himself to work on creating his second monster.

One night, Victor is horrified to see the monster grinning at him through the window and destroys the half-finished creation. Furious, the monster vows that he will be with Victor on his wedding night.

Later that night, Victor disposes of the remains out at sea and is drifted into dangerous waters, but he manages to land safely near an unknown town. Upon arrival, he is arrested for the murder of Henry, who has been strangled to death by the monster. Victor suffers a feverish illness in prison before being cleared of all criminal charges.

Victor returns home to Geneva with his father and marries Elizabeth. Fearing the monster’s threat, Victor sends Elizabeth away to her bedroom, yet he hears her scream and realises his fatal mistake. Soon after Victor’s father dies of grief, he resolves to devote his life to the creature’s destruction.

Victor tracks the monster on the ice and chases after him with his dogsled , but the ice breaks and Victor is set adrift. He is near death before Walton’s ship appears and saves him.

Walton’s Letters

The end of the story is told through Walton’s letters, where it’s learned that Victor has died. Soon after, Walton discovers the monster weeping over Victor’s body, who asks him for forgiveness.

He tells Walton of his suffering and vows to kill himself, disappearing out into the ice.

Key Characters in Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein The main narrator of the text, Victor, is responsible for creating and abandoning the monster. In contrast with his happy childhood, Victor’s obsession with scientific pursuit leads him to overstep natural boundaries and results in his family and friends’ tragic loss of lives.

The monster A gigantic hideous creature formed from dead body parts; the monster is Victor’s abandoned creation who was thrust into the unknown world. The monster is inherently good and seeks acceptance from society, but his constant rejection and hostility from humans drives him to take revenge on Victor.

Robert Walton Opening and closing ‘Frankenstein’, Walton is an arctic explorer who records the tales of Victor and the monster in a series of letters to his sister.

Elizabeth Lavenza Elizabeth is Victor’s adopted sister and wife, described as a caring young woman who is wholly devoted to Victor. She is murdered by the monster on their honeymoon.

Henry Clerval Victor’s best friend and intellectual foil, Henry supports Victor in his times of need and nurses him back to health. The monster kills him after Victor destroys the second monster.

Context of Frankenstein

Frankenstein is set during the 18th century and engages with many of the important ideas and thinkers of the Romantic period . This literary and philosophical period was marked by political, economic, scientific, and social enlightenment that emphasised reason and individualism.

How Frankenstein Came to Be

Considered one of the first science-fiction novels, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein began as a simple ghost story.

In 1816, the revolutionary lyrical poet Percy Bysshe Shelley travelled with his wife Mary to visit his friend Lord Byron in Switzerland. Due to the constant rain that kept them indoors, Byron suggested a ghost story contest to entertain themselves.

Based on a nightmare, Mary’s story won the contest, and she was encouraged to turn it into a full-length novel , which she did.

The daughter of the radical feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and radical philosopher William Godwin, Mary’s writing was heavily influenced by her parent’s writing and exposure to revolutionary thinkers . Frankenstein draws upon various philosophical ideas about childhood development, identity, and education, notably through the works of Jean-Jacques Rosseau and John Locke.

Other Influences

The prominence of scientific rationalism in Frankenstein was influenced by Luigi Galvani’s reanimation of dead tissue by applying electricity to a dead frog . Shaped by contemporary developments in scientific progress and discovery, Frankenstein serves as a cautionary tale for relying on scientific education divorced from moral values.

Frankenstein also draws upon the ideals of the Romantic Movement and the French Revolution during the 18th and 19th centuries. Victor’s creation of the monster implies defiance towards religion and a push towards enlightenment and rationality.

The novel is linked to two creation texts: the Greek myth of Prometheus and the Biblical creation story recounted in Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’.

Image sourced from BBC Science Focus Magazine

Themes Explored in Frankenstein

As a novel, several structural, contextual, and literary elements aid in deconstructing the major themes of the text.

In Frankenstein, the use of multiple narrators, foreshadowing, symbolism, intertextuality, and allusions create parallels and connections to fundamental ideas of significant social and political upheaval.

Below are some of the key themes from Frankenstein that make for a strong starting point to structure your essay analysis:

• Pursuit of knowledge
• Sublime nature
• Responsibility

How to Analyse Frankenstein in 3 Steps for Your Essay

Students often try to start with their thesis while attempting to answer an essay question. Instead, you should use your analysis as the starting point!

Analysing your text is a great way to gain an in-depth understanding of its meaning before you begin to answer anything about it.

After you’ve analysed your text, you will be able to build on its themes and construct a strong thesis!

We’re going to walk you through creating an essay analysis for Frankenstein in three simple steps!

Step 1: Choose your example

When choosing your example, a pro tip is to search for an excerpt that contains a technique. Techniques are the key to helping you dig deeper into what meaning the composer is trying to convey.

We have chosen to look at two quotes that compare Victor to God:

“Wretched devil! You reproach me with your creation, come on, then, that I may extinguish the spark which I so negligently bestowed.”

“Remember, that I am thy creature: I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed.”

Step 2: Identify your technique(s)

When trying to locate a technique within your example, the best method is to identify a technique that enables you to uncover a deeper subtext of your work and elevate your argument and analysis.

Rather than referencing simple language techniques like alliteration and rhyme, try searching for techniques that unveil symbolic meanings like metaphors, motifs, allusions, and intertextuality.

We have identified three techniques in the two quotes above for our Frankenstein essay analysis: allusion, symbolism and metaphor.

It’s always better to try and find multiple techniques in your quotes rather than just one, so you can really show off your analysis skills!

Check out our list of literary techniques here!

Step 3: Write the analysis

When you write your analysis, the key focus should be on what effect the technique has. Simply labelling what technique you’re using is not analysing and will award you minimal marks.

Technique labelling would look like this:

The allusion of Victor to Prometheus and God is shown through Victor’s threat to “extinguish the spark” as symbolic of Prometheus’s forbidden power and the metaphor of the monster as “the fallen angel” as a reference to Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’.

Instead of labelling, we need to flesh out how each technique allows a closer reading of the text.

Firstly, the allusions are important as they provide a familiar narrative in which we can view the characterisation of Victor as God and the monster as his creation.

The symbolism of Victor’s threat to ‘extinguish the spark which I so negligently bestowed’ is important because it parallels Prometheus as a representation of a figure that disrupts the natural order.

The metaphor of the monster as “the fallen angel” is significant because it alludes to Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’ and suggests that Victor has failed in his moral duty and responsibility as the creator.

So if we included all that in our analysis, it looks like:

Victor’s characterisation as God serves as an allusion to the creation texts of the Prometheus myth and the Biblical creation story referenced in Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’. Victor’s threat to “extinguish the spark which I so negligently bestowed” parallels Prometheus and symbolises Victor’s challenging of the natural order and transgression of forbidden territory by playing God. The monster’s plea to Victor that “I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel” is a metaphor that alludes to Adam’s lament to God referenced in Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’. The monster’s likening to Adam prompts Victor to evaluate his moral duty and responsibility as the creator.  

Studying this text for HSC Extension English

If you’re studying this text for the HSC Extension English , when writing an essay on Frankenstein, you’ll need to connect your ideas to the rubric. We’ve included the rubric below to refresh your memory!

Link #1: Seeking unity, certainty, solace, justice or restoration

The monster’s experience in Frankenstein is wholly based on his journey to seek unity, certainty, solace, justice and restoration. The monster begins his life seeking unity and companionship, with his pursuit for knowledge and humanity displaying his genuine desire to participate in society .

However, the hostile responses of individuals exemplify his rejection and isolation from society.

The monster’s inability to find acceptance fuels his desire for destructive justice against his creator to restore his world of upheaval.

Link #2: Represent shifting values, contexts and attitudes

Containing elements of Romanticism, Gothicism and Science Fiction, Frankenstein is a revolutionary novel that heavily draws upon the shifting values, contexts, and attitudes of society during the Age of Enlightenment. The novel reflects the growth of ideas centred on reason, progress, and liberty during a period of significant scientific and technological advancement.

Rather than simply celebrating these values, Shelley critically represents attitudes of concern towards rapid scientific development by warning of the danger of overstepping human potential.

Need some help analysing other texts?

Check out other texts we’ve created guides for below:

• Romeo and Juliet
• Lord of the Flies
• Little Miss Sunshine
• In Cold Blood
• The Book Thief
• The Tempest
• Blade Runner
• Jasper Jones

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We can help you master your essay analysis of Frankenstein by taking you through the summary, context, key characters and themes. We’ll also help you ace your upcoming English assessments with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or online!

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Ashley Sullivan is a Content Writer for Art of Smart Education and is currently undertaking a double degree in Communications (Journalism) and a Bachelor of Laws at UTS. Ashley’s articles have been published in The Comma and Central News. She is a film, fashion and fiction enthusiast who enjoys learning about philosophy, psychology and unsolved mysteries in her spare time.

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Frankenstein Reflects the Hopes and Fears of Every Scientific Era

The novel is usually considered a cautionary tale for science, but its cultural legacy is much more complicated.

The bicentennial of Frankenstein started early. While Mary Shelley’s momentous novel was published anonymously in 1818, the commemorations began last year to mark the dark and stormy night on Lake Geneva when she (then still Mary Godwin, having eloped with her married lover Percy Shelley) conceived what she called her “hideous progeny.”

In May, MIT Press will publish a new edition of the original text, “annotated for scientists, engineers, and creators of all kinds.” As well as the explanatory and expository notes throughout the book, there are accompanying essays by historians and other writers that discuss Frankenstein ’s relevance and implications for science and invention today.

It’s a smart idea, but treating Frankenstein as a meditation on the responsibilities of the scientist, and the dangers of ignoring them, is bound to give only a partial view of Shelley’s novel. It’s not just a book about science. Moreover, focusing on Shelley’s text doesn’t explore the scope of the Frankenstein myth itself, including its message for scientists.

This is one of those stories everyone knows even without having read the original: Man makes monster; monster runs amok; monster kills man. It may come as a surprise to discover that the creator, not the creature, is called Frankenstein, and that the original creature was not the shambling, grunting, green-faced lunk played by Boris Karloff in the 1931 movie but an articulate soul who meditates on John Milton’s Paradise Lost . Such misconceptions might do little justice to Shelley, but as the critic Chris Baldick has written, “That series of adaptations, allusions, accretions, analogues, parodies, and plain misreadings with follows upon Mary Shelley’s novel is not just a supplementary component of the myth; it is the myth.”

In any case, the essays in the MIT edition have surprisingly little to say about the reproductive and biomedical technologies of our age, such as assisted conception, tissue engineering, stem-cell research, cloning, genetic manipulation, and “ synthetic human entities with embryo-like features ”—the remarkable potential “organisms” with a Frankensteinian name.

That feels like a missed opportunity. Frankenstein is still frequently the first point of reference for media reports of such cutting-edge developments, just as it was when human IVF became a viable technique in the early 1970s. The “Franken” label is now a lazy journalistic cliché for a technology you should distrust, or at least regard as “weird”: Frankenfoods, Frankenbugs. The “wisdom of repugnance,” the phrase coined by the U.S. bioethicist Leon Kass and which informed the decision of the George W. Bush administration to pose drastic restrictions on federally funded stem-cell research in 2001, harked back directly to Mary Shelley’s novel.

Let’s be in no doubt: Frankenstein is one of the most extraordinary achievements in English literature. It’s not flawlessly written, the construction is sometimes awkward—yet it is a profound and unsettling vision, deeply informed about the science and philosophy of its day. That it was written not by an established and experienced author but by a teenager at a very difficult period in her life feels almost miraculous. It’s in fact those troubled circumstances and those flaws that have helped the book to persist, to keep on stimulating debate, and to continue attracting adaptations and variations—some good, many bad, some plain execrable.

It’s too often suggested—some of the commentaries in the MIT edition repeat the idea—that Frankenstein is a warning about a hubristic, overreaching science that unleashes forces it cannot control. “Victor’s error is failing to think harder about the potential repercussions of his work,” writes the bioethicist Josephine Johnston. To Mary Shelley’s biographer Anne Mellor, the novel “portrays the penalties of violating Nature.” This makes it sound as though the attempt to create an “artificial person” from scavenged body parts was always going to end badly: that it was a crazy, doomed project from the start.

But Mary Shelley takes some pains to show that the real problem is not what Victor Frankenstein made, but how he reacted to it. “Now that I had finished,” he says, “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” He rejects the “hideous wretch” he has created, but nothing about that seems inevitable. What would have happened if Victor had instead lived up to his responsibilities by choosing to nurture his creature?

One might answer that the result would have been a pretty dull and short novel. But I’m not so sure. Imagine the story of Victor struggling to have the creature accepted by a society that shunned it as vile and unnatural. We would then be reading a book about social prejudice and our preconceptions of nature—indeed, about the kind of prospect one can easily imagine for a human born by cloning today (if such as thing were scientifically possible and ethically permissible). The moral and philosophical landscape it might have explored would be no less rich.

That Victor did not do this—that he spurned his creation the moment he had made it, merely because he judged it ugly—means that, to my mind, the conclusion we should reach is the one that the speculative-fiction author Elizabeth Bear articulates in the new volume. It is for Victor’s “failure of empathy and his moral cowardice,” Bear says—for his overweening egotism and narcissism—that we should think ill of him, and not because of what he discovered or created.

Mary Shelley, however, gives her readers mixed messages. What she shows us is a man behaving badly, but what she seems to tell us is that he is tragic and sympathetic. All of her characters think so well of “poor, dear Victor” that we’re given pause. Even Robert Walton, the ship’s captain who finds Victor pursuing his creature in the Arctic and whose letters describing that encounter begin and end the book, sees in him a noble, pitiable figure, “amiable and attractive” despite his wrecked and emaciated state. Frankenstein’s only critic is his creature.

This could be seen as a rather exquisite piece of authorial artifice, an early example of the unreliable narrator. It seems more likely to me that Shelley herself wasn’t clear what to make of Victor. In her revised edition of 1831, she emphasized the Faustian aspect of the tale, writing in her introduction that she wanted to show how “supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world.” In other words, it was preordained that the creature would be hideous, and inevitable that its creator would recoil “horror-stricken.” That wasn’t then a character failing of Victor’s.

This idea invites the interpretation that Mellor offers in the new edition: “Nature prevents Victor from constructing a normal human being: His unnatural method of reproduction spawns an unnatural being, a freak.”

She sees this as a feminist interpretation (Nature being, in her view, feminine and inviolable), I feel that to the extent that Shelley’s book supports a feminist reading, it is not this, and to the extent that one might draw this interpretation, it is not a feminist one. To condemn Victor for violating “Mother Nature” with his “unnatural being” seems plain disturbing in the 21st century. Certainly it bears out the complaint of the British biologist J. B. S. Haldane in 1924:

There is no great invention, from fire to flying, which has not been hailed as an insult to some god. But if every physical and chemical invention is a blasphemy, every biological invention is a perversion.

By accepting that Victor’s work is inherently perverted and bound to end hideously, Mellor’s accusation leaves us wondering what exactly is meant by “unnatural.” Which real-life interventions are guaranteed to produce a freak? Might that be so with IVF, as its early detractors insisted? Is it the case for so-called “three-parent babies” made by mitochondrial transplantation, a misleading term apparently invented for the very purpose of insisting on its unnaturalness? Would the first human clone be the next “unnatural freak,” if ever that technology becomes possible and desirable?

“Unnatural” is not a neutral description but a morally laden term, and dangerous for that reason: Its use threatens to prejudice or shut down discussion before it begins.

There’s something of this rush to judgment also in the commentary of Charles Robinson, the Frankenstein scholar who introduces the new annotated text. Speaking about the evils released from Pandora’s box by Prometheus’s brother Epimetheus in Greek myth—Shelley subtitled her novel “The Modern Prometheus”—Robinson says that such terrible consequences of careless tampering are reflected in “the pesticide DDT, the atom bomb, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl,” and the British government’s allowing a stem-cell scientist to perform genome editing “despite objections that ethical issues were being ignored.”

But each of these modern developments in fact involved a complex and case-specific chain of events, and incurs a delicate balance of pros and cons. Some, such as the Chernobyl nuclear accident, had rather little to do with the intrinsic ethics of the underlying technology, but were a consequence of particular political and bureaucratic decisions. To imply that they unambiguously show a lack of foresight (Epimetheus’s name means “afterthought”) or indeed of responsibility on the part of the scientists whose work made them possible would be to cheapen the discourse and to evade the real issues.

The decision on genome editing, meanwhile—presumably this refers to the granting of a license by the U.K. Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority for gene-editing of very early stage, non-viable embryos—supports medical research that might, among other things, help to reduce rates of miscarriage. Such work will never be free of ethical objections raised by those opposed to all research on human embryos. Without a doubt, Frankenstein asks challenging questions about research like this that touches on interventions in human life. But to suggest that it warns us to abjure such work doesn’t do Mary Shelley justice.

What, then, does the story of Victor Frankenstein’s doomed and misguided quest have to tell us about modern science in general, and technological intervention in life in particular? I think that, to find an answer, we needn’t try too hard to discern Shelley’s own intentions. Her text arose not out of a conscious desire to tell a moral tale—not, at any rate, one about science—but literally out of a nightmare. In her preface to the 1831 edition she described how the “ghastly image” of a “pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together” came to her as she tried to sleep after listening to conversations between Byron and Percy Shelley deep into the night, concerning the “principle of life.”

That retrospective account surely included some embellishment, but it seems fair to accept Shelley’s assertion that “my imagination, unbidden, possessed and guided me.” The impact and enduring fascination of her novel depend on the author not having worked too hard to impose a meaning on the “ghastly image” she dreamed, to resolve the conflicts that it evoked in her, or to maintain a consistent attitude as she reworked her book.

So we can draw Luddite conclusions if that’s what we look for, just as we can read into the text Shelley’s fears about childbirth, her frustration and anger at her father’s rejection, political worries about the destructive potential of the inchoate mob, or an examination of male terror of female sexual and procreative independence.

But it surely matters at least as much now not just what Frankenstein is about but what the Frankenstein myth is about—what as a culture we have made of this wonderful, undisciplined book, whether that is Hollywood’s insistence that the artificial being be a stiff-limbed quasi-robotic mute or more contemporary efforts to tell a story that is sympathetic to the creature’s point of view. Frankenstein , after all, was never intended as an instruction manual to the bioethicist or the engineer. It is better seen as a catalyst, even an agent provocateur , that lures us into disclosing what we truly hope and fear.

The ambiguity of the book is an essential feature of myth, and all modern myths come from a similar fertile lack of authorial control. That isn’t a failing. Everyone loves a well-crafted story, but those crafted partly by the unconscious and delivered to us misshapen and unfinished hold a particular potential to be reanimated, time after time, to fit and to dramatize the anxieties of the age. Like Victor, we make Frankenstein in our own image.

Frankenstein

Mary shelley, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Through Victor and Walton , Frankenstein portrays human beings as deeply ambitious, and yet also deeply flawed. Both Victor and Walton dream of transforming society and bringing glory to themselves through their scientific achievements. Yet their ambitions also make them fallible. Blinded by dreams of glory, they fail to consider the consequences of their actions. So while Victor turns himself into a god, a creator, by bringing his monster to life, this only highlights his fallibility when he is completely incapable of fulfilling the responsibilities that a creator has to its creation. Victor thinks he will be like a god, but ends up the father of a devil. Walton, at least, turns back from his quest to the North Pole before getting himself and his crew killed, but he does so with the angry conclusion that he has been robbed of glory. Neither Victor nor Walton ever escapes from their blinding ambitions, suggesting that all men, and particularly those who seek to raise themselves up in glory above the rest of society, are in fact rash and "unfashioned creatures" with "weak and faulty natures."

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Ambition and Fallibility Quotes in Frankenstein

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An Essayist Who Revels in Glorious Chaos

In her third essay collection, the poet and critic Elisa Gabbert celebrates literature and life through a voracious engagement with the world.

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By Lily Meyer

Lily Meyer is a writer, critic and translator. Her debut novel, “Short War,” came out in April.

ANY PERSON IS THE ONLY SELF: Essays , by Elisa Gabbert

“Any Person Is the Only Self,” the poet and critic Elisa Gabbert’s third collection of nonfiction, opens with an essay that should be, but isn’t quite, a mission statement. She starts by describing the Denver Public Library’s shelf for recent returns, a miscellaneous display of disconnected works she habitually browsed in the years she lived in Colorado. In part, Gabbert (who is also the Book Review’s poetry columnist) was drawn to the shelf for its “negative hype,” its opposition to the churn of literary publicity. But mainly, she enjoyed playing the odds. “Randomness is interesting,” she writes; “randomness looks beautiful to me.” At the essay’s end, she declares, “I need randomness to be happy.”

So does her prose. When “Any Person Is the Only Self” embraces the random, it’s terrific. When Gabbert neatens or narrows her essays, though, they can feel more dutiful.

“Any Person Is the Only Self” — a seemingly random title, and one to ignore; it’s fussier and vaguer than any of Gabbert’s actual prose — is primarily a collection about reading, akin to Anne Fadiman’s “Ex Libris” or Alejandro Zambra’s “Not to Read.” But it is also a loose meditation on the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on Gabbert’s life. During lockdown, she found herself yearning for the “subconscious energy” she gets “from strangers and from crowds, a complicating energy that produces ideas,” and relying on literature as a replacement. She developed a habit of listening to many hours of author interviews, seeking the social life she couldn’t have in person.

Unsurprisingly, this led to some soul-searching on the subject of writing, which appears in the gloriously scattershot “Somethingness (or, Why Write?).” In this essay, Gabbert is at her best. She strings together more than 30 writers’ reasons for writing, variously testing, mocking, admiring and relating to them. In doing this, she gives readers a kaleidoscopic view of ambition and inspiration, always looking toward the random or inexplicable elements of both. In her own case, she adds, she’s become obsessed with leaving behind a body of work, which, she’s decided, is “seven books, even short, minor books. … When I finish, if I finish, seven books I can retire from writing, or die.”

“Any Person Is the Only Self” is Gabbert’s seventh book, and although nothing about it is morbid, death shadows the text throughout. Of course, reflecting on Covid invites thoughts of mortality, but she also writes about her father-in-law’s passing, Sylvia Plath’s suicide and the recent trend of denouncing books by dead writers, as if it were “poor form to die.” (Gabbert, rightly, judges this both tacky and strange.)

But in literature, Gabbert finds not only life after death — she talks about the “metalife” of writing — but also a reason to live and engage with the world. “Any Person Is the Only Self” seems decidedly unlike the work of somebody who plans to retire from writing. Rather, it feels like an expression of gratitude for both the act of reading in itself and for reading as a route to conversation, a means of socializing, a way to connect.

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