Theme Analysis of Frankenstein –What do you think?
Several themes seem to run through Shelley’s Frankenstein, some obvious, others subtle.
The most widely heralded theme is the idea that ignorance is bliss. In Shelley's time, the
power of human reason, through science and technology, challenged many traditional
precepts about the world and man's relationship with his creator. Yet at the same time,
many questioned these humanist notions, stressing the limits of human capacity. Shelley
details this theme in her book, making an allusion to the counter-humanist idea in chapter
four when Victor warns Walton not to follow in his footsteps, saying, Learn from me, if not
by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge,
and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who
aspires to become greater than his nature will allow. Indeed, to Shelley and many others of
her time, some riddles of nature should never be discovered by man. Even the alternate
title, The Modern Prometheus, undeniably relates this point. Prometheus, a figure in Greek
mythology, took fire from the gods in order to give it to man and consequently suffered
eternal punishment. Clearly, Victor Frankenstein is this modern Prometheus—in a way, he
stole the idea of creation from God and used it for his own ill-advised purposes.
A second theme stresses the idea of human injustice towards outsiders. Throughout his
narrative, the monster laments over man's cruelty to those who are different. Indeed,
Frankenstein's monster is an outcast—he doesn't belong in human society. Yet the
monster's alienation from society, his unfulfilled desire for a companion with whom to share
his life, and his ongoing struggle for revenge, are all shared by his creator. As the story
develops, Victor becomes increasingly like his creation. Both live in relative isolation from
society, both hate their own miserable lives, and both know suffering. Shelley, through this
theme, paints a very bleak portrait of man and his relationship with outsiders, as well as the
cruel vengeance of society.
A third theme, an offshoot of injustice towards outsiders, emphasizes the reasons for and
damaging effects of secrecy. Victor conceives of science as a mystery to be probed; its
secrets, once discovered, must be jealously guarded. Victor’s entire obsession with creating
life is shrouded in secrecy, and his obsession with destroying the monster remains equally
secret until Walton hears his tale. Whereas Victor continues in his secrecy out of shame
and guilt, the monster is forced into seclusion by his grotesque appearance. Walton serves
as the final confessor for both, and their tragic relationship becomes immortalized in
Walton’s letters. In confessing all just before he dies, Victor escapes the stifling secrecy
that has ruined his life; likewise, the monster takes advantage of Walton’s presence to
forge a human connection, hoping desperately that at last someone will understand, and
empathize with, his miserable existence.
A fourth, subtler theme, indicts society for its sexist viewpoints. Throughout his narrative,
Victor portrays women as weak, suffering, subservient beings who live for and depend on
the men in their lives. Surely Shelley experienced this in her own life, though she may or
may not have agreed with it. Ironically, the monster—the one who Victor calls a barbarian—
has a very progressive notion of the opposite sex. He believes that men and women are
largely equal, not being brought up in Frankenstein's pre-feminist culture. The monster's
desire for a female companion does not convey a desire to rule over a woman or a belief that
a woman should be dependent on him, but it simply shows his need for an equal companion
with whom to share his sufferings.
Your Job—Take one of these themes and develop it into a paper and presentation. The
paper does not have to be long—1 to 2 pages. In clear, organized, paragraphs (more than
one) prove one of the above themes using examples from the book. That means direct
quotes with citations. Here is an example:
“’Slave, I before reasoned with you, but you have proved yourself unworthy of my
condescension. Remember that I have power;’”(172).
Notice the double quotation marks around the sentences because they are quoted in the
book.
1) Your paper must have a clear introduction with a thesis statement (that which you are
trying to prove), body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The number of paragraphs are up to you
as long as each paragraph is organized and contains only one subtopic. Each body paragraph
must contain at least ONE citation from the book to prove your thesis. If the quote does
not support your thesis, it is not a useful quote!
2)Double space your paper. Use Times New Roman 12. However, if you have a quote that is
longer than three lines, you MUST use long quote format. See me for directions if this
happens to you!
3)Turn your paper into a 2-3 minute Power Point. This does NOT mean to just copy and
paste your paper onto the Power Point slides. A Power Point is meant to be visual, so take
that into consideration. You will basically explain to us (with visual aides) the theme you
proved in your paper and how you did it.
Focus and Organization (15 Points)
*Clear introduction with thesis statement
*Each body paragraph has it’s own subtopic
*Clear ending that recaps your thesis idea
Support (15 Points)
*Use of quotes that clearly support what you are trying to prove and aren’t thrown in
randomly
*Correct quote/citation format
*At least one quote per body paragraph
Grammar/Conventions (15 Points)
*spelling
*punctuation
*sentence structure
*word usage
*word omissions
*verb tense (Use the historical present when talking about literature)
*agreement
*OTHER
Power Point (15 Points)
*2-3 Minutes in length
*more visual than textual
*Gives a clear overview of your paper *use of correct grammar and citations
*HARD COPY PRINTOUT of slides turned in the day presentations begin