Frankenstein, by English author Mary Shelley, tells the story of a monster created by a scientist and explores themes of life, death, and man versus nature. Read the overview below to gain an understanding of the work and explore the previews of analysis and criticism that invite further interpretation.

What is Frankenstein mainly about?

What are the major themes in Frankenstein? Major themes in Frankenstein include the dangers of technology and the consequences of surface judgments. The most important theme, however, is familial responsibility and the immense need for people to take care of each other.

What is the main story of Frankenstein?

Frankenstein - Plot summary

Frankenstein tells the story of gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein who succeeds in giving life to a being of his own creation. However, this is not the perfect specimen he imagines that it will be, but rather a hideous creature who is rejected by Victor and mankind in general.

What is the deeper meaning of the Frankenstein?

Mary Shelley's novel carries the message that not all science and knowledge produces progress. The novel also carries the message that criminals are made rather than born. The horrific appearance of the monster generated fear and aggression in people, which is depicted as initially unfair.

What is the ultimate message of Frankenstein?

The main message that Frankenstein conveys is the danger in the pursuit of knowledge and advancement in Science and Technology. In the novel we see Victor try to push forward the limits of science by creating a creature from old body parts. The creation of the creature backfired on Victor once the monster escaped.

Video SparkNotes: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein summary

What is the main purpose of Frankenstein?

In the mid-twentieth century, critics began to recognize the importance of Frankenstein as a cautionary tale on the dangers of scientific knowledge and now view it as a progenitor of science fiction.

What is the main moral of Frankenstein?

One message conveyed by Frankenstein is the danger that lies with considering the negative consequences of science and technology after-the-fact, instead of before. More generally speaking, when people neglect to consider the potential negative impacts of their actions, it is a form of willful ignorance.

What is the true message of Frankenstein?

Frankenstein suggests that social alienation is both the primary cause of evil and the punishment for it. The Monster explicitly says that his alienation from mankind has caused him to become a murderer: “My protectors had departed, and had broken the only link that held me to the world.

What is Frankenstein a warning of?

Mary Shelly's 1818 book Frankenstein displays the dangers of scientific exploration, as well as the human race's inability to completely control the world around them.

What is Frankenstein supposed to represent?

What does Victor's monster symbolize? Victor's monster represents the hubris of thinking one can replace nature. The Creature is a grotesque creation which begins as Adam symbolically, but eventually sees more of Satan in himself.

What was Frankenstein's monster's name?

In the novel he is never given a specific name, that's why he is just called “the creature”, “the monster”, “Frankenstein's creature” or “Frankenstein's monster”, some argue that he dubbed himself “Adam” and recognized himself as Victor's son making him Adam Frankenstein, but even that is spurious, he does not get the ...

Why is the story of Frankenstein important?

Frankenstein is not only the first creation story to use scientific experimentation as its method, but it also presents a framework for narratively examining the morality and ethics of the experiment and experimenter.

What is the main conflict in Frankenstein?

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein examines the conflicts experienced by Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation. Victor experiences a conflict between his desire for a simple family life and the often reckless desires of his ambition.

What is the main plot of the story Frankenstein?

A Plot Synopsis of Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein tells Walton his story—a happy childhood, an unhealthy obsession with alchemy, and his engagement to his cousin Elizabeth. Victor enrolls at the University of Ingolstadt, where he discovers the secret of life and builds a creature from dead bodies .

What story does Frankenstein tell?

The book tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist in search of the secret of life who creates the monstrous creature in a secret experiment.

What was Frankenstein's main goal?

Victor Frankenstein is the protagonist of Frankenstein. His goal is to achieve something great and morally good, which will secure him a lasting reputation. In pursuit of this goal, he creates the Monster, but his pursuit of his goal also causes his conflict with the Monster.

What is the deeper meaning behind Frankenstein?

Frankenstein's creature has been interpreted as symbolic of the revolutionary thought which had swept through Europe in the 1790s, but had largely petered out by the time Shelley wrote the novel.

What is the main point of Frankenstein?

The major conflict in Frankenstein revolves around Victor's inability to understand that his actions have repercussions. Victor focuses solely on his own goals and fails to see how his actions might impact other individuals.

Why does Frankenstein's monster hate him?

The Monster hates Frankenstein for abandoning him after his creation: “He had abandoned me: and, in the bitterness of my heart, I cursed him.” The Monster is also angry with Frankenstein for making the Monster the only one of his kind: “I was dependent on none and related to none.” The Monster also feels hatred and ...

What is Frankenstein basically a story about?

Shelley's novel, Frankenstein: or, the Modern Prometheus (1818), is a combination of Gothic horror story and science fiction. The book tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a Swiss student of natural science who creates an artificial man from pieces of corpses and brings his creature to life.

Is Frankenstein's monster good or evil?

While Victor feels unmitigated hatred for his creation, the monster shows that he is not a purely evil being. The monster's eloquent narration of events (as provided by Victor) reveals his remarkable sensitivity and benevolence.

For what purpose did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein?

Why did Mary Shelley write Frankenstein? Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as part of a writing challenge between herself, her husband, her step-sister, Lord Byron, and John Polidori. She was also inspired by real experiments that she had seen and her own experiences of motherhood.

What is the message in Frankenstein?

The main message in Frankenstein is the importance of balancing curiosity and ambition with caution and compassion. Victor is so obsessed with proving his theory that he ignores the ethical implications of his work. He never considers what life will be like for his creation.

What does the story of Frankenstein teach us?

Don't judge a book by its cover

Initially, Frankenstein's monster, isn't a monster at all. He is a kind, empathetic creature, who wants to help other people and wants to be part of a community. Unfortunately, his appearance scares people away and everyone assumes he must be evil based on looks alone.

Why is Frankenstein so important?

For decades, Frankenstein has been central to discussions in and about bioethics. Perhaps most notably, it frequently crops up as a reference point in discussions of genetically modified organisms, where the prefix Franken- functions as a sort of convenient shorthand for human attempts to meddle with the natural order.