Another Voice In Frankenstein :: essays research papers

There are many varied interpretations of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in the study of literature. In fact, most critics have, if not opposing, somewhat contrasted views on the novel. However, a popular perception of the novel seems to be one in which Shelley is said to be representing her own views through the voice of the monster created by Victor Frankenstein. But what exactly are Shelley’s views? So many have taken apart this novel, analyzing it beyond all bounds, and yet it still remains a puzzle to most, as to what message Shelley tries to give to the reader. Perhaps this quandary is the direct result of this over-analysis. What if we are looking too carefully? If we were to take a step back, we should see that Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is nothing more than the not uncommon story of the average teenager.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This isn’t to say that the novel is not a work of art, rather, it is quite possibly the best prose ever written by an eighteen year-old. But the fact of the matter remains. Mary Shelley was eighteen going on nineteen when she wrote Frankenstein. Taking this into account, it becomes more apparent that Shelley was not commenting on social aspects of her time or the feminist movement that her mother helped create, rather, she was simply expressing her feelings as a teenager, as so many of us need to do. These feelings of isolation, separation, and being misunderstood, all of which are not uncommon to many teens, are in fact the same as those experienced by the monster in Frankenstein. In this way, the monster most likely is a representation of Mary Shelley.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Almost all of us can relate to a time in our lives when we were young, and misunderstood by our parents. Almost all of us have had an experience where we had done something wrong and during the process of being berated by our parents, tried to convince them that they were wrong, instead. This point is universal to all teenagers and apparently it was to Mary Shelley as well, when we observe the following passage: Be calm! I entreat you to hear me, before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head. Have I not suffered enough, that you seek to increase my misery? Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will defend it.