Themes in Frankenstein
A Summary of the Major Literary Motifs in Mary Shelley's Masterpiece
May 26, 2008
Many people know the story of Frankenstein only from the films and from cartoons of monsters with bolts through their necks. This understanding of Frankenstein in popular culture doesn't do justice to Mary Shelley's novel of 1818. The story is not about a mad professor who creates a rampaging monster, but about an ordinary man so wrapped up in the pursuit of scientific advances that he does not think about the consequences of his actions until it is too late.
Equally, it is about a miserable, ignorant creature, abandoned by his horrified creator and left to fend for himself. When he discovers that he can never be accepted by the world, he recants his intentions to be a friend of mankind and takes exacting revenge on his creator.
There are many themes running through the novel, too many to cover in this article, but here is a summary of the major ones:
The Pursuit of Knowledge
This is the most obvious theme. It is demonstrated in Victor Frankenstein's effort to make discoveries in Chemisty, which leads to the creation of the monster. It can also be seen in Walton's attempt to reach the North Pole by ship, charting unknown territory.
It is important to note that the novel does not hold the position that all scientific discovery is bad, but that the unchecked pursuit of knowledge can be extremely dangerous. Walton almost gets his entire crew killed because of his “mad schemes” (ch 24), while Frankenstein's desire to conquer new heights of knowledge drives him to “filthy creation” (ch 3) which eventually causes him great suffering and brings about his death.
Frankenstein himself characterises this uncontrolled thirst for knowledge as both madness and intoxication (letter 4), while the monster muses on the nature of knowledge, which clings to the mind like lichen to a rock, and can only be removed by death (ch 13).
Slavery
Another theme which runs through the novel is that of enslavement. Frankenstein dreams of creating “a new species which would bless me as its creator and source” (ch 4), but in fact it is he who becomes the slave to the demands of his more powerful creature. The monster addresses Frankenstein with the words:
“Slave... you are my creator, but I am your master: obey!” (ch 20)
Frankenstein and Walton can also be said to be slaves to the thirst for discovery which drives them.
Imprisonment
A related theme of imprisonment is also touched upon. Frankenstein's workshop is called a “cell”, which could refer to a monk's simple room, indicating devotion to his cause, but could equally refer to a jail cell, indicating his bondage to Science. The monster is imprisoned by his hideous form which prevents him from having any relationships with humans, but rather than being shut in, his imprisonment is to be shut out from society. Frankenstein describes his own situation of intense guilt and persecution by the monster as being “chained in an eternal hell” (ch 24).
Religious Imagery
Adam and Lucifer / Satan are two characters from the Bible who are invoked in the novel. Both were creations of God and both went wrong, Adam by disobeying God, Lucifer by seeking to overthrow Him. The monster is supposed to be Adam, made in God's (i.e. Frankenstein's own image), but instead is treated as Lucifer although he is innocent (ch 10). Later his anger at his rejection turns him into a true devil, which is how Frankenstein most often refers to him. Frankenstein also characterises himself as Lucifer, since he tried to usurp the position of God by creating life (ch 24).
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