This document is a perfect resource for effective A level revision into important quotes, themes, language analysis, structure and context for the novel 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley. It is structured in a way in which students can easily imbed into their essays to get top marks.
The themes inc...
Key Themes & Quotations Mind Map for Frankenstein Essay
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PEARSON (PEARSON)
English Literature 2015
Frankenstein
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Ambition
God Complex – Victor desires Greed/egotism – Victor is Blind ambition leads to misery –
to have attain knowledge + obsessed with accumulating application of knowledge and ambition to
fame. He plays the role of God knowledge and thus power V’s own selfish goals winds up destroying
by creating a new life him and all those closest to him
• Criticises the breadth of
• Ambition can encourage science
people to set unrealistic o ‘Deepest
goals that lead to
mysteries’ should
consequences
be left uncovered
QUOTES QUOTES QUOTES
It was the secrets of heaven and "explore unknown powers, and "seek happiness in tranquillity, and avoid
earth that I desired to learn unfold to the world the deepest ambition, even if…..distinguishing yourself in
- Desire to enhance knowledge, mysteries of creation..’ science and discoveries"
religious connotations show
- "Obsessive - Responsibility is linked to ambition
he wants knowledge of the
- ‘Unfold’ = gracious, - Ambition consumes + morphs into
Gods
trying to convince he obsession if one cannot be satisfied
- Breaks law of nature/
has noble intentions at a certain point, and blindly pursues
boundaries that shouldn’t be
- ‘Mysteries, secrets’ – for more.
overcome
things are best left (Knowledge/science is fleeting)
"Life and death appeared to me ideal undiscovered, we should
bounds which I should first break be in awe of creation ‘A new species would bless me as its
through and pour a torrent of light (romanticism) creator’.
into our dark world’.
- Victor is transgressing the
- Juxtapose Romantic view on boundaries of religion with greed and
- ambition- Shelley is presenting religion
science (overambition)
- Possessive pronouns – glory CONTEXT as a tool for moral guidance.
- Christ’s salvation for Shelley = Romanticist - ‘Bless me’ – personal pronoun =
humanity selfish + contrasts with
Criticises Science + how some omnibenevolent God (doomed to fail
CONTEXT things should be left alone – from start) => there are inevitable
Romanticism vs Enlightenment – the tampering with nature consequences for overstepping
transition religion
Enlightenment rejected ideas of religion to
advance in a scientific view of the world
CONTEXT
Romanticists = religious
Overstepping religion is unthought of in a Romantic society – Shelley conveys using religion for personal gain/ ambition will
always have consequences
Science is fleeting – it will always change and develop as time goes by. Achievement is short-lived
, Reproduction
Destruction of the female – Over-reliance of women for male Reproduction of alienation – victor vs
Victor reproducing an entity needs – monster was desperate monster (distinguishes the difference
can be seen as taking the for a female monster to be between individuals, who’s the real
primitive purpose of the women created/ monster?)
(caretakers, meant to create
families) + scared the female • Females exist for the • Monster = alienated beyond his
would be worse/stronger pleasure of men - control => had pure intentions but
misogyny was discriminated against
• Patriarchal Society
o Still takes accountability
QUOTES QUOTES for his actions
‘she might become ten thousand ‘You [Victor] must create a
• Victor = chooses alienation for
times more malignant than her female for me with whom I can greed/knowledge
mate and delight, for its own live in the interchange of those o lames monster, no
sake, in murder and sympathies necessary for my accountability
wretchedness’ being.’
- Worried she will be
worse/stronger/evil
- Desperate to have a QUOTES
female companion, there
‘A new species would bless me is an emphasis on M -‘I, the miserable and the abandoned, I am
as its creator and source’ ‘female’ suggesting only an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and
a women can satisfy his trampled on.’
- God Complex – no
needs - Alienation wasn’t the monster’s
female (takes their role
- Women = inferior, only
away) choice
purpose is to stop the
monster being lonely M -‘“crime has degraded me beneath the
meanest animal.... the fallen angel becomes a
CONTEXT CONTEXT malignant devil.’
Women in Romantic Period had Women = inferior => patriarchal - Monster holds himself accountable
very few rights (can’t vote, society for crimes
housewives etc)
The monster being desperate for V -‘examining my past conduct; nor do I find it
They were expected to stay at a female companion instead of a blamable... He showed unparalleled malignity
home and look after the family + male shows how women were and selfishness in evil... he ought to die.’
have children. seem natural caregivers and act
on the needs of men - Guiltless, blames others despite
Victor becoming the creator abandoning monster, who is the real
eradicates the primitive purpose of monster, refuses to sympathise
women
V -‘I, who had ever been surrounded by
CONTEXT amiable companions, continually engaged in
endeavouring to bestow mutual pleasure-I
Society = corrupt (Romantic pov)
was now alone.’
Desired equality/change since they hated hierarchies (minster is seen as
- Chose this path
the lowest level due to his appearance)
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