Frankenstein: Chapters 13-15

Frankenstein
Mary Shelley

Finally, the reader begins to discover the source of the creature's impressive eloquence and knowledge: reading.  However, through the use of allusions to famous literary works, Shelley highlights the failure of society to accept the creature and the failure of Victor to accept the child of his ambition.

Surprisingly, the creature is proficient in understanding Lives, Sorrows of Werter, and Paradise Lost, some of the most elevated and complex pieces of literature.  Specifically, the creature's ability to enjoy the stories of the most celebrated heroes in human society as portrayed in Lives and to connect with the universal woes of death in Sorrows of Werter display an intellect and compassion worthy of human companionship.  In fact, the creature's shocking speed in understanding universal human joys and pains demonstrates the creature's superiority in granting companionship, aid, and comfort.  Nevertheless, humanity so far has rejected the creature utterly.  This situational irony created by characterization of the creature as empathetic through understanding of allusions to Lives and Sorrows of Werter signal to the reader humanity's prejudicial tendency to scorn humanity concealed under non-conventional appearances thereby creating monsters out of humans.

Moreover, the allusion to Paradise Lost allows the reader to juxtapose the characters of the creature and Victor with the characters of God, Adam, and Satan as portrayed in the work.  On one hand, as the creature argues, the creature plays a role more like Satan than Adam because of his loneliness compared to his benefactors' emotional bounty: "Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me," (Shelley, 92).  Thus, Victor would play the role of the omnipotent God who cast out his creation.  However, the reader might also believe Victor to play the role of Satan whose blind ambition to attain God-like power led to his downfall as Victor's desire to bestow life led to his post-creation depression.  Shelley's allusion to Paradise Lost and juxtapositions among its and her characters suggest that social barriers placed by prejudice leave the oppressed at the bottom via the actions of the persecutors as well as the persecutors for their malevolent ambition for power.

(Do I get a reward for using 4 lit terms in one blog post?)