Characterization Victor Frankenstein：维克多弗兰肯斯坦的表征.doc

Characterization Victor FrankensteinVictors thoughts of himself:-Victors opinion of himself oscillates between regret and self loathing for his actions and extreme narcissism for his scientific accomplishments. The two aspects of Frankensteins opinion of himself are exposed in the pivotal point of the novel, Chapter 5, in which the monster is brought into exsistance.- With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me.” The anxiety and woes that Victor feels pertaining to the creation of his monster indicates that he is questioning himself and the actions he is about to undertake.- “I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God!”Victors praise for the monster in this passage is infact a praise for himself as he is the creator of this “beautiful” being. Character Sketch: Victor FrankensteinActions: Pre-MonsterAge 13: Baths near Thonon: came across works of Cornelius Agrippa, sparked interest in natural philosophy (study of magic through God/nature)Continued studying works, though his father told him not to: disregard for rules, against confinement, quest for knowledgeAge 15: witnessed lightning splintering tree: sparked interest in laws of electricityAge 17: leaves for Ingolstadt after death of mother, deeply upset to leave friends/family behindContinues with natural philosophy, though professor Krempe warned him against itInterested in structure of the human form: death/decay to learn about lifeStudies at university, becomes obsessed with accumulation of knowledge, begins to forget family, hardly mentions themCollects cadavers: “I collected bones from charnel-houses” (33).Creates monster, immediately fleesPhysicality “How can I describe my emotions at the catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath pg 35After the monster comes to life victor feels only horror and disgust for his creationInsanity- His insanity begins with his obsession of creating the monster.- People wont believe his story. (pg 13)- He realizes the way the darkness was making him go crazy and the “wreck” he has become. (pg 34)- The realization that the monster killer his brother directly and Justine indirectly makes him go insane so that he requires a soul searching trip to the mountains to cleanse himself. (Pg 50 and 124)- During his nervous breakdown after the creation of the monster, Victor spent months in silence just lying in bed and avoiding society. (pg 109)- He believes it madness to create another monster. (pg 121)- He begins to blame himself entirely for the murders of the monster. (pg 130)- His creation killed Victors friend which makes him feel guilty of the crime.- unchanged an enemy (pg 136)- “called me mad”, “I will be with you on your wedding night” (pg 147)Post-monster- After the monster is created, Victor becomes irresponsible and neglectful - He abandons his standards of virtue- He doesnt take responsibility for his actions- Victor runs away from his problems (the monster)- ironic because his problems are unavoidable- “I threw myself at the bed in my clothes, endeavoring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness” (35)- Avoidance/escaping reality - Victors disbelief and denial - fear of confronting creature - “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurred at, and kicked, and trampled on”- monster speaking over Victors dead body- “The beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”- “I was seized by remorse and the sense of guilt, which hurried me to a hell of intense fortunes, such as no language can describe”- Victors self-loathing What others say about him: - “ M. Waldman inflicted torture when he praised with kindness and warmth astonishing progress I have made in the sciences” page 43 - R