"It's Alive!!!!!" (The depressing realization that this quote is not actually in the book. Awesome.) "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?" (page 35) Frankenstein is a rather complex character. His characterization so far is peculiar because we first meet him in the north where he is near death. Then, he decides to tell the story of his misery the last few years to a complete stranger. I suppose when you are sitting around on a ship for 24 hours a day for several days, you're going to learn a lot about the people with you though. This quote from chapter five when Frankenstein finally breathes life into the inanimate body brings on more complexity of his character. Why would Frankenstein be so disgusted and caught up by his creation after he obsessively worked on it for two years? The creation took over his life and even his health and then he just ends up throwing it to the wind and making it fen for itself. I realize that he did not understand the gravity of his creation until the moment it tremored and woke up for the first time, but the fact that he put every single ounce of himself into the creation until the very last moment is just confusing. How can he be so enamored with his project, knowing the beautiful and horrific features of it, and then just let it all drop? I feel like he doesn't exactly think things through. Rather, he is impulsive and goes more on intellect than common sense.
April 14, 2011 at 11:19 PM
sorry to ruin the story for you. no "It's Alive!" moment