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Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley

[Category]:

English

[Paper Title]:

 

[Text]:

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus is a true classic, one
which has passed the test of time. The story of

Frankenstein has been told and retold, generation after generation. Not only
is the story line itself intriguing but the story has

many underlying themes that invoke thought and controversy. Depending upon
your individual perspective one might see the

underlying theme as a warning to the scientific community to question the
morality of their scientific advancements in light of the

betterment of mankind and society as a whole. Another reader, might view the
underlying theme as referring to interpersonal

relationships between men and women. From my own perspective as a parent and
mother of two children, I perceive the most

prevalent underlying theme to be that of parenting. This novel illustrates
and confronts many issues involving the dynamics of

parent-child relationships. Such as child abandonment, child neglect, the
dangers of spoiling your child, and their resulting

influences on the child's emotional and psychological development.

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein clearly demonstrates the importance of attachment
and bonding between the mother and the

child for normal childhood development.. Shelley does this by identifying the
negative effects of depriving a child of a nurturing

mother. Without mothering a child's capacity to trust others and commit to
loving relationships diminishes resulting in social

isolation later in life. More important, the lack of a loving education
deprives a child of developing a clear and comprehensive

understanding of human morality. A child that does not possess an adequate
moral understanding often dissociates themselves

from their feeling of anger and guilt resulting in unrepentive violence. This
is validated in the story by the demon's inability to

form any type of loving relationship and the demon's subsequent moral
failings resulting in violent outburst which legitimizes

societies condemnation of the demon as a social outcast. Thus, Mary Shelley
suggest that a rejected and unmothered child can

become violent and even a killer, a monster so to speak.

The Monster is not the only character in Frankenstein to find themselves
motherless. There is a conspicuous absence of

mothers throughout the book. Victor's best friend, Henry Clerval, is
motherless and spends most of his formidable years

reared by the Frankenstein

Read the rest of the term paper