Depiction of Frankenstein CharactersIn the novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, the characters have been portrayed effectively. Much of the character interactions and character characteristics are based on events in Shelley's life or represent what she considers important. For example, Victor is described as having a strong passion for science and a poor understanding of relationships. Elizabeth is depicted as a stereotypical woman of the time, also very helpless. The monster is described as both beautiful and ugly, and as someone towards whom the reader feels sympathy. Through the portrait of his characters, Shelley has created a very effective novel. Shelley portrays Victor Frankenstein as a person fascinated by the strong scientific movement of the time. She created it in response to what she saw happening around her: science was becoming a religion for some people because it provided answers to their questions about the world, and sparked a fascination that humans could create whatever they wanted. In his novel, Victor is one of these people and wants to be the supreme creator or scientist, and therefore take on the role of God. To do this, he creates a being, believing that "a new species would bless me as creator and source... No father could claim his child's gratitude as completely as I would deserve theirs." (pages 52-53). Victor then abandons this creature he made, and this is one of his main crimes. After Victor does this, his monster murders everyone who was close to him, and this represents Shelley's beliefs about how dangerous the cult of science could become, and the...... middle of paper.. ....along with the monster's struggle for acceptance due to his loathsome appearance. Shelley has created a novel that will be remembered for many generations to come because of the excellent character portrayals it contains. Works cited and consultedBloom, Harold. Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. New York: Chelsea, 1987. Botting, Fred. Make it monstrous. Frankenstein, criticism, theory. Manchester University Press, 1991. Boyd, Stephen. York Notes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Longman York Press, 1992. Mellor, Anne K. Mary Shelley. His life, his fiction, his monsters. Methuen. New York, London, 1988. Patterson, Arthur Paul. A Frankenstein study. http://www.watershed.winnipeg.mb.ca/Frankenstein.htmlShelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus. Edited with an introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Longman York Press, 1998.