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Essay / The Creation of New Life Through Secret Knowledge
Mary Shelley develops the character of Victor Frankenstein, a young chemist who discovers the secrets of creating life, with an endless thirst for knowledge. His studies and desires lead him to construct a creature that wreaks havoc on Victor and everything he loves. However, this story is not one of steady decline, but of a rollercoaster of emotions, both for Victor Frankenstein and his creature. Throughout Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses vivid descriptions of the seasons and weather as symbols of happiness and hope, or lack thereof, to demonstrate how each character copes with the inevitable ups and downs of life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Directly after its creation, the creature suffers unbearable pain and misery, which continues through the first two winters of its desperate life. First of all, as soon as the creature enters the world, it begins to feel cold; “Before leaving your apartment, due to the feeling of cold, I had covered myself with some clothes, but these were insufficient to protect me from the dew of the night. I was a poor wretch, helpless and miserable” (119). The creature has no parent to care for it and does not understand why it feels no warmth. Additionally, the gaping hole left by Victor's absence creates a metaphorical chill in the creature's heart. His loneliness causes misery far worse than any physical cold. Furthermore, once winter returns a year later, the creature is distressed to see the leaves fall, while its hopes of acceptance collapse; “The fall went like this. I saw, with surprise and sorrow, the leaves decay and fall, and nature resume the barren and gloomy appearance it had had when I first saw the woods” (156). The creature does not yet understand the seasons, it is afraid of reliving the cold and the suffering it endured a year ago. His lack of comfort and parental figure make him even more desperate for compassion and companionship. He longs to reveal himself to the villagers, but still doesn't believe they will accept him. This cold endured by the wretch is the symbol of a low point in his life. On the other hand, nature distracts Victor from his troubles, and demonstrates that someone going through a difficult time can still feel happiness from simple pleasures. To begin with, during his trip to Chamounix, summer brings joy to Victor; “The winds themselves whispered with soothing tones, and motherly nature commanded me to weep no more. » (108). Rather than worrying about his creation in freedom, Victor remembers all that is good in the world. Natural elements like this add romance to the novel, taking a more idealistic view of Victor's strange predicament. Later, while traveling through Switzerland with Henry, Victor once again loses focus on his true situation; “I, with my spirit depressed and my spirit continually agitated by gloomy feelings, even I was content” (188). Beyond all the stress and grief he faces, Victor sees the good in nature and the world. The Swiss mountains impress him and distract him from his real problems. Victor's ignorant happiness demonstrates that summer and heat can permeate the deepest, darkest depressions. Victor's most stressful encounters with the creature often occur in harsh, cold climates. These settings symbolize the physical and metaphorical cold imposed on Victor, against which the creature is immune. At the start of his meeting..