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Claudia Bustamante
Period 5
Dec 12, 2013
Frankenstein Rhetorical Analysis


Knowledge Inspired by Passion

Frankenstein, a science fiction novel written by Mary Shelley, talks about a scientist who
desperately want to create a being like him, ending in the creation of a monster. Victors
irresponsibility makes him be careless, letting the monster choose his own path without any
guide. The creator and creature end up having different priorities and needs, which leads them to
act the way they do. Mary Shelley enhances how searching for knowledge inspired by passion
will shape an individuals personal identity. Throughout the novel, Victor Frankenstein and the
monster, develop their personality based on their desires.

Victor was a man passionately intrigued by natural philosophy. He did not want to understand
only the basics of science; rather, he went beyond trying to understand the secrets of life.
Shelleys use of antithesis conveys Victors desire to create a human being using dead human
body parts. To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death. (Shelley, 1891,
p. 30) Although Victor at the beginning was mad passionate to create a human being (to be a
father of science) the creature brought everything but happiness and satisfaction to his life. Thus
spoke my prophetic soul, as, torn by remorse, horror, and despair, I beheld those I loved spend
vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed
arts. (Shelley, 1891, p. 60) In this passage we can see how the use of a long sentence filled of
short phrases or words separated by commas, create a paused and abrupt syntax. This kind of
syntax is presented through a regretful and anguish tone by using words such as torn by
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remorse and hapless victims. As well, her effective diction of disgust, demonstrates Victors
unhappiness and anger towards the monster, making him regret his creation.
A flash of lightening illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic
structure, and the deformity of its aspects, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly
informed me that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom I had given life. What did he there?
(Shelley, 1891, p.50)
The use of the words the object, deformity of its aspects, hideous, the wretch, and
filthy demon to describe his creation explicitly demonstrates his repulsiveness towards the
monster. Throughout the novel, we can see how Victors dream of being a creator, shapes his
identity by making him a nostalgic, mad, and solitary person.

The monster, a lonely creature abandoned by his creator, shapes his identity while he tries to be
compatible and fit in society. When he admires the grace and beauty of the cottages, and sees
himself in the reflection of the water, is when his view on himself and personal identity changes.
He starts by being a sensitive and gentle creature, until he discovers how ugly he is. when I
became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterness
sensation of despondence and mortification. I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this
miserably deformity. (Shelley, 1891, p. 80) Shellys scared diction proficiently highlights the
monsters alarmed reaction when he view himself for the first time by using words as
mortification, monster, and miserably deformity. The monsters ambitions to know more
and become more like a human made him an angry, resentful and aggressive creature. In his
search for knowledge, he realized that he was in solitude and needed someone like him to be his
companion. You are my creator, but I am your master; - obey!(Shelley, 1891, p.122) Shelleys
use of antithesis advocates the monsters ferocity towards his creator for denying him a mate. At
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the middle and end of the novel, the monster wants to revenge because of his rejection by people.
His desire to have a mate and be more like a human, leads him to be resentful with society. I
will revenge my injuries: if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my
arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred. (Shelley, 1891, p.104). In
this passage, the monsters voice is presented in an aggressive tone by the use of words as fear,
arch-enemy, and hatred. Shelley also uses an extended syntax separated by commas making
it a paused reading. The use of antithesis of love and fear, and arch-enemy with creator
evokes a sensation of anguish and desire to know more about their future actions.

Robert Walton, a man with scientific ambition to learn more about the North Pole takes off with
great expectative to his journey. At the end of the novel, Walton shares with his sister how the
monster described his life with him. Walton loved life and tried never giving up, he looked
solutions for his problems. He is a man that recurs to the monsters use of pathos to transmit his
message. Pathos is the quality or power in an actual life experience or in literature, music,
speech, or other forms of expression, of evoking a feeling of pity or compassion.
(Dictionary.com, 2013) The words of the monster impacted Waltons identity while he was in
the search for knowledge. I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at,
and kicked, and trampled on. (Shelley, 1891, p.165) Shelly uses a miserable and sad diction to
present the monsters view on him by using words as miserable, abandoned, abortion and
kicked. The short sentence with polysyndeton at the end builds a paused sentence. Walton, is
shapes his identity while he is in his voyage.

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It is clearly seen that Shelley uses a variety of rhetorical devices. Generally, her diction and
syntax are similar depending on which character she is talking about. That is why Mary Shelley
uses efficient and successful rhetoric to transmit her message of how each persons identity is
shaped.

Bibliography
Pathos. (n.d.). Dictionary.com. Retrieved December 12, 2013 from:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/pathos

Shelly, M. (1891). Frankenstein. Toronto: General Publishing Company.