Elizabeth, to me, represents the purity of innocence and ignorance. She knows that there is evil in the world - for example, she was present at the trial of the possible murderer of her adopted brother - and she has seen death throughout her life, but she still remains pure and in love with the world. She is the opposite of Frankenstein's corrupt nature. Because she "belonged to [Franksenstein] only," she also represents the life Victor could have had if he had not created the monster that later murders her. If Victor had never made the monster, he would not have lost the love of his life. Elizabeth is happiness, as well, something Victor lost when he made the monster.
I think that Elizabeth represented hope. Throughout the novel when it appears that Frankenstein wants to just give up, he is contacted by Elizabeth or thinks about the day in which they will be united. The last form of hope that Frankenstein receives before Elizabeth dies is his promise to her that they will soon be married. She plays the role of Frankenstein's reason for action. Her death doesn't change that role, it merely reformulates the way in which that role is embodied in Frankenstein's actions. For example, the moment after her death Victor lashes out at the creature. This is the first instance in the book where Victor's threats are more than just words.
I believe that Elizabeth represents the light and love of Victor's life. Every time Victor is willing to do something despicable, or even worse, just give up all together-- Victor is redeemed by Elizabeth. Even through his atrocious actions, Elizabeth is often time ignorant of the situation and stands by him. When Victor tells Elizabeth that she is the source of all happiness, it shows the Elizabeth really is the only pure thing Victor has ever loved. As Sarah pointed out, Elizabeth had belonged to Victor from the beginning and therefore, was with him at his turning point. When Victor decided to create the monster, opposites of their personalities were truly displayed. Overall, Elizabeth represents many things, but most of all a stable figure of love in Victor's life. This is something that was just as affluent in her life, as it was in her death because Victor never stopped seeking for her justice.
Throughout the book Elizabeth is the reason that Victor continues to live throughout all of the trials that he is faced with. She is the light and the hope that he has for his future and he continually believes this. Through her death, her role changes to him and she instead becomes another reason for him to kill his monster.
I think that Elizabeth is both a source of happiness and hope for the future for Victor. Like Josh said, whenever Victor is about to give up, he is either contacted by her, or thinks about his great love for her. Toward the end of the novel, when things are looking the most grim for him, Victor tells himself and others that his thoughts about Elizabeth are the sole source of happiness in his life that keep him going. In a way, Elizabeth is a beacon of light and love in Victor's dark, dark situation, that goes out when the monster killers her. And after the beacon is extinguished, he essentially has nothing to live for and has no family left (save for his father who dies soon after). In this way, I believe that Elizabeth's death is the final nail in Victor's coffin, having almost his entire life ruined by the monster, if that makes sense.
To me Elizabeth was just Victor's possession. From the very beginning Victor claimed her as his. Throughout the book Elizabeth is what keeps Victor going while Victor has to deal with his unwanted possession: the creature. As Victor complains about his miserable life, Elizabeth is his one source of happiness. When she dies her purpose is simply that of Victor loosing his only prized possession. When he looses her he feels as if there is much else to live for and vows to kill the creature. This obsessive love that Victor has for Elizabeth is a common theme found in many romantic novels of the time period. Taylor Brown
Elizabeth keeps Victor going to be the worker that he is. She plays a sizeable role in that she always waits patiently for Victor’s attention. When Victor does pay attention to her its evident that he feels different about her. She played a large role in Victor’s self-realization in that he was becoming a monster inside. When Victor looses Elizabeth he then thinks there is nothing to live for. He had created something that he wanted to take away. Moreover, he knew that he created a monster but he was just now realizing that it was actually a Monster inside of him. I would disagree with the statement Elizabeth was just a possession to Victor because she was much more then that. We know that this is true because of how Victor was changed emotionally when she died.
I think that Elizabeth represents the good side of Victor. She is the one who keeps Victor moving forward and helps him through trials. Victor does all this bad stuff like creating the monster and abandoning him, causing death all around him. Elizabeth is the one who on every instance that he wants to give up and forget everything contacts him and reassures him that it is okay and keeps him in line. Because of her death he finally realizes what he has done and he finally looses everything, causing him to vow to kill the monster.
I agree with Josh's view point. In my opinion, Elizabeth represents the hope, and the price at the end of a race, in the sense that after Victor's travels and creation of his creation's partner, he was looking forward to seeing Elizabeth.
After her death, Elizabeth maintained an image of hope that someone might be lost as a result of some mistakes in the past.
I agree with both Taylor and Clay's idea on how Elizabeth is both Victor's happiness and reason to get through situations caused by the monster. Elizabeth is the one constant in Victors life. The one person he did and always would love. Her death played a vital role in the novel because once she was murdered there was no long a driving force for Victor's life and over all being.
Hope - good point! So maybe her death signifies the death of all hope for Victor, and his final condemnation. Maybe it means that he will never catch the creature or succeed in avenging the death of his loved ones. Almost as though God has abandoned him. To continue the God comparison, Elizabeth's death is like God saying to Victor, "Fine, you want to be me? Go ahead. Have fun. See what happens." (Sarcastically, of course.)
Josh, I also agree that Elizabeth represents hope in Victor's life. Along with hope, Elizabeth was also a form of motivation to Victor. When Victor's life was at it's peak of negativity, it was Elizabeth's words that kept Victor going. She was his light throughout the novel.
SarahH: referring to your sarcastic comment, I agree! That's exactly what I alluded Elizabeth's death to. Victor, although unintentional, decided to play the role of God. He took life into his own hands. In doing this, he was punished just as God would have it be done.
Josh and Motun hit the nail on the head to me - to Victor, Elizabeth embodies hope, motivation, and the drive to carry on. Also, a quite illustration. I think of her as an anchor - she is that normal person who stayed within the comfortable nearby bounds of knowledge previously questioned and referenced in this blog. She wasn't educated at any university, yet she remained happy all of her days. Victor sacrificed his happiness to replace ignorance with revelation, while Elizabeth accepted the world as it was, eager to discover more of its emotional and spiritual value. In a way, Victor and Elizabeth are mirror images of one another, each seeking an opposite path to happiness, one finding, the other crashing in moral turmoil after one incredibly stupid decision. Elizabeth's persevering happiness supports Shelley's suggestion that ignorance is the most blessed state in which man exists.
Elizabeth, to me, represents the purity of innocence and ignorance. She knows that there is evil in the world - for example, she was present at the trial of the possible murderer of her adopted brother - and she has seen death throughout her life, but she still remains pure and in love with the world. She is the opposite of Frankenstein's corrupt nature.
ReplyDeleteBecause she "belonged to [Franksenstein] only," she also represents the life Victor could have had if he had not created the monster that later murders her. If Victor had never made the monster, he would not have lost the love of his life.
Elizabeth is happiness, as well, something Victor lost when he made the monster.
I think that Elizabeth represented hope. Throughout the novel when it appears that Frankenstein wants to just give up, he is contacted by Elizabeth or thinks about the day in which they will be united. The last form of hope that Frankenstein receives before Elizabeth dies is his promise to her that they will soon be married. She plays the role of Frankenstein's reason for action. Her death doesn't change that role, it merely reformulates the way in which that role is embodied in Frankenstein's actions. For example, the moment after her death Victor lashes out at the creature. This is the first instance in the book where Victor's threats are more than just words.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Elizabeth represents the light and love of Victor's life. Every time Victor is willing to do something despicable, or even worse, just give up all together-- Victor is redeemed by Elizabeth. Even through his atrocious actions, Elizabeth is often time ignorant of the situation and stands by him. When Victor tells Elizabeth that she is the source of all happiness, it shows the Elizabeth really is the only pure thing Victor has ever loved. As Sarah pointed out, Elizabeth had belonged to Victor from the beginning and therefore, was with him at his turning point. When Victor decided to create the monster, opposites of their personalities were truly displayed. Overall, Elizabeth represents many things, but most of all a stable figure of love in Victor's life. This is something that was just as affluent in her life, as it was in her death because Victor never stopped seeking for her justice.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book Elizabeth is the reason that Victor continues to live throughout all of the trials that he is faced with. She is the light and the hope that he has for his future and he continually believes this. Through her death, her role changes to him and she instead becomes another reason for him to kill his monster.
ReplyDeleteI think that Elizabeth is both a source of happiness and hope for the future for Victor. Like Josh said, whenever Victor is about to give up, he is either contacted by her, or thinks about his great love for her. Toward the end of the novel, when things are looking the most grim for him, Victor tells himself and others that his thoughts about Elizabeth are the sole source of happiness in his life that keep him going. In a way, Elizabeth is a beacon of light and love in Victor's dark, dark situation, that goes out when the monster killers her. And after the beacon is extinguished, he essentially has nothing to live for and has no family left (save for his father who dies soon after). In this way, I believe that Elizabeth's death is the final nail in Victor's coffin, having almost his entire life ruined by the monster, if that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteTo me Elizabeth was just Victor's possession. From the very beginning Victor claimed her as his. Throughout the book Elizabeth is what keeps Victor going while Victor has to deal with his unwanted possession: the creature. As Victor complains about his miserable life, Elizabeth is his one source of happiness. When she dies her purpose is simply that of Victor loosing his only prized possession. When he looses her he feels as if there is much else to live for and vows to kill the creature. This obsessive love that Victor has for Elizabeth is a common theme found in many romantic novels of the time period.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Brown
Elizabeth keeps Victor going to be the worker that he is. She plays a sizeable role in that she always waits patiently for Victor’s attention. When Victor does pay attention to her its evident that he feels different about her. She played a large role in Victor’s self-realization in that he was becoming a monster inside. When Victor looses Elizabeth he then thinks there is nothing to live for. He had created something that he wanted to take away. Moreover, he knew that he created a monster but he was just now realizing that it was actually a Monster inside of him. I would disagree with the statement Elizabeth was just a possession to Victor because she was much more then that. We know that this is true because of how Victor was changed emotionally when she died.
ReplyDeleteI think that Elizabeth represents the good side of Victor. She is the one who keeps Victor moving forward and helps him through trials. Victor does all this bad stuff like creating the monster and abandoning him, causing death all around him. Elizabeth is the one who on every instance that he wants to give up and forget everything contacts him and reassures him that it is okay and keeps him in line. Because of her death he finally realizes what he has done and he finally looses everything, causing him to vow to kill the monster.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Josh's view point. In my opinion, Elizabeth represents the hope, and the price at the end of a race, in the sense that after Victor's travels and creation of his creation's partner, he was looking forward to seeing Elizabeth.
ReplyDeleteAfter her death, Elizabeth maintained an image of hope that someone might be lost as a result of some mistakes in the past.
I agree with both Taylor and Clay's idea on how Elizabeth is both Victor's happiness and reason to get through situations caused by the monster. Elizabeth is the one constant in Victors life. The one person he did and always would love. Her death played a vital role in the novel because once she was murdered there was no long a driving force for Victor's life and over all being.
ReplyDeleteHope - good point! So maybe her death signifies the death of all hope for Victor, and his final condemnation. Maybe it means that he will never catch the creature or succeed in avenging the death of his loved ones. Almost as though God has abandoned him.
ReplyDeleteTo continue the God comparison, Elizabeth's death is like God saying to Victor, "Fine, you want to be me? Go ahead. Have fun. See what happens." (Sarcastically, of course.)
Josh, I also agree that Elizabeth represents hope in Victor's life. Along with hope, Elizabeth was also a form of motivation to Victor. When Victor's life was at it's peak of negativity, it was Elizabeth's words that kept Victor going. She was his light throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteSarahH: referring to your sarcastic comment, I agree! That's exactly what I alluded Elizabeth's death to. Victor, although unintentional, decided to play the role of God. He took life into his own hands. In doing this, he was punished just as God would have it be done.
Josh and Motun hit the nail on the head to me - to Victor, Elizabeth embodies hope, motivation, and the drive to carry on. Also, a quite illustration. I think of her as an anchor - she is that normal person who stayed within the comfortable nearby bounds of knowledge previously questioned and referenced in this blog. She wasn't educated at any university, yet she remained happy all of her days. Victor sacrificed his happiness to replace ignorance with revelation, while Elizabeth accepted the world as it was, eager to discover more of its emotional and spiritual value. In a way, Victor and Elizabeth are mirror images of one another, each seeking an opposite path to happiness, one finding, the other crashing in moral turmoil after one incredibly stupid decision. Elizabeth's persevering happiness supports Shelley's suggestion that ignorance is the most blessed state in which man exists.
ReplyDelete