Question

Read both the excerpt from chapter 5 of the novel Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and the poem "The Creature." The Creature by Harry Frank cursed by all the eyes that see also judged by what they "know" my appearance makes them flee due to how the features show. Despite the woe I reveal they ignore the soul within each day once again I feel and don grief upon my skin. Chapter 5, Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bed-chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep. At length lassitude succeeded to the tumult I had before endured, and I threw myself on the bed in my clothes, endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness. But it was in vain; I slept, indeed, but I was disturbed by the wildest dreams. I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the first kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change, and I thought that I held the corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the grave-worms crawling in the folds of the flannel. I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered, and every limb became convulsed; when, by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited, where I remained during the rest of the night, walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening at every sound, which broke the silence of night. What might this encounter between Victor Frankenstein and his creation signify?

a) Victor's fear of his own creation
b) The joy of creating life
c) The acceptance of the creature
d) The desire for companionship

Answer 1

The passage indicates Victor Frankenstein's intense fear and horror of his own creation, contrary to any joy, acceptance or companionship.

Step-by-step explanation:

The encounter between Victor Frankenstein and his creation signifies Victor's fear of his own creation. Despite his initial earnest pursuit to conquer death and create life, Victor is immediately repelled by the physical embodiment of his scientific endeavors. The passage from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein highlights a deeply ingrained horror and repulsion that Victor experiences upon witnessing the Creature, which contrasts starkly with the Creature's own expression of desire to connect, as seen in the excerpt from the poem The Creature by Harry Frank. Shelley's work invites readers to ponder the complexity of creation, the responsibility of the creator, and the implications of societal bias based on physical appearance.