Question

Which of these helps you understand an interpretive essay on a poem?Which passage provides the best textual evidence for the argument that Victor Frankenstein could be categorized as a Romantic hero because of his inability to accept society's boundaries?

A.
"As I applied so closely, it may be easily conceived that my progress was rapid. My ardour was indeed the astonishment of the students, and my proficiency that of the masters." (Shelley 49)

B.
"So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation." (Shelley 47)

C.
"Sometimes I entreated my attendants to assist me in the destruction of the fiend by whom I was tormented; and at others I felt the fingers of the monster already grasping my neck, and screamed aloud with agony and terror."(Shelley 169)

Answer 1

To comprehend an interpretive essay on a poem, one should analyze the text, themes, and poet's techniques. For identifying Victor Frankenstein as a Romantic hero in Mary Shelley's work, one should look for textual evidence that showcases his transcendence of societal boundaries, as demonstrated in Passage B.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding an interpretive essay on a poem involves engaging with both the text and the subtext of the poem, assessing its themes, images, and rhythms, and examining how the poet's choices convey deeper meanings. When interpreting a literary work like Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, one effective approach is to identify and analyze patterns and problems within the narrative as well as examine the characters' actions and motivations. Victor Frankenstein is often seen as a Romantic hero due to his rejection of societal norms, his pursuit of forbidden knowledge, and his intense emotional responses to the sublime in nature. For instance, Passage B from the text provides strong evidence towards this assertion:

"So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve; treading in the steps already marked, I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation." (Shelley 47)

This demonstrates Victor's desire to transcend the boundaries of conventional science and his ardor for unexplored knowledge, typical of Romantic heroes.