Frankenstein: Chapter 24, Book Review Example

Chapter 24

There is a great sense of irony in this final chapter as Dr. Frankenstein curses the monster by stating “Let the cursed and hellish monster drink deep of agony; let him feel the despair that now torments me. It appears that Frankenstein has failed to realize that the reason that the monster has been acting out against his creator is because he is alone in the world and there is no other creature like him in existence. While the monster attempted to be part of society and nature earlier on in the novel, he was rejected time and time again and had to deal with the agony of seclusion, abandonment, and rejection. What Frankenstein fails to realize is that this curse is moot and that the monster has already fulfilled its mission by taking away everything that Frankenstein cherished. At this point in the novel, the monster and Frankenstein are on equal standing ground, neither has anything to lose and they are now in a one-on-one game of cat and mouse. Frankenstein seeks to inflict pain on his creation, possibly the only time that he truly wishes to interact with him, whereas the monster has already suffered because of Frankenstein’s arrogance and experimentation. At this point, the audience is poised to see how a battle between nature and nurture would ensue. For example, it can be argued that it is the manner in which the monster was nurtured that shaped what it became as there are several instances where it tried to become part of “normal” society but was rejected; on the other hand, it was Frankenstein’s nature, as he was raised in a well-to-do environment, that influenced his behavior and his thirst for knowledge and power.

Letter August 26^th, 17

It is interesting to note how Frankenstein has changed during the course of his ordeal. Although Walton is clearly in shock because of Frankenstein’s incredulous story, he has been taking notes in order to better remember what had happened. When Frankenstein is made aware of the existence of these notes he comments, “Since you have preserved my narration…I would not that a mutilated one shown go down to posterity.” While it may argued that Frankenstein displays a sort of arrogance in wanting to micromanage Walton’s notes, it can also be argued that he wants to make sure that all the facts and details are correct in case others happen to read his story in the future. Frankenstein wants to make sure that people understand that what he did was wrong and to know about the consequences of trying to harness the power of life and death. Furthermore, Frankenstein wants to make sure that Walton’s education is accompanied with guidance because he also knows the consequences of pursuing knowledge without anyone telling him what is right and what is wrong.

Letter, September 12^th

In this last letter the reader is finally able to see what motivated the creature to act as it did and how it felt after it committed its crimes against Frankenstein. Although the monster was initially lashing out against Frankenstein in a quid pro quo fashion, he did not enjoy doing so and even states that “I abhorred myself” after killing Clerval. It is tragic to see that the monster never had a fair chance of explaining why it did the things it did while Frankenstein was alive; it was only when Frankenstein was on his deathbed that he truly begins to understand the consequences of his actions; this is why he insists on making sure Walton’s notes are accurate. On the other hand, the monster always knew that what he was doing was wrong, yet was determined to teach Frankenstein a lesson, a lesson that he would only come to begin to comprehend when he had nothing else left to lose.