To start things off, I thought Mary Shelley's use of frame narrative was very cleverly employed here. The shift from telling the story through letters into a sort of book format was really clever and engaging. I don't know why, but I just really liked that. It made it seem a bit creepier.
Anywho, Shelley shines in describing Frankenstein's background and personality. I love how the first part of this story is truly just her establishing him as a character and his interest in science. We have the first chapter, which tells a bit of familial history, as well as his first encounter with Agrippa and Magnus. We get this sort of forbidden fruit mentality that was instilled in him that drove him further to divulge and devour their texts. She portrays Frankenstein as sympathetic. He was not arrogant or greedy, but curious and in love with knowledge. His desire for discovery was truly beautiful to me.
In Chapter 1 we also saw Frankenstein built up. He came from a wealthy background with two healthy parents who loved each other and lived a life of happiness. This serves to set up the beginning of his fall. We see in Chapter 1 that he dearly loves his mother. However, early in Chapter 2, she dies. This sets up the motif of his yearning to discover a way to recreate life. We also see him scoffed at by professor Krempe. He brutally ridicules Frankenstein's idols, essentially describing them as worthless and claiming that they held science back. This is juxtaposed by Frankenstein's professor Waldman. Waldman suggests that Agrippa and Magnus, while wrong, still improved science. He contends that, although incorrect, their theories prompted more discovery and more investigation. I feel as though this will run parallel with Frankenstein, as his creation is going to prove to be both a fatal mistake in his work, but also prove to be a success in the improvement of humanity.
We shall soon find out.
I like your reference to Frankenstein's desire for knowledge as a "forbidden fruit" mentality. This is especially important when he warns Walton of the dangers that come with increased amounts of knowledge. The forbidden fruit reference is also somewhat relatable to Dr. Faustus, the work that also employs the belief that with knowledge comes danger. In Faustus, the danger is related to trusting in God, much like the message in the Bible concerning Adam and Eve and the Forbidden Fruit. Altogether, this reference is extremely well-worded in the ideas and works that accompany the forbidden fruit.
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