I cherished hope, it is true, but it vanished when I beheld my person reflected in water or my shadow in the moonshine, even as that frail image and that inconstant shade., I allowed my thoughts, unchecked by reason, to ramble in the fields of Paradise, and dared to fancy amiable and lovely creatures sympathizing with my feelings and cheering you gloomBut it was all a dream: no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone., ~Mary Shelly , Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Page 123, I asked, it is true, for greater treasures than a little food or rest: I required kindness and sympathy; but I did not believe myself utterly unworthy of it, ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Page 123, Do not despair. Frankenstein Quote #1 It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn Chapter 2 Victor Frankenstein says these words in Chapter 2 while recalling I try in vain to be persuaded that the pole is the seat of frost and desolation; it ever presents itself to my imagination as the region of beauty and delight. "I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear. This ambition, combined with a desire for glory, is Frankenstein's driving force, motivating him to excel in his studies at university and later to create the monster. "Its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly informed that it was the wretch, the filthy demon to whom I had given life. This book developed new and mightier scenes of action. When I looked around, I saw and heard of none like me. By degrees the calm and heavenly scene restored me (p.58) Chapter 7 discussing his journey through the mountains before 35. Click the card to flip . You may deem me romantic, dear sister, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend. Here are best 'Frankenstein' quotes from the various movies. Frankenstein Quotes. The Theme of Dangerous Knowledge in Frankenstein: Quotes I created it. I, who had ever been surrounded by amiable companions, continually engaged in endeavouring to bestow mutual pleasureI was now alone. Yet from whom has not that rude hand rent away some dear connexion; and why should I describe a sorrow which all have felt, and must feel? Walton describes Victor's eyes as being both mad and wild. There he lies, white and cold in death. 17. Outside of this ark all is "The whole series of my life appeared to me as a dream; I sometimes doubted if indeed it were all true, for it never presented itself to my mind with the force of reality. All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! When I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me, but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. And what was I? Frankenstein: Important Quotes Explained | SparkNotes Here are a few Horace Mann quotes on public education and Horace Mann quotes on reading. You hate me; but your abhorrence cannot equal that with which I regard myself. https://www.thoughtco.com/frankenstein-quotes-4582659 (accessed May 1, 2023). [] I believed myself totally unfitted for the company of strangers. Family Quotes In Frankenstein 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. WebQuotes The Monster I expected this reception, said the daemon. "Education is our only political safety. I leave you, and in you the last of humankind whom these eyes will ever behold. Frankenstein seems to suggest that his desire to be the greatest pioneer of science is an innate characteristic and a predetermined fate, thus removing any responsibility over his actions. His feelings are for ever on the stretch; and when he begins to sink into repose, he finds himself obliged to quit that on which he rests in pleasure for something new, which again engages his attention, and which also he forsakes for other novelties., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 156, Remember that I have power; you believe yourself miserable, but I can make you so wretched that the light of day will be hateful to you. ", 30. Furthermore, Frankenstein will not take responsibility for his creation by taking the creature under his wing; thus, the creature considers himself even more "solitary and abhorred" than Satan. Even broken in spirit as he is, no one can feel more deeply than he does the beauties of nature. WebThe poetic style reveals Victors education and eloquence, but the quote also reveals his fundamental lack of self-awareness and moral responsibility. WebThis means that Victor is very thin and, one can assume, his facial features are even more refined given his gauntness. 'All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! WebHis friends mourn and weep, but he is at rest: he does not now feel the murderers grasp; a sod covers his gently form, and he knows no pain. If the study to which you apply yourself has a tendency to weaken your affections and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful, that is to say, not befitting the human mind. It had then filled me with a sublime ecstasy, that gave wings to the soul, and allowed it to soar from the obscure world to light and joy. These are the reflections of the first days; but when the lapse of time proves the reality of the evil, then the actual bitterness of grief commences. Walton was once an ambitious man in search of glory like Frankenstein. the presence of the idea was an irrestable proof of fact. You accuse me of murder; and yet you would, with a satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. Frankenstein quotes by chapter, page number, and who said them. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! Rejected by his creator, the monster tries to learn about humans by observing a family. I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only Feminism in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley ", 29. "A man would make but a very sorry chemist if he attended to that department of human knowledge alone. Pearson, Julia. You have hope, and the world before you, and have no cause for despair. The creature compares his experience in the De Lacey cottage to the fable of the ass and the lap-dog, in which the ass pretends to be a lap dog and gets beaten for his behavior. I had turned loose into the world a depraved wretch, whose delight was in carnage and misery; had he not murdered my brother? Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. FRANKENSTEIN QUOTES Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. Frankenstein is horrified by his creation, and in turn the monster kills everyone that Frankenstein loves. You purpose to kill me. "Dangerous? Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, released in 1818, is a classic tale of Victor Frankensteins creation of a living being composed of dead body parts. Our circle will be small, but bound close by the ties of affection and mutual misfortune. I do not think that the pursuit of knowledge is an exception to this rule. Share this post with your classmates if youve found it useful. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/frankenstein-quotes-4582659. Frankenstein shows us that women have no value in the society in which he is living through his creation to the extent that he takes away the pleasure of women in giving birth through science. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Page 90-91, Here then I retreated, and lay down, happy to have found a shelter, however miserable, from the inclemency of the season, and still more from the barbarity of man., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Page 97, These wonderful narrations inspired me with strange feelings. Although he says that he is filled with cowardice and that he comes back disappointed and ignorant, this ignorance is what saves his life. "I was dependent on none and related to none. "You fool, Victor Frankenstein of Geneva, how could you know what you had unleashed? The tremendous and ever-moving glacier is more permanent than humankind will ever be; this reminder calms Frankenstein's anxiety and grief. I determined to go without a guide, for I was well acquainted with the path, and the presence of another would destroy the solitary grandeur of the scene." And when time shall have softened your despair, new and dear objects of care will be born to replace those of whom we have been so cruelly deprived., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Alphonse Frankenstein),Page 184, Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 191, Man, I cried, how ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom!, ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein), Page 194, My life, as it passes thus, was indeed hateful to me, and it was during sleep alone that I could taste joy. Dori has taught college and high school English courses, and has Masters degrees in both literature and education. Accursed creator! I will not hear you. (Shelly 69) What Victor endured in the past still fuelled Henry strives to attain knowledge and sees importance in going to great lengths to receive an education. It is also a duty owed to yourself; for excessive sorrow prevents improvement or enjoyment, or even the discharge of daily usefulness, without which no man is fit for society., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Alphonse Frankenstein), Page 82, But now misery has come home, and men appear to me as monsters thirsting for each others blood., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Elizabeth Lavenza), Page 83, Frankenstein Monster Quotes With Page Numbers, When falsehood can look so like the truth, who can assure themselves of certain happiness?, ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Elizabeth Lavenza), Page 84, The sight of the awful and majestic in nature had indeed always the effect of solemnising my mind and causing me to forget the passing cares of life., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Page 88, Alas! The mere presence of the idea was an irresistible proof of the fact. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. When we visited it the next morning, we found the tree shattered in a singular manner I never beheld anything so utterly destroyed. At this point in the novel, the creature has only recently come to life, but by reading Paradise Lost and other works of literature, he has found a way to question and reflect on his life and its meaning. Outside work, her interests include music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. "-Horace Mann. Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind. Ive written another article: The world was to me a secret, which I desired to discover; to her it was a vacancy, which she sought to people with imaginations of her own., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator),, Page 26, I feel pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind, and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as narrator), Page 27, I need not describe the feelings of those whose dearest ties are rent by that most irreparable evil, the void that presents itself to the soul, and the despair that is exhibited on the countenance. Tomorrow they'll all be fighting.". I loved my brothers, Elizabeth, and Clerval; these were old familiar faces, but I believed myself totally unfitted for the company of strangers. "You gave me these emotions, but you didn't tell me how to use them. Frankenstein's desire to push beyond the limits of humanity is a flawed goal that sets him on a path of misery. You accuse me of murder; and yet you would, with a satisfied conscience, destroy your own creature. I have no friend, Margaret: when I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavour to sustain me in dejection. Why?". and wherefore was it glorious? The monster sets up a deal with Dr. Frankenstein in Chapter 17 commanding him to make a female for the monster and threatening to deprive him of lifelong happiness if he does not agree to it. Oh, praise the eternal justice of man!, ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Page 91, I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. "Even broken in spirit as he is, no one can feel more deeply than he does the beauties of nature. The quote also raises the question of ultimate responsibility for the murders committed by the creature. Rajnandini is an art lover and enthusiastically likes to spread her knowledge. 40 FRANKENSTEIN Quotes from Mary Shelleys Classic By pointing out Frankenstein's folly, the creature again points out the dangers of attempting to go beyond one's own humanity by seeking God-like glory. ", The Creature: Yes, I speak, and read, and think, and know the ways of men.". Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. Frankenstein's achievement is so disturbing that he runs away from it immediately. The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions, seems still to have the power of elevating his soul from earth. Great God! The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions, seems still to have the power of elevating his soul from earth. "It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in it highest sense, the physical secrets of the world." "Accursed creator! ", 3. First, to destroy it; then, recreate it. Should we blame only the creature, or do those who were cruel to give him a chance to prove his humanity deserve some of the blame? Poor old Waldman. - Henry Frankenstein, 'Frankenstein', 1931. "I have love in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and rage the likes of which you would not believe. (Chapter 2). "How mutable are our feelings, and how strange is that clinging love we have of life even in the excess of misery! It's alive. Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? It's moving. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. Term. We are not providing medical, health care, nutrition therapy, or coaching services to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any kind of physical ailment, mental or medical condition. ", 40. Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed?, ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Page 128, Anguish and despair had penetrated into the core of my heart; I bore a hell within me, which nothing could extinguish., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 128, One as deformed and horrible as myself, could not deny herself to me. ", 27. Study had before secluded me from the intercourse of my fellow-creatures, and rendered me unsocial; but Clervel called forth the better feelings of my heart; he taught me again to love the aspect of nature, and the cheerful faces of children. WebMary Shelley Frankenstein Quotes With Page Numbers. 37. The story deals with Dr. Frankenstein, who created a monster and how tragic befell them with the passage of time. What was my destination? Let me start over. His self-education is an attempt at creating selfhood. You are my creator, but I am your master;obey!, ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Page 162, Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: The Monster), Page 163, my feelings became calmer, if it may be called calmness when the violence of rage sinks into the depths of despair, ~Mary Shelly, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 164, I looked upon the sea, it was to be my grave, ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 166, How mutable are our feelings, and how strange is that clinging love we have of life even in the excess of misery!, ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 167, The whole series of my life appeared to me as a dream; I sometimes doubted if indeed it were all true, for it never presented itself to my mind with the force of reality., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 172, The cup of life was poisoned for ever; and although the sun shone upon me, as upon the happy and gay of heart, I saw around me nothing but a dense and frightful darkness, penetrated by no light but the glimmer of two eyes that glared upon me., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 176, take me where I may forget myself, my existence, and all the world., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Victor Frankenstein as the narrator), Page 177, if I see but one smile on your lips when we meet, occasioned by this or any other exertion of mine, I shall need no other happiness., ~Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, (Character: Elizabeth Lavenza in her letter to Victor), Page 182, Heavy misfortunes have befallen us, but let us only cling closer to what remains, and transfer our love for those whom we have lost to those who yet live. Mary Shelley. Here you will find the Creature's words to Victor. Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? Evil stitched to evil stitched to evil. I was more agile than they, and could subsist upon coarser diet; I bore the extremes of heat and cold with less injury to my frame; my stature far exceeded theirs. Nature reminds him that he is just a man, and therefore powerless to the great forces of the world. Tragically, he never receives the approval he yearns for, and his alienation turns him into a violent monster. Frankenstein Quotes Explained WebGCSE English Literature Frankenstein learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers. It was as the ass and the lap-dog; yet surely the gentle ass whose intentions were affectionate, although his manners were rude, deserved better treatment than blows and execration." Please explain the following quote from Frankenstein: " In my "Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change. He personifies his soulthe soul of Frankensteinand claims that his soul told him he would discover the secrets of the world. Herr Frankenstein was interested only in human life. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. even now it delights me to record your words, and to dwell on the praise of which you are so eminently deserving. Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. This content contains affiliate links. 'Frankenstein' Quotes Explained. My courage and my resolution is firm; but my hopes fluctuate, and my spirits are often depressed. "When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form? Henry Frankenstein: That body is not dead. Thank you for signing up! This passage points to one of the novel's essential points: the idea that judgment based on external appearances is unjust, but is nevertheless a tendency of human nature.
