1. Introduction
Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” has is more than just an ordinary novel. It is a book that carries a profound philosophical message. The novel touched me to my very soul. It turned out to be a book not about a struggle against a monster but a tragedy of a scientist, who reached the goal of his work and life and realized that breathless horror and disgust filled his heart but all of these is on the surface. The deepest philosophical thought is covered and hidden, but is very deep. The author tries to say that life is a gift. After this gift is given no one can take it away and it becomes the responsibility of the creator. The novel makes the reader concerned with the question: “Is a human being able to take responsibility to give life?”.
2. “Frankenstein’s” philosophy.
“Frankenstein’s” philosophy is a conflict between the value of human life and the value of a scientific discovery. This story is not only the tragedy of Victor Frankenstein but also of his creation. It is the tragedy of loneliness and fighting alone with the world.
The tragedy of Viktor Frankenstein was a tragedy of him being a toy in the hand of his own parents for the believed that he “was in their hands to direct to happiness or misery”[p.34]. The next quote shows exactly how he grew up: “they were not the tyrants to rule our lot according to their caprice, but the agents and creators of all the many delights which we enjoyed…”[p.37]. This subconsciously led him to the desire to have somebody he could control, to have another toy, another enjoyment, but he was unable to take responsibility for the creature he brought to life because this was not a toy but a living being. His childhood was like a dream come true but behind all the joys his parent forgot to teach him something much more important - what is right or wrong, morality and other vital categories. Mary Shelley expressed her concern about not bringing up children properly. She shows that a tragedy may start even from a childhood full of happiness. One of the events that “predicted” the tragedy was when his mother brought Elizabeth for little Viktor, a “pretty present for my Victor” as she introduced it [p.35].