Free Essays - Importance of Listening in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein :: Frankenstein essays

Importance of Listening in Frankenstein The monster says to Frankenstein. "Listen to my tale: when you have heard that, abandon or commiserate me, as you shall judge that I deserve. But hear me. The guilty are allowed, by human laws, bloody as they are, to speak in their own defense before they are condemned."(The monster, pg. 69) In Frankenstein, listening is an important theme that comes up numerous times. The novel is written in a framed narrative form, which allows for one central story to be relayed through other characters several times. The reader and Mrs. Saville are the first people who listen to Frankenstein's story through Walton's letters home. Walton listens to Victor's story from Victor, and Frankenstein listens to the monster's story. Each person has a message or warning that they need to relay to the other. They stress the importance that the other person listens as best as possible in order to understand the message they are trying to get across. Frankenstein emphasizes the importance of listening through a series of key characters. Mrs. Saville and the rest of society read Walton's letters which tell Victor Frankenstein's story. This is the outermost layer of the framed narrative format of the novel. Mrs. Saville is Walton's sister. He begins writing her letters on his mission to the Artic to let her know that he's okay. Then he comes across Victor Frankenstein and he records Frankenstein's story in his letters home. Victor's story is supposed to communicate a warning to society. The warning is to not become so wrapped up in the pursuit of knowledge that contact with other people becomes unimportant. Isolating oneself from society due to science is a common theme in Frankenstein. Victor and Walton both do this to themselves and Victor learned the consequences the hard way. In order to prevent others from making the same mistakes he did, he tells Walton his story to get it out in the open. Victor Frankenstein has been through a lot in his quest to create life. He was so wrapped up in his scientific studies that he isolated himself from his family and friends and society in general.