I found it interesting that Frankenstein’s creature, while observing a family, obtained such a thorough education. He learned the native language, as well as history, government, religion, geography, and the list goes on. I understand that this was necessary for the sake of the story, but I started wondering about the content of the texts that he read. He acquired a copy of Paradise Lost, a volume of Plutarch’s LIves, and the Sorrows of Werther. He read all these books as if they were true history, and when considering the affect they had on him, one must take that fact into consideration.
I randomly picked one of these titles to get a better understanding of what these books were about. Paradise Lost was the winner of my inquiry. It’s basically a narrative of Adam and Eve’s creation, and of how they were exiled from the Garden of Eden. It includes the story of Lucifer, or Satan, who declared war on god and was sent to hell.
Shelly did reference a lot of different books in Frankenstein. I totally forgot about the other two books that the monster read, but I do remember Paradise Lost because the monster referenced that book more than any other. I never looked into the story like you did, but did you think that the monster related to that book because Adam and Eve were exiled? Or do you think he related to it because of the devil? “All, save I, were at rest or in enjoyment: I, like the such fiend, bore a hell within me;” (Shelly 92) Or maybe both?
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