Frankenstein reading journal - chapters 16-20

Chapter 16

• 'cursed, cursed creator' - said Frankenstein, an exact parallel to what Victor is later to say - chapter 23 - emphasises the similarities between creator and creation and perhaps the links between 'father and son'. brings the suggestion that perhaps the creation could be a figment of Victors mind, his doppleganger?????? 
• The creature finds 'pleasure' in destroying people and hearing their shrieks and misery - shows how much he has changes from the naive creature he first become, and he ha been made this from society.
• Describes himself with 'hell' within him, as the 'arch fiend' - this is a complete contrast to pervious chapter where this thought was one that he could not bear to think of. It now appears he has accepted the idea that he is a monster as truth, and succumbed to fulfilling the title - like in Richard III where he strives to 'prove a villain' because he was called one. 
• 'myriads of men' - the huge expanse of man, compared to the single creature, emphasises how lonely he is.
• 'I awoke, exhausted' he super human skill seems perhaps to fail him, as the source of his energy, is not working.
• 'Nature decayed around me, and the sun became heatless' even nature seems to have abandoned him.
• He is shot for attempting to save the drowning girl - 'the reward for his benevolence' - it is as if society is teaching him that he should be bad, because he gets punished for being good.
• Describes William as a 'little creature', similar to the girl before - so he likens himself, during his naive stage, to a child. 
• 'and all within me was turned to gall' Macbeth similarities to lady Macbeth, returns in later chapters. Suggests that Macbeth was a strong influence on Mary Shelley.
• Elizabeths beauty in the locket 'softens' the creature so he has got human feelings which are not monstrous. 

Chapter 17

• "if you consent... so ardently desire" - Paradise lost links - language, a replica of the language used in Milton's paradise lost ' we shall make our bed of dried leaves'. Evidence of how both the creatures language and ideals have been shaped by his 'first books'.
• the form in which it was written also parallels aspects of paradise lost.
• The creature compares himself to the perfect state, before the fall ' I did not destroy the lamb and the kid'. Biblically this is the ideal state, and for Frankenstein to compare himself with it suggests that, rather that trying to present himself as perfect, he is pure, and free from the prejudice and moulds of society.
• Links to previous chapters  - AO4
• Victor is presented and irresponsible 'pitiless you have been towards me I now see compassion' shows how is was not prepared for his creation as he has lost control of it. He also does not know what to think about it and keeps changing his mind about its motives, cruelly giving the creature false hope.
• The creature is presented as selfish because he wants a mate the 'same nature as [himself]' even though the reason he wants her to be like him is so they would match, if he really loved her he would not want her to suffer as he has.
• Strong romantic language throughout, Victor  uses romantic themes because he is being selfless and forgiving.

Chapter 18

• Romantic language, which is linked to dark imagery, creating a merge between the two genres - romantic and gothic 'majestic and strange' - oxymoron. This clash also represents the nature of the creature.
• Victor is seemingly jealous of clerval because of his associations with nature. Looking in to this deeper, the real reason for his jealousy is because Clerval is so free, which is what Victor strives to be.
• Wordsworthian language 'singularly variegated landscape' 
• Links to 'toils' and 'slavery' - Victor is a slave of his creation, as he was previously to his work.
• Victor love and dedication to Elizabeth because it has always been obvious to the reader throughout the novel, however, it seems that victor himself has only just realised his love for her, because his has blinded by his ambition to create life.

Chapter 19

• links to romanticism, with the sublime, and to wordsworthian poems.
• Similarities to paradise lost because of the 'wretchedness'
• Victor goes from loving the scenery and nature around him to 'despising' it ,this again reflects his temperamental nature, full of mood swings, like a parent???
• Links to indian trade routes - the issue of slavery and human trade is brought up again, suggesting that Mary Shelley could have been purposefully including this or just evidences how strongly she was influenced by the movement her mother was a key part of.
• Victor regrets asking for Clerval companionship - contradicts the rest of the novel, where with out companionship, victor cannot function properly, either ending up very sick, or out of his mind. By not wanting companionship, Mary Shelly shows how Victor has been driven mad by the monster, because even his morals seem to have changed. Also companionship is the one thing that the monster craves, linking Victor and his creation together. Perhaps Victor is trying to break away from the similarities, and therefore tries to desire different things from his creation.
• Another link between Victor and his monster as they both endure moral turmoil.

Chapter 20

• Context: sums up the whole pervious chapters; Victor made the creature and it followed him, soon to be reversed as at the beginning of the novel, it is Victor who is following the monster.
• Gothic, with he creatures face appearing in the light of the moon. Brings back gothic ideals, like nightmares and illusions, because perhaps that is what it is and Victor is losing his mind - another gothic trait.
• 'The sun is set and the moon is just rising from the sea' - pondering the rules of nature, Shows Victor is thinking of nature as nature, rather than science, which has been preoccupying his mind continuously. Science created the monster, and yet it is only through nature that Victor can find some freedom from it.
• Before, Victor was driven by passion to create the creature and wasn't aware of the consequences. Shows that he has learned from his actions as he is thinking twice about creating another monster, because he doesn't want to make the same mistake twice. 
• Slow pace to the creation, contrast to the previous one. emphasised how it was the life rather than the creation of Frankenstein creature that was important then. Perhaps because his last creation was built with anticipation, and this one is built with fear?
• Face of moral dilemma - like in macbeth with his doubts about killing Duncan.