Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’: Chapter 18 Analysis Essay

February 15, 2021 by Essay Writer

Introduction

In any piece of literature, it is necessary to facilitate the interest and intrinsic involvement of readers. Therefore, the author must be able to bring out the significances of a story. This is important when one bears in mind that it limits ambiguities in the interpretation of results.
This paper takes a critical look at the inclusion of chapter 18 in the publication entitled ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley and its significance in enabling a better understanding of the drama in the chapter.

Frankenstein’s Chapter 18: Summary & Analysis

Different readers have debated the inclusion of the events in chapter 18 as having departed from the main story. This can be since, despite the clear flow assimilated in the story, it lacks comprehensiveness of the details that happened in the previous chapters.

Besides, the key problem of interest revolves around Victor and how he dealt with the monster from the glacier since it was the most critical issue. However, the latter has been ignored in the chapter. As such, when the significance of the story is put into consideration, one would agree that this chapter fails to accomplish the ability to bring out the significance of the events that took place.

Besides, even though introducing the issue of the chapter and the possible contribution to Victor’s family involvement may be considered to be generating a sense of purpose. Nonetheless, the same consideration may not always be sufficient.
It is worth noting that chapter 18 in the story ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley plays an important role that Victor plays in creating the second monster.

The chapter effectively communicates the developments that happen within Victor’s scientific community. In this case, the relationship with his father, the strong desire to travel to London as a masquerade of the true identity of his work, and the pending penalties to his family should he fail to honor his promises to the monster are clearly reflected in his thoughts throughout the chapter.

Indeed, Shelley had done an extremely difficult task in reviewing the events that happened when victor had a fateful meeting with his initial monster and Elizabeth alongside the new female creature, as portrayed in the chapter. Every part of this publication is an indication of possible missing links and also provides a flow of events, time, and characters involved.

The latter has been attained in spite of the fact that it lacks the careful support of previous chapters. Every concept of impenetrable solitude of Victor suffering the possibilities of romantic happiness of marriage to Elizabeth is brought out in such a creative way that the chapter becomes an important building block that seeks to take it to a higher level altogether.

Conclusion

It is evident that the key strengths of chapter 18 lie in the presentation and succinctness of different ideologies. The foreshadowing of Victor’s impending doom, as well as the attitude he possesses towards marriage, is quite holistic. Hence, it offers the necessary insight into the rest of the events discussed in the book. Besides, the romanticized personality of Clerval further presents a key theme in terms of the time of occurrence of events and individuals involved.

It is notable that the presented sources of conflict in Victor’s life are intrinsically analyzed in the conversation with his father. This facilitates a greater understanding of the logic behind the decisions assimilated by Victor. It is worth noting that the style employed in this chapter is highly particularistic and simplified without departing from the main story.

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