The Role of Language in Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

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The Role of Language in Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

            Frankenstein by Mary Shelly was first published in 1818. The book is about Victor Frankenstein, a scientist focused on closing the existing gap between life and death through an experiment focused on resurrecting a dead body. Language is one of the building forms of Shelly’s work. Motifs and allusions are the major forms of the use of language as depicted in the novel. Notably, the author makes a clear connection between the monstrous creation and language. Victor’s monster considers language as a “godlike science” that he has to learn, based on the belief that this will present him with a chance of compensating for his hideous form (Diandra 79). As a result, he could gain control of himself and provide his history with a form (Diandra 79). Frankenstein communicates a message to the people in the modern age about the effectiveness of the use of language as a tool for communication. Besides providing comfort, supporting education and communicating empathy, language is a strong aspect which supports the idea of humanity.

            Victor Frankenstein and the monster he created have relied on the use of language to find solace. Evidently, the two are on a personal journey that establishes an internal turmoil, and hence they explore language, writing and explore literature. Shelly show that Victor has a meticulous journal in his possess that offers him with a guide about his progress in his efforts to create the monster. The journal offers Victor’s excursion accounts associated with obtaining human remains as well as the thought process documenting his plans to revive the creature. In this case, it is clear that language has been used to document sanity in Victor’s life. Notably, Dr. Frankenstein was brought out as a man who had “lost all soul” (Damrosch et al. 756). However, through the use of language set forth in the form of writing, Victor manages to stay motivated and focused on his mission of creating the monster.

            Language is also considered as a tool used in promoting comfort. Notably, The Monster focuses on the use of language to find comfort in the events where he is rejected as he strives to interact with the people. It is through this rejection that the Monster focuses on learning language, specifically through reading. Moreover, it is evident that the monster remains attentive to the language that was used around him. The monster not only finds the language intriguing but also beautiful. According to the Monster, “I perceived that the words they spoke sometimes produced pleasure or pain, smiles or sadness…This was indeed a godlike science, and I ardently desired to become aquatinted with it” (Shelly, 100). In this case, the monster has established that to have human features, one must be able to use language to communicate effectively. As a result, the monster results to its usage to experience a connection and to safely explore the human culture which he exists in a hideous form.

            Language is effective in the promotion of knowledge acquisition. Shelly communicates that Frankenstein’s monster has the desire to learn about human culture. Moreover, the Monster craves for knowledge pertaining to his existence and creation. While reading Paradise Lost, process of the monster’s creation is set forth as he compares himself to Satan and Adam. While reading the book, the monster documents that “as [he] had read the other volumes…as a true history” (Damrosch et al. 758). The monster is going through the fictional works and considers the knowledge presented as accurate representations of the human culture and the society. While reading the monster manages to explore varied information about humanity including that pertaining to his existence. Additionally, the monster also gains knowledge about companionship, emotion, religion and other human experiences.

Despite this, it is evident that the monster does not gain succeed in fully understanding the human race as he does about his existence. However, this does not feature language on a negative light as capturing the human experience as presented in few work of literature is almost impossible. Taking into consideration Brook’s argument, “at its completion, the Monster’s narrative implies that the use of language has failed to gain entry into the ‘chain of existence and events’ …it has served rather to the knowledge of his unique and accursed origin” (Brooks 596). It is undeniable that the use of language and literature has played a significant role in informing the monster about humanity.

Language is also a tool for empathy. Shelly’s work clearly supports this notion through De Lacey’s, a blind man, interaction with the monster. According to Shelly (122), the Monster met with De Lacey and explains the form of rejection he experienced while interacting with humans. It was at this point that De Lacey offered the Monster with food and engaged him in a conversation that prompted him to confess that, “I am blind and cannot judge of your countenance, but there is something in your words which persuades me…it will afford me true pleasure to be in any way serviceable to a human creature” (Shelley 123). It this case, it is clear that De Lacy has relied on the use of the Monster’s eloquence to judge his character. Moreover, the fact that De Lacy terms the monster as a “human creature” provides a depiction that the effective use of language led the man to believe that he was interacting with a human. Also, by being blind, De Lacy was unaware of the horrific physical appearance of the Monster and instead used language to show his empathy for his loneliness that drove the monster to seek help. Towards the end of the novel, it is clear that Victor has also shown empathy through language use as reflected by his statement, “his words had a strange effect upon me. I compassionated him and sometimes felt a wish to console him, but when I looked upon him, when I saw the filthy mass that moved and talked, my heart sickened” (Shelley 136). Despite being dramatic, the first section of Victor’s words suggests his empathetic feelings towards the monster.

            In summary, lessons from Frankenstein about the effectiveness of language use can be applied in the current century. Notably, through the use of language, people not only coexist peacefully but also learn about new aspects about the surrounding, show their feelings, and support the idea of their existence. Therefore, language is an important tool that drives the peaceful co-existence of humanity.  

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