Yongmin+FO

Frankenstein: The Dark side of Idealism

Just as necessity is the mother of creation, idealism is the mother of progress. Da Vinci, Christ, and Buddha were all idealists who furthered peace and prosperity. However, idealism can also be a dark force. Hitler, Stalin were all, in form, idealists of their time. Is Victor Frankenstein a force for good, or evil in this hodgepodge? In pursuit of the “elixir of life,” he studies vigorously to find the origins of life, thereby, putting an end to the dismal prospect of death all together. Upon realization, he endows life to limbs that have been rendered “corrupt by the death.” However, his idealistic visions are marred as he gives birth to a hideous monster, who becomes his source of great misery and grief. In this sense, Victor Frankenstein is much more in line with Hitler and Stalin than he is with Christ and Da Vinci. Frankenstein testifies to the claim that idealistic motives become the formula for disaster, rather than a force for progress. What renders these goals unattainable by mankind? The answer, as Shelley argues in her novel, is human nature. Ultimately, Shelley contests to the applications of communism in today’s world.
 * I.Introduction**

A. Victor’s ambitions lead to disaster 1. Creature ends up killing Victor's friends and family 2. Victor engages himself in a lifelong miserable pursuit to destroy the monster he brought to life. B. Monster’s dream to be accepted only leads to complete rejection and arousal of anger 1. Monster’s hope of unification dashed 2. Felix family’s response 3. Monster’s dejection and seek for vengeance C. Walton’s journey 1. quits because he fears for his life 2. learns that ambitious dreams are harmful A. Humans are superficial 1. Victor’s reaction to monster’s abhorred form 2. Citizen’s response upon sight of monster 3. Reference to Calvinism – all humans are born evil B. Humans are selfish 1. Victor takes no responsibility of his actions 2. Victor’s selfishness C. Idealism corrupts under human nature 1. A. Shelly criticizes the real applications of communism in today’s world 1. Felix family shows consequences of class struggle, overthrow of power 2. Monster(proletriat), undergoes revolution and ultimately overthrows his master(bourgeois) 3. Victor – means/force of production, B. Victor parallel to Karl Marx 1. Father of communism vs. Father of creature 2. Application of communism renders the ideology evil, just as Victor’s ideal visions become corrupt as well. 3.
 * A. Thesis: Human nature renders idealistic dreams unattainable**. **Ultimately, Shelley contests to the applications of communism in today’s world.**
 * II. Idealism as force of evil, as portrayed in Frankenstein**
 * III. Cruelty and tyranny are inherent in human nature**
 * IV. Shelley’s message criticizes social/political ideologies, which also corrupt because of human nature**