There are many themes in Frankenstein. Even though the novel was written and set in a period that was long ago, the themes hold true to everyday life. There are themes of god, desperation, responsibility and morals. Frankenstien is a timeless novel because people in modern day times can relate to the same issues and problems of Frankenstiens time. One theme is of a message in the novel that humans cannot rival god. When Victor Frankenstein created a monster without god or conception, he rivaled god. The story parallels the bible story of Adam and Eve, in the story of Adam and Eve god is the perfect and wise creator.
God decides that he will create human life and does so with his own hands. Adam was put in paradise by god without contact or wisdom from any other being, he was told by god what was right and what was wrong. Adam using his own knowledge took gods word into consideration but inevitably broke his promise with god and ate the apple. In Frankenstien Victor represented god and the monster represented Adam. The differences are that god created humans from clay and Adam created the monster from chemicals and tissues. The monster had no one there to tell him what to and what he should or should not do.
Victor became sick even before the monster was created; he worked so hard that he became a mad scientist. The monster like Adam had no contact with humans but because he was the first of that kind created, the monster had no contact due to his physical appearance. From the monsters perspective there is a theme of desperate times call for desperate measures. The monster conveys this theme when he asks Victor for a mate, he could not stand living in the world all alone and wanted another of his own kind to share his life with. Victor himself even felt sorry for his creation and agreed.
Later on Victor states Never will I create another like yourself, equal in deformity and wickedness. In the middle of creating another he destroys everything. The monster finds out that Victor decided he will not make him a mate and feels as though he has been betrayed. He has no knowledge of how to make a mate, there is only one person who does and he wont do it. The monster facing desperate times goes to Victor and threatens him with the intention of revenge. He threatened him saying I will be with you on your wedding night and he followed Victor wherever he went killing those nearest and dearest to him.
Another message of the story was of the need to take responsibility for your actions. Frankenstein created the being and therefore must take care of it and assure its well being and safety. Frankenstein did not do this, by disowning his obligations he goes down the road of evasion that brings only despair. By evading the monster and running all his life Frankenstein ruins not only his life, but the monsters as well. Another theme presented is that you cannot judge a human being based on appearances alone. The monster, which looked gruesome, was actually kind at heart.
If the monster was treated with any kind of love then perhaps it wouldnt have acted in such a hostile manner. He struggles to understand humankind through observation and he gets so close to them that he feels as though he is part of their family. Whenever the monster encounters humans it is met only with chaos. There is a theme of love in the novel as well. The theme of love is presented of the lack thereof. There is a lack of love, not only between monster and creator but also between monster and mankind. The lack of love frustrates the monster and makes him fell even less accepted.
Some of the themes in Frankenstien still hold true to modern day life. The science aspect of Frankenstien parallels modern life, science is always changing and advancing. Most people in our modern day society still believe that life should not be created outside of the way god had intended it to. Since many breakthroughs have occurred lately in science we have stumbled on what very well may be a modern day Frankenstiens monster, and that is cloning. In the wrong hands, or in the hands of someone who was uneducated in this area, problems are bound to arise.
Frankenstien in the midst of his first creation wasnt thinking of the repercussions that his creation might have on its creator or on society. Frankenstien was too caught up on whether he could do it and never thought about what he should be doing if he actually did create life. Overall, themes of Frankenstien directly correlate themes of today. Whether the book was meant to have spanned generations on purpose or coincidence, It has done so due to the themes it keeps within. Though times will always be changing, I feel this book will be read throughout time because of its everlasting themes.
