Frankenstein Fate vs Free Will

691 Words3 Pages
People have argued the ideas of fate and free will for centuries. Few will totally resign to one idea or the other, claiming they believe in something in between. Similarly, few people can imagine living a life without one or the other. However, in Frankenstein, Mary Shelley creates just such a contrasting picture by allowing the characters of “Frankenstein” to represent the dif-ferent extremes of fate and free will. First, there is the Frankenstein family (except for Victor, of course), who represent total acceptance of fate. Shelley gives them absolutely no power in their environment as they, one after one, fall victim to the monster. They do not seem to have any choice whatsoever regarding their own safety. It is because of their own ignorance of the monster and the hidden deeds of Victor, that they blindly accept that fate is controlling their lives and plaguing them with murders. Through the Frankenstein family, Shelley is making a statement on blind acceptance of fate. She is implying that often when we believe fate is to blame, in reality, something we simply do not understand the true workings of (or are ignorant to) is the true cause of our happenings. In addition, because we stubbornly stick to the idea of fate and neglect any other source, we are unable and unfit to prevent further disasters. However, she also portrays the family as being almost perpetually joyful. It is only when “fate” strikes its blow that they become downtrodden. In other words, by accepting the fate that is handed to them, they are allowed to live a blissful life without worries. On the other side of the fence, the monster has complete control over his life. Although at first he is somewhat naive, he is able to make his own decisions and takes control of his life. He eats when he wants, goes wherever he pleases, and has no ties to the natural world to slow him down. He makes
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