Friday, March 23, 2012

In Shelley's Frankenstein, how are Henry’s & Victor’s travels through Britain different: how does Victor react to the places they visit?

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein,
Victor and Henry travel through a great deal of Britain. They visit London, Oxford and
Matlock, taking great pleasure in seeing sights steeped in
history.



From
thence we proceeded to Oxford...It was here that Charles I had collected his forces.
This city had remained faithful to him, after the whole nation had forsaken his cause to
join the standard of parliament and liberty. The memory of that unfortunate king and his
companions...gave a peculiar interest to every part of the city, which they might be
supposed to have
inhabited.



Henry, who has not
been touched by the evil that has so affected Victor, finds great delight in all they
see, and wants to learn all he can.


readability="5">

Clerval desired the intercourse of the men of
genius and talent who flourished at this
time.



Victor takes some
pleasure in what he sees, and can recall the histories associated with the different
places, but his heart is heavy and the satisfaction and personal connection he might
have felt years before, is now blighted by his recent past and the future endeavor
awaiting him.


Henry wishes to travel at some point to
India, and assist in England's colonization of that land. He attempts to learn all he
can, and Victor reflects that his friend is much like Victor was before he created the
creature.


Victor, on the other hand, is there to learn from
philosophers, what he can to help him fulfill his promise to the creature, though each
step haunts him:


readability="7">

I now also began to collect the materials
necessary for my new creation, and this was to me like the torture of single drops of
water continually falling on the
head.



Victor is depressed by
the task before him, and often makes excuses so that he can be alone, separated from the
community of others.


So while these two friends travel to
the same places, Henry is excited by all he sees; Victor's joy is dampened by his
experience in creating the creature:


readability="5">

...but I am a blasted tree; the [lightning] bolt
has entered my soul...



Victor
proceeds in his own little world preparing to keep his promise to the creature to create
for him a mate.


The men react very differently to their
time in England.

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