How Shelley and Fowles Present the Socially Excluded Essay -- Frankens

How Shelley and Fowles Present the Socially Excluded Men are numbered among beasts who renounce society, whereby they are destitute of laws and the ordination of civility. Hence this ensures that men, in creation are best, but when averse to justice and the law, are the worst of all creatures. (p.36 intro The Tempest by William Shakespeare, edited by Frank Kermode 1961) For the purpose of this essay, I shall focus my comparison on Victor and Clegg and analyse the language they use. I will also explore the form and structure used and give a personal response which will include some commentary about the novels in terms of their social/historical and literary contexts. People's behaviour in social roles makes possible the life of a society and its members. Social roles are learned from culture, which defines how they should be performed. They are not instinctive. However, people learn many roles during childhood by observing their parents and other adults. But on the other hand problems may result if the demands of one role interfere with those of another. This situation is called role conflict. Victor and Clegg are excluded by society primarily because they have transgressed society's boundaries, that is to say, Victor plays God and creates "a new species which would bless him as its creator" p.52 ; his male monster is built from old body parts and strange chemicals because he is determined to learn about "the secrets of heaven and hell"p.37. Ironically, Victor creates a "hideous wretch" p.73 which is "an outcast in the world forever" p.129. However, this "filthy daemon" p.73 is initially gentle and has a kind, baby-like nature, just like normal humans. Paradoxically, the monster is actually ... ...is a creation abandoned and shunned by society and Victor his creator. Therefore Shelley's use of letters enables the narrative to shift from one character to another while remaining within the conventions of the standard novel. Letters are also used to good effect as a means of social interaction because characters are frequently out of immediate contact with one another. Walton never encounters his sister in the novel; his relationship with her is based wholly on the use of letters. The same goes for Victor as he often isolates himself from his loved ones but he does receive letters from Alphonse and Elizabeth and this marks attempts to connect with him. Again, the monster uses written communication in order to develop a relationship with Victor when, at the end of the novel, he leads him northward by means of notes on the trees and rocks he passes.