In the first half of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, it is fascinating to examine how nature influences the characters. In fact, it seems that in the case of Victor Frankenstein, his whole life has been shaped by the forces of nature. To begin with, when he starts out telling his story of growing up, he explains what it means to him to remember the whole story; the whole sequence of events that got him to where he is, telling the story to Walton. Frankenstein explains, “I feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on the recollection of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind” (20). Here, he states that “misfortune” had an effect on his life. Misfortune is not usually something that is controlled by humans, but is instead usually due to some natural occurrence. Here, a natural force has affected the way Frankenstein looks at the world. Especially when he is young, Frankenstein is very easily affected by forces of nature, and they end up shaping his young mind and his directing the path he takes in his life. As Frankenstein grows up, he decides to study natural philosophy, but then, due to a force of nature, changes his whole direction. He retells the story, explaining “...for a time I was...guided by an ardent imagination and childish reasoning, till an accident again changed the current of my ideas...we witnessed a most violent and terrible thunder-storm...I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak...and so soon as the dazzling light vanished, the oak had disappeared...I at once gave up my former occupations…(22). Frankenstein goes on to explain that because of his fascination at that moment with the natural force of the lightning striking a tree, his interest changed, and began to investigate areas of study on the subject of electricity and galvanism. This one single force of nature left a strong impression on Frankenstein, and perhaps determined some of his future.
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