Is there a book that you feel should be required reading for everyone? Write an essay persuading your
audience to read this book.
Most people know who Frankenstein is،ھor at least they think they do. Because of the way Mary Shelley's
brilliant 1818 novel has been adapted to film, most Americans think that Frankenstein is a towering, scar-
faced monster who brings terror wherever he goes. In Shelley's novel, however, the real monster is Victor
Frankenstein, the scientist who is the monster's creator. In her story of how Victor Frankenstein creates
the monster and what he does after the monster comes to life, Shelley conveys several timeless
messages about the dangers of science, the dangers of isolation, and the importance of being a good
parent. It is a novel that everyone should read.
In the story, Frankenstein, eager for glory, wants to discover the "elixir of life" so that he can have the
power to bring the dead back to life. He wants to create a new race of superhuman beings and wants them
to worship him like a god. He wants to unlock the secrets of nature and use that power for his own selfish
goals. Shelley's novel warns us that we must be careful what we do with science،ھhow we apply the
knowledge we discover. For when Frankenstein does discover the "elixir of life," and when he does create
a superhuman being, he creates a creature that is beyond his control. The creature is more powerful and
more intelligent than Victor Frankenstein, and the creature engineers Frankenstein's demise.
Shelley's novel also warns us about the dangers of isolation. Frankenstein's creation is so revolting and
dangerous in part because Frankenstein works completely alone. He becomes so absorbed with his
project that he completely blocks out family and friends. He stops communicating with others and works
secretly; he does not consult others about his project, partly because he knows that what he is doing is
wrong, partly because he wants all the glory. But because he does not work with others, because he loses
touch with his community of family and friends, he also loses touch with his responsibility to other human
beings. When the creature comes to life, Frankenstein runs away, abandoning his creation even though he
knows the creature might harm others.
This abandonment brings us to the novel's third timeless message: the importance of being a good parent.
Frankenstein creates a living being and then abandons him because he is an "ugly wretch." He totally
ignores his responsibility to the creature, who is born as innocent as a child, even though he is the size of
a giant. The creature is abhorred by everyone he meets, and because no one has ever shown him love,
he learns to hate. And the person he comes to hate most is the father who abandoned him. Shelley's
message is clear: you are responsible for what you create, and if you are a parent, you must love your
child, whatever his or her appearance.
In our age of cloning and genetic engineering, of scattered communities and neighbors who don't know
each other's names, of abandoned children and abusive parents, Shelley's book may have more
importance than ever. It is also a powerful and suspense-filled tale. Will Frankenstein capture the
creature? Will he create a "bride" for the monster? Will Walton, the ship captain who records
Frankenstein's story, learn from Frankenstein's tale? Find out for yourself. Grab a copy of this amazing
novel and enjoy