to ourselves, making it timeless. The idea of funny and evil at the same time is appealing and human."The writer of it is, we understand, a female; this is an aggravation of that which is the prevailing fault of the novel; but if our authoress can forget the gentleness of her sex, it is no reason why we should"Being a woman very likely influenced Shelley while writing the novel, although not in the manner suggested. The theme of parenting is important in the book and Shelley's "gentleness" is indeed apparent (and certainly not forgotten, as our bumbling reviewer suggests). Like Adam in Paradise Lost, the wretch is created with good intentions but unlike Adam, he is left with no companion and is thrown out on his own without ever committing any wrong.In this theme, we have two very important points. The first is that Frankenstein runs from his obligation to "parent" the wretch. The second is that the wretch learns hate, revenge and anger only after he is abandoned by his creator. Who then is responsible for the actions of the wretch? Does the wretch deserve love despite its faults?As a young woman facing pregnancy and motherhood, Shelley undoubtedly sought to answer questions like these. These were issues close to her heart. These are also questions which persist today. We know that people who commit crimes were very often exposed to those crimes when they were children. Child abusers for instance, are almost always victims of abuse themselves. Can strong parenting help prevent violence?"and we shall therefore dismiss the novel without further comment"Frankenstein is an story that will last for centuries. It is an ageless parable. Perhaps the reason why it has lasted so long and will continue to do so is that it is truly unanswerable. It asks questions which demand a broad understanding of human nature-- questions which have fascinated us from the beginning and will always do so. It shows the vague almost imperceptible l...
