There are many different examples of internal conflict
within Shelley's Frankenstein.
By
definition, internal conflict is a disagreement or battle which one fights with ones
self based upon morality and personal belief.
There are
three types of external conflict in which man/woman can find themselves in 1. man v. man
(society); 2. man v. nature; 3. man v. supernatural. With each of these external
conflicts, man finds himself battling with other people or society, against nature
(storms, natural disasters, animals), or inhuman beings (ghosts, demons, mythological
beasts).
Internal conflict is not broken down in the same
way as external conflict is. Therefore, Victor's internal conflict can be made against
nature and society, but the conflicts are ones in which he struggles given his morals
and personal beliefs.
Victor struggles internally with
nature given that it is not the "job" of man to birth another. God has given women the
power to give life- not men. Based upon this, Victor's obsession with reanimation and
the death of his mother fuel his desire to create life. This is unnatural in the world-
for a man to create life. All of science goes against this idea. The internal struggle
which Victor faces with nature is the fact that he should not, given he is a man, be
allowed to create life.
My internal being was in a state of insurrection
and turmoil; I felt that order would thence arise, but I had no power to produce
it.
After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue,
I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself
capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless
matter.
Here, a reader can
see Victor's obsession with creating life- something which nature had not intent of
letting a man do. Victor's internal conflict with the fact that nature allowed only
women to create life became a conflict in which he would
resolve.
As for internal conflict which Victor felt with
society, Victor feels that he must protect society from the monster that he has
created:
Shall
I create another like yourself,
whose joint wickedness might desolate the
world!
Knowing
what the monster asks, to create a mate for him, Victor knows that he cannot doom the
world (society) by doing so. Unfortunately, the monster gives him no choice. Victor must
create the monster a mate or face losing Elizabeth. Victor's internal conflict revolves
around the fact that society is a greater whole than Elizabeth, but his love for
Elizabeth rules him. The conflict erupts from his desire to protect society initially,
but his love for Elizabeth surpasses his love for society.
No comments:
Post a Comment