story with conflict between the creator and the creature. Frankenstein and the monster are described as the leading characters that build up the story and the conflict of the story.
4.1.1 Frankenstein’s Ambition
Frankenstein has a family that consists of his complete parents, Elizabeth – his more than a sister-, a young brother, and Clerval- his close friend. His temper is
sometimes violent and his passion vehement and eager desire to learn. He desires to learn the secret of heaven and earth whether it is outward substance of things or the inner spirit
of nature and mysterious soul of man. He desires to learn the physical secret of the world to state those facts which he
led to his predilection for that science. By chance, he finds the book of Cornelius Agrippa which demonstrates the wonderful facts that making him in enthusiasm. Here is
the start why Frankenstein is being ambitious. The first one is because of his father by saying,
“Ah Cornelius Agrippa My dear Viktor, do not waste your time upon this; it is a sad trash.” David Campbell Publisher Ltd.,1992 : 30.
His father is only saying it without explain why he call Cornelius Agrippa. He doesn’t explain that principle of Agrippa has been exploded and modern system has been
introducing the greater power. It makes him continue to read with greatest avidity. This is also happening in real world, when a father tell his son to not do something without
telling the reason, his son will learn the reason by trying it again by himself. His teacher, M. Krempe as the professor of natural philosophy is also doing the
same thing with his father. When he asks Frankenstein about several questions concerning Frankenstein’s progress in the different branches of science appertaining to
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natural philosophy, Frankenstein mention about Agrippa again. Here is the M. Krempe’s reaction:
“The professor stared. “Have you,” he said, “really spent your time in studying such nonsense? …continued M. Krempe with warmth, “every instant that you
have wasted on those books is utterly and entirely lost and useless names. Good God …I little expected, in this enlightened and scientific age, in find a
disciple of Albertus Magnus and Paracelsus. My dear sir, you must begin your studies entirely anew.” David Campbell Publisher Ltd.,1992 : 37
His father and M. Krempe, both of them are saying that learning Agrippa theory is only wasting the time. There is no difference of his father and M. Krempe. But when
Frankenstein says about Agrippa to M. Waldman as his other professor, M. Waldman tells the reason. He says that the ancient teachers of this science promise impossibilities
and perform nothing but the modern master promise very little and perform miracle. But what they have said about Agrippa don’t make Frankenstein believe them easily. Their
reaction seeing what Frankenstein has studied make Frankenstein’s mind filled with one thought, one conception, one purpose. Then he has ambition to be the pioneer, exploring
unknown powers, and finding out the mystery of the creation.
Mr. Waldman, the one Frankenstein ask advice concerning the book he should procure. One day M. Waldman shows him his laboratory, after Frankenstein has been
successfully showing his progress in natural philosophy, and explains him how to uses his various machines and gives Frankenstein list one book Frankenstein request. Yet, M.
Krempe still love mocking Frankenstein about Agrippa:
“Professor Krempe often asked me, with a sly smile, how Cornelius Agrippa went on? whilst M. Waldman expressed the most heartfelt exultation in my
progress.” David Campbell Publisher Ltd.,1992 : 42
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Sly smile of M. Krempe doesn’t make him down from his believe of Agrippa while M. Waldman expresses the most heartfelt exultation in his progress. Hence, he has
been having a strong passion of the Agrippa due to, since the first no one tells him why. For those all reason, Frankenstein is being interested with science especially
about questioning where the life comes from by analyzing structure of the human frame, and any animal endued with life. Moreover, he is only studying the natural philosophy
but also psychology and finally success in discovering the cause of generation and life. The awful fact is that he claim that his vision not mad at all:
“Remember, I am not recording the vision of a madman. The sun does not more certainly shine in the heavens than that which I now affirm is true. Some
miracle might have produced it, yet the stages of the discovery were destined and probable.” David Campbell Publisher Ltd.,1992 : 44
This is something to be questioning. Human should have vision for making their life have passion. Everyone can dream anything and make his vision comes true. Yet,
there is moment when someone has to be questioning his vision especially the effect of vision because by having vision, it makes people have ambition and being ambitious.
The most horrible image of vision is when the owner of that vision is claim that it is not a vision of a madman. That makes the owner of the vision has no more doubt that his
vision is right and not asking the effect again. “Winter, spring, and summer passed away during my labours; but I did not
watch the blossom or the expending leaves- so deeply was I engrossed in my occupation.” David Campbell Publisher Ltd.,1992 : 48
He is being obsessed with his experiment by collecting and arranging the materials. He collects bones with a profane fingers and all material that can be
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combining being one to make his creature. Since all the material is taken from the nature,
it shows one of Romanticism characteristic by having ‘love of nature’. From the quotation above, Frankenstein looks like have being engages, heart and soul, in one
pursuit with his experiment until he forget the time passes just for making his creation complete. Here is how Frankenstein described his creation:
“His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath, his hair was of lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of pearly whiteness; but
these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which were set,
his shriveled complexion and straight black lips.” David Campbell Publisher Ltd.,1992 : 50
When he is in the process of making his creation, he doesn’t feel afraid or gloomy feeling seeing his creation. This is because his think that ‘his new species’ would bless
him as its creator and source. This is also one of the Romanticism characteristics where
there is the creator and the creature. He says that no father could claim the gratitude of
his child as complete as he should deserves Page 46. Yet, when he is success and his creator opens his eyes, Frankenstein is being afraid of seeing his creator because he is
only seeing the miserable monster and he leaves his creation in his apartment at the time. In conclusion, there are some reason why Frankenstein is being ambitious to
create the man. But, he lost all of his ambition when he is success create it and the fact show him the true image of his creation. His creation seems like a monster with all the
wretched body. He is even as the creator being afraid seeing the size the form of his creature.
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4.1.2 The Monster’s Ambition
