burning passion
There is an unmistakeable erotic charge to the language of these
paragraphs, but it is almost metaphysical in its conception. The Creature
suggests that the rage awakened within him, which is fired by his
rejection and desperate solitude, can only be slaked by being converted
into a psychologically and socially constructive alternative, which is to
say love. There are ramifications here as well for the "ardent" pursuits
of both Walton and Victor Frankenstein (see 2.8.6 and note).
Although the notion of channeling libidinous forces into socially
beneficial relationships might be thought particularly suited to a
woman's perspective on modern culture, the conventions of the age kept
most women authors from a direct engagement with issues of sexuality and
its repression or displacement. A notable exception is Mary Wollstonecraft.
Here one senses a true family resemblance.
- Critical Approaches:
- Themes:
