Faust And Frankenstein :: essays research papers

Goethe in Faust and Shelley in Frankenstein, wrap their stories more or less two men whose mental and physical actions parallel virtuoso another. Both stories deal with characters, who strive to be the bermensch in their world. In Faust, the striving fellow, Faust, seeks physical and mental wholeness in knowledge and disaster in lust. In Frankenstein, skipper Frankenstein struggles for control over one aspect of nature and disastrously, through the monster, nature controls him to a much greater degree. Many powers are much too mighty for mortal souls, a lesson that Frankenstein and Faust regulate by the end of their tales. While voluntarily excommunicating themselves from society, both characters accomplish a portion of their goal and yet they remain unhappy because they never control the " ameliorate" life they have built for themselves. In Faust, the intelligent gentleman Faust, seeks spiritual wholeness in knowledge. Through years of hard study, Faust becomes knowledge able in math, sciences and religious belief and yet he becomes inept and incapable of having any romantic or physical relationships with the outside world. As Faust strives to become the "over man" through knowledge, he realizes that books will not satisfy his curiosity and that maybe sensual pleasures will. Therefore, in the process of creating his new life, Faust, becomes distant and unconcerned with all reality and humanity around him. Do not fancy anything right, do not fancy that I could teach or assert what would better mankind or      what might convert. I also have neither money nor treasures, nor worldly honors or earthly      pleasures no dog would want to live this way(p. 95)Obviously, Faust has fallen into a barbarous state of living, through the pursuit of the unattainable. He becomes greedy, desperate and feels justified in whatever it takes to achieve a position of the over man. At that time, Christians and society in general considered his pursuit for lust immoral, unjust and irresponsible. When Faust sets his sights on an object, whether knowledge or women, he demands nothing less of himself than that which will get it. In many situations trueness to an act is reputable education, sports, career. It seems then, that to become the bermensch and pursue excellence, one must stay dedicated to ones goal and dismiss the world around him.In the process of creating his monster, Victor Frankenstein ignores the outside world The summer months passed while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit.