Quotation: 

“Prepare to hear of occurrences which are usually deemed marvellous. Were we among the tamer scenes of nature, I might fear to encounter your unbelief, perhaps your ridicule; but many things will appear possible in these wild and mysterious regions, which would provoke the laughter of those unacquainted with the ever-varied powers of nature;-nor can I doubt but that my tale conveys in its series internal evidence of the truth of the events of which it is composed.” (Shelley, 31).

Comment/Connection: 

This passage occurs when Dr. Victor Frankenstein agrees to speak with Robert Walton. Specifically, Victor agrees to tell Robert about why he is miserable and in a state of sorrow. He tells Walton that what he is about to say would most likely be deemed a ‘tall tale’ and that in any other circumstance, he believes that Robert wouldn’t believe him. However, Victor decides that due to where they are, in the middle of nowhere and secluded from their modern-ideals of life, he can trust Robert to believe him. Victor genuinely believes in Robert’s belief in him, most likely due to how close they’ve grown up until this point. In a way, it seems as though Victor hopes to impart knowledge, either scientific or moral, to Robert. 

This passage makes me think about one of Cohen’s theses. Specifically, thesis number five comes to mind. This thesis, (The Monster Polices the Borders of the Possible), comes to mind due to the fact that Victor decides to discuss his story while in the midst of seclusion, away from modernity and the public. It is only to a select and trusted person, Robert, that Victor trusts. As Victor is also seen as a type of ‘moral monster’ based on his actions throughout the book, it seems as though he takes Robert to the edge of the known world, metaphorically and physically. He polices the boundary by beginning a cautionary tale to Robert and the only way he can do that is by taking him away from modernity. In a way, it seems as though Shelley personifies this border of the possible through the use of isolation at sea. There is nowhere that Robert can go, as the ship is hundreds of miles away from any civilization. This forces not only Robert, but Victor, to see this border as a physical manifestation of what humans should and should not do. Victor, as a monster himself, polices this border via storytelling of his own hubris and thirst for knowledge. 

Question: My main question is from a craft perspective. Did Shelley intentionally place Victor as a guard against the realm of possibility? What would change if Victor told this story in another location, such as in an apartment in London, or at his childhood home? If Victor truly acts as a safeguard for the borders of the possible, does that confirm that Shelley saw Victor as more of a monster than the actual ‘Creature?’.