Mary Shelley uses the frame story as the narrative technique in her novel. The story is told by Walton in letters to his sister. So, essentially, the story is told from his point of view. Within Walton’s story, we hear Victor’s story of exploration and creation. Within Victor’s story, the reader is then given the perspective of the creature’s struggle to gain acceptance and his motivations for revenge. So, you have three stories, Walton’s, Victor’s and the creature’s – a story in a story in a story.
How does this narrative technique affect the reader’s interpretation of the events as they happen in the book? What advantage is there to each story being told by its respective narrator? Does the frame story eliminate bias? Can we rely on the narrator to tell us the “whole” story?
The frame story creates the respective emotions and situations in each narrator's story, while filtering superfluous material. I think the frame story does not necessarily add bias, but does perpetuate it. Walton is ultimately telling the story from Victor's perspective, as that is the way the story was told to him. This is evident in Walton's reaction to the monster when he finally confronts the monster himself. The frame story allows us to see pieces of the story, however it is ultimately filtered and tainted through the different interpretations of the different narrators, leaving the reader to finally analyze what they have read, and figure out what they truly believe.
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ReplyDeleteThere are great advantages to using framed story technique. It offers unique perspectives on the main story from each person. It demonstrates the respective biases of the different narrators. It shows insight into how each person thinks. It shows their emotions, their histories, and their unique interpretations of events. All in all, it's a great technique. Thus- do not rely on one narration. For example, Frankenstein could not have told us the story about the villagers and given us a unique look at the monster's thought processes and history for he was never there. Narrators' biases become obvious in the discrepancies between the stories. Framed stories do not eliminate bias but instead offer different interpretations which display bias and allow the reader to interpret whose perspective is closest to the actual truth.
ReplyDeleteAlthough at first frame story can be intimidating it overall is a very good technique. As the story progresses the reader gets to see the story from all angles. The frame story gives the reader a better understanding of the story and keeps their interpretation open. Hearing each narrator's point of view gives the reader room to think and pick up on the narrator's opinions. Each narrator is different so if something is left out in one story it is picked up in another.Bias is there regardless. Each narrator will have their own bias and the reader themselves will begin to form their own, possibly favoring one narrator more than another. The narrator seems to explain all that is happening, but certain details generally are left out and discovered when reading another narration. Framed stories allow the reader to create their own story, but do not eliminate bias. They also allow the reader to see the narrator's true colors by what they hide or reveal.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. The insights are clear and thoughtful.
ReplyDeleteThe use of the frame story creates not bias, but a greater understanding for each character in the novel. However, you see the importance of each character by how much the story appears to be in their interpretation. The creature receives the least amount of space in the novel to tell his thoughts, and feelings, and actions or why he went about them. Therefore, it is obvious that the reader is influenced to ponder the other stories, such as Victor's, more often. Shelley's use of frame story has an advantage, because the reader is able to see each vantage point of the entire story; creating emotions and understanding for all characters.
ReplyDeleteThe frame story allows the reader to here the whole story from every characters perspective that was involved and the emotions they dealt with while encountering each event. This allows you to see both sides of an arguement and dispute and understand the monsters action which you then can decide if they are right or wrong. You understand the troubles Victor goes through, and how he doesnt take ownership of being its creator and the murders because of his monster. The frame story eliminates bias and helps you understand each characters actions.
ReplyDeleteFramed story telling is a very good a useful tool. While it doesn't rid one of bias, for that is nearly impossible to rid anything of bias when telling a story from a certain person's perspective or view. Which is why its so great, it tells the story through Victors eyes which is good to show the reader what he is going through and shows his perspective and views on different matters.
ReplyDeleteI rather enjoy the technique of a frame story. It is an interesting way to read a tale and it allows for us, the readers, to hear from multiple perspectives. This idea adds to our interpretations and gives us a better feel for the characters. By reading a narrative from the monster's view, I felt as though I could understand the monster's position better. His emotions, thoughts, and actions were clearer. This also occurs with Victor. The perspective under his view offered a better understanding of how he felt toward his creation and the events falling in around him. Finally, by hearing the overall story under the narration of an outsider, we're able to receive his viewpoints of such an uncommon experience. This offers us an understanding of how someone during the time period would view such an experience. So although, the story may have gone through a few people and become slightly bruised by bias along the way, it still overall allows for a better understanding of each important character involved.
ReplyDeleteThe frame story is a very useful technique in this situation. It lets you see the motivations behind the character's actions. It lets you know why the creature did what he did and what Victor was thinking when he made the monster. I don't think that it eliminates bias because no matter what you will always have bias in one way or another in the book. My favorite part of this frame story is Walton's story. I like how it takes what happened to Victor and the monster and puts it into the real world and it also gives you an outsiders view.
ReplyDeleteThe technique of the story in a story in a story is like the idea from the movie Vantage Point. We get to see the different sides of each of their stories. We saw how the monster lived on his own. Also how he survived and what he did to get back at Victor. In Victor's side of the story we hear about the creation of the creature and what the creature does at the beginning to get revenge on Victor. Walton is the main narrator of the whole story. The readers get the advantage of hearing both sides of the story and then the narrated version. It gives distinctive perspectives of the story. The narrator can't tell the whole story because he doesn't know what everything that happened to exact detail. He only knows the main ideas of each story. But from the main ideas, we get to know the gist of the story.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I forgot about halfway through the book that the story was being told to Walton’s sister through Walton, therefore it didn’t affect my reading or interpretation of the story at all; however, I do think that the frame story, now that I think about it, does help eliminate bias views that would have obviously occurred if either the monster or Victor told the story, but Walton was not completely and independent third-party. Much, if not all, of Walton’s information was provided by and checked by Victor himself. The monster was not there to tell Walton his story or to defend himself, therefore Walton has to trust a distressed, agitated, basically insane man that is Victor Frankenstein. Frame stories are effective in telling stories but can have flaws.
ReplyDeleteThe narrative technique can affect the interpretation in creating a bias to agree with whomever is telling the story at the present. It has an advantage for each narrator to gain sympathy to each of their cases. When reading from Victor's point of view, I wanted to sympathize with him, but upon reading the creature's story, I understood why he did what he did to get Victor's attention. Though there is still bias, it gives a broad range of bias to try and follow. Also, with this type of narration, one can see the "whole story" because with conflicting biases, more gaps in the story are filled.
ReplyDeleteWith the frame story technique the reader takes into account who is telling the story while also interpreting the events within the book. While the reader reads the story you always know Victor will make it out alive because he is telling the story so it leads you to look to other details within the book and allows the reader to look at other secondary characters with more depth. The advantage of the story being told by a narrator is that you get the personal perspective of that individual character also if the story is retold threw another character you may compare the two stories. Also I believe that bias might actually increase with the frame technique, because of the person telling the story they may try and change your opinions by not telling a certain part of the story. This can be eliminated by two people telling the same story.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about the use of a framed story in my opinion is the variation in perspectives that you recieve. It does not necessarily eliminate bias but it does give different view points which in turn broadens the possible ways for the readers to take them in.
ReplyDeleteOverall the idea of a frame story is a beneficial written technique, but there are still some cons. The frame story in my opionion doesn't completely eliminate bias, because I found when reading I tended to sympathies with who wasn't the narrator at the time. There are also many pros to the frame story narrative. It allows us to view other people's side of the story. In the case of Frankenstein we were able top see the different views that each of the characters has on knowledge, and is able to use the frame to teach us a lesson on the power of too much knowledge.
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