Frankenstein: Allusions

"The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney's Ruins of Empires." (page 84)

In Frankenstein, the literary device of an allusion is often used by the creation when he is explaining his story to Victor. The allusions allow Victor (& the reader) the opportunity to understand why the creation has turned out the way he has. Additionally, it allows the monster's audience to learn a little bit about the way his mind works and the reasons to his actions. For instance, when the creation compares himself to Adam and the Fallen Angel earlier in the novel, we see that the monster is torn between two identities and ways of describing himself. The references to well-known books on page 91 also allows us to see why the creation becomes a monster; "they produced in [him] an infinity of new images and feelings, that sometimes raised me to ecstasy, but more frequently sunk me into the lowest dejection" (p 91). The books caused the creation to gain knowledge; however, with this knowledge came pain and the realization that he was lonely and terrifying. The knowledge he gained from these novels caused the chain of events leading to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding William and Justine's deaths. The creation's explanation by allusions are the causes to many of the effects in the novel.