Caleb & The Creature
BACKGROUND CONTEXT ON “CALEB WILLIAMS”
In the novel, Caleb sees Mr. Falkland as a fatherly figure. Caleb (low class), is accused of stealing and found guilty, while Mr. Falkland (high class), who is guilty of murder, is free. Caleb sees Mr. Falkland as his fatherly figure.
Since Mary Shelly dedicated her book, Frankenstein, to her father, William Godwin, it comes to no surprise that the novel is heavily influenced by his works and ideologies. The main evidence of this strong influence is found when comparing Frankenstein to William Godwin’s novel Caleb Williams.
Caleb Williams demonstrates that “[t]he legal system never finds guilt with the higher classes of society but easily finds ways to accuse the lower classes”; and idea that is also seen twice in Frankenstein (Master Thesis). The first time this is evident in Frankenstein is when Justine, a young, lower class servant, is accused of young William’s murder. Apart from the photograph that was found in her pocket, no other clues seem to line up. The hand that killed William was clearly stronger and larger than that of Justine, she has always loved the Frankenstein family, and there seemed to be no witnesses that could prove her guilty. Nonetheless, “Justine Moritz! Poor, poor girl… is the accused” (Chapter 7, Shelly). It doesn’t seem to matter that no one believes she is guilty; Justine, because of her low socioeconomic status is trialed a lot more harshly than an average person and thus is sentenced to death for an act she didn’t commit. On the other hand, when Frankenstein is accused of Cerval’s murder, the justice system gives him preference because he belongs to the upper class and thus Frankenstein is “spared the disgrace of appearing publicly as a criminal, as the case (is) not brought before the court that decides on life and death” (Chapter 21, Shelly). Had Frankenstein belonged to a lower socioeconomic class, he would have most likely been not been given these privileges and had been sent to a jury that would charged him with life or death. Thus, we see a great resemblance between both novels, Caleb Williams and Frankenstein, since similar to the judging of Caleb and Mr. Falkland, the sentencing of Justine and the preference given to Frankenstein highlight the fact that the justice system is inherently broken and biased.
Furthermore, we see a great resemblance in the fact that both “sons”, the creature and Caleb, are neglected by their “fathers,” Frankenstein and Mr. Falkland. In Calleb Williams, Falkland tells Caleb “[y]ou shall continue in my service, but can never share in my affection. I will benefit you in respect of fortune, but I shall always hate you." (Chapter 6, Godwin). In Frankenstein, a similar, although somewhat more drastic rejection takes place since Frankenstein hates his creature so much that he is "unable to endure the aspect of the being (he) had created" (chapter 5, Shelly). Both of these rejections serve to further prove that multiple aspects portrayed in Caleb are also portrayed in Frankenstein because of the strong influence that Shelly’s father had on her.
Thus, after analyzing both novels we come to realize that despite the fact that Mary Shelley fled the home of her father as a teenager, him ideologies and his works had an effect on her that was so profound that she included them in her own novel.
Bibliography
Harvey, A.D. “Frankenstein and Caleb Williams.” University of Pennsylvania. 1980. Web.
Retrieved from http://knarf.english.upenn.edu/Articles/harvey.html
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft, Susan J. Wolfson, and Ronald Levao. Print.
