I would have to disagree with the idea of Elizabeth being passive. Elizabeth, not being the protagonist of the story, has a different set of motives that are unique to her position in the story. She is the one whom should feel most deserted by Victor. They were looking at being married, and she was up and deserted. She does eventually seek out Victor as he begins to act stranger in light of recent events because she wants a definitive answer to if they are going to be married. This type of behavior portrays a stronger woman than most that we have read about thus far.

Victor's creation of the female monster was not so much procrastination as it was an internal decision. He contemplated the gravity of his actions more than he ever had before. I think that contemplation of "what if the female monster will not go to South America," and "what if this creates even more problems for me" shows a substantial growth in the mental development of Victor. Victor has gone throughout the whole text having his actions based on obsessions, and now it would appear as though his process of depicting a given circumstance has become more realistic and grounded.

Victor is a classic example of a character's lack of responsibility being a driving force in the plot. Once Victor is sure that the Monster is responsible for the murder of his brother, William, Victor feels a sense of guilt, but does nothing to rectify the situation. He allows Justine to accept the cruel fate of the guillotine without confessing that he is directly responsible for the source of the problem. This lack of responsibility mirrors Victor's immaturity in his human relationships. Victor's issues with responsibility lead to all the negative connotations of the story.

In regards to the comparisons between Victor and the Monster their behaviors and actions make them out to be opposites of one another. Most specifically, this applies to the interaction and need for human contact. Victor finds himself most stable mentally when he is alone working on the obsession that occupies his mind at the moment. When events of a normal human life plague his delicate psyche he is driven to the point of extreme illness. This is directly contrasted by the Monster and his longing for acceptance. Once the Monster had a chance to observe the real world and have the human experiences of learning about the things around from the feeling of loneliness overpowers him. He yearns for companionship, and this is something that Victor does not desire. This clash of behavior in social circumstances differentiates Victor and the Monster in one of the most important ways in the text.

I would argue that the way Georgiana is portrayed represents the shift of the way women were viewed. The whole story is a complement to her perfection and angelic grace. These positive characteristics are of vital importance to the plot because everyone realizes the good and pure qualities of Georgiana except for Alymer. I think that this story shows the shift between a time from before when womens views were not important to a time when more and more males began to realize the significance of the role that women can not only in society, but also in a marriage.

In regards to the views of current scientific exploration I would say, how do we know that eventually the things we have learned or are trying to learn won't eventually be viewed negatively? The problem with scientific research is that rarely will you know the consequences of what you are doing until it is to late. We are constantly trying to push the boundaries of what we are capable of, and while we do have high aspirations and generally good intentions all these "discoveries" we are making could be potentially harmful to us in the long run.

I would agree that there is a "want" by the characters in all of the stories, and that these wants are all purely selfish in nature. The characters are driven by the need for self-advancement, and are not concerned with how their actions effect those around them. This type of selfish behavior leads all the characters down a destructive path to an inevitable demise. Only after it is to late do the characters begin to weigh the morality of their choices.

I would say that the removal of the actual birthmark was never supposed to be out of love. According to everyone Georgiana was the most beautiful women that anyone had ever seen, and yet, Alymer is not satisfied with this. He does not focus on the positive qualities of his loving wife, instead, he looks for the slightest imperfections that she possesses. The removal of the mark was not for the benefit of his wife, but to appease his own selfish indulgences. This story is not an example of love, it is an example of what happens when you try and find perfection in something that is already as good as it can be.

I agree with Luke, in that, Georgianna is not supernatural in the normal context of the word. She does not have some unexplainable power or other-worldly abilities. She is merely beautiful beyond that of a normal human. Her supernatural tie to the story is that she looks so perfect that it would seem she could not possibly exist. The descriptions of her perfection are a specific element used for stories of this time period, that add to the drama and mystery of the tale.

"The Birthmark" provides a theme of respecting what is given to you. It is apparent throughout the text that the author wants the reader to feel the fear and uncertainty of science. More importantly is what comes at the end when the mysterious laughter is heard. The death of the scientist's wife comes from him trying to tamper with that of nature. He judges the creation that nature has blessed him with and he tried to improve on it. This lack of respect for that which already exists is evident throughout the text. The driving theme of this story is to respect that which is given to and not look to improve on it for your own selfish gain.