Sample Solution

Atmospheric Evil in Frankenstein

In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the main protagonist Victor Frankenstein is driven by his obsession to create life from death. This ambition eventually leads him to build a creature out of dead body parts which he brings to life through science. In this way, Victor unleashes an evil within himself that was not previously present and ultimately has disastrous consequences for both himself and those around him (Shelley 2008). This type of evil can be described as atmospheric because it emerges from the environment surrounding the character rather than being an inherent part of their identity.

Inherited Evil Parent-to-Child in Harry Potter

The character Lord Voldemort from the Harry Potter film series is another example of inherited evil parent-to-child. From birth, Voldemort was surrounded by dark magic as his mother practiced witchcraft and his father had been a wizard (Rowling 2005). As such, he became increasingly powerful throughout childhood until finally becoming immortal due to a magical ritual performed when he was sixteen years old (ibid.). This demonstrates how inherited evil can emerge parent-to-child when children are raised in an environment steeped in darkness.

Overall, these two examples highlight two different types of evil that can manifest themselves in literature and film. While atmospheric evil emerges spontaneously as a result of outside influences, inherited evil parent-to-child stems directly from parental influence or upbringing. These distinctions serve to underscore how complex the concept of ‘evil’ can be and emphasize its various forms across genres.(Willson 2020)