Corruption In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is a story about a man, Victor Frankenstein, who is infatuated with the concept of life and how it plays into the human body. He becomes so obsessed with the science of life and death that he creates a monster. However, once he creates the form of life, Frankenstein is overcome by horror and regret which results in him abandoning the monster. Throughout the story, Frankenstein battles internally and externally with his creation. In Frankenstein, the reader can better understand Frankenstein’s cowardliness, drive, and lack of compassion when considering the creators in the “Myth of Prometheus” and the book of “Genesis”. In the first place, Frankenstein demonstrates cowardliness towards his creation. Immediately

He was a coward and could not face his fears. Contrary to Frankenstein, God was strong enough to confront his creation. The book of “Genesis” reveals that “...the Lord God said unto the woman, what is this that thou hast done?”(“Genesis”). God knew that Eve had disobeyed him, yet he had the courage and strength to handle the situation. Unlike God, Frankenstein was too much of a coward to address the situation that he was being forced to deal with and only allowed things to get worse. Additionally, the reader is able to understand how driven Victor Frankenstein is. Once he became obsessed with the science and structure of the human anatomy, Frankenstein had his mind set on creating a living creature. Victor Frankenstein states, “...the great object, which swallowed up every habit of my nature, should be completed...” (Shelley 33). Up until the point of the creation, he was completely invested in his work and driven to complete what he had started. Frankenstein is much like God in the sense that he would not stop until he saw that it was completed. In “Genesis” 2:2, it states “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made”

Finally, Victor Frankenstein is blinded by his lack of compassion when dealing with his creation. This characteristic can be seen when Frankenstein states “...let the cursed and hellish monster drink deep of agony...” (Shelley 150). Unable to overcome his anger, Frankenstein views his creation as a monster and wishes death and agony upon it. He is more concerned with his own well-being than with the well-being of the thing he created. The experiment that he dedicated so much time to was undeserving and unimportant in his eyes. There was so much hate and contempt in his heart that he wanted his dreadful accomplishment to die. Frankenstein was only concerned about himself in regards to his creation and did not care about the monster’s future. In contrast,Prometheus is able to look beyond himself and his heart breaks for his creation. He demonstrated this when “...he looked down with sadness upon his creation, watching them shiver in the cold..” (“Prometheus”). When the humans, which he created, are miserable and starving on earth, Prometheus sympathizes with them. He is overwhelmed with pity and can’t stand to see his to beloved creation