In the book, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with the idea of bringing the dead back to life. His experiment goes wrong when Victor’s creation, runs away and becomes violent. Victor possesses great power in creating life, yet he is powerless to control his creation. His attachments to other people leaves him vulnerable. His creation is incapable of having such emotions.
Victor is aghast from the moment his experiment ended After the birth of the creature, Victor runs away and says, “With anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet.” (Page 58) Victor is scared of his creature’s capabilities. This fear is an early sign why Victor “collected the instruments of life” because he did not want to create another creature and cause “danger” to society. This idea is revealed in the middle/end of the book when the creature asks Frankenstein to create a lady of it's species. After a long period of thinking, Dr. Frankenstein decides the best thing is to keep those tools hidden away for good.
All of Victor Frankenstein's feelings are traced back to his first thoughts of the creature when it confronts Victor about creating a companion creature. As
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Frankenstein's attachments to other people make him vulnerable in a way that his creation can never be. When the creature and Victor meet face to face, the creature admits to killing William. He says “Can you wonder that such thoughts transported me with rage? I only wonder that at the moment, instead of venting my sensations in exclamations and agony, I did not rush among mankind, and perish in the attempt to destroy them.” (Page 145) When hearing his creation speak to him, Frankenstein is made vulnerable leaving him feeling that, “[he] had created a fiend whose unparalleled barbarity had desolated my heart, and filled it forever with the bitterest remorse.” (Page
In the novel Frankenstein, Victor, the main character, is driven to insanity and death by his motivation, his own creation. He dedicates all of his time and knowledge to create a living human being from dead tissue. This "monster" becomes his motivation and influence throughout the rest of the novel. Victor blames himself and feels guilt for all of th...
When Frankenstein is at Ingolstadt, he “has a void of the soul'; so profound that he subverts Nature to fill it (qtd. in Renfroe, 2). He conceives, “A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me'; (Shelley, 32). Frankenstein decides to make a creature, to defy the powers of Nature and God -- a poor decision that ruins the rest of his life. When Victor finally succeeds in his quest to possess Nature, “horror and disgust'; fill his heart upon viewing his new creation (qtd. in Renfroe, 2). He sought companionship by capturing Nature and creating someone to honor him for giving them life; but it backfired and he sealed his fate to the wrath of his creature.
The Creature was born capable of thing such as love and sympathy though he lost these capabilities as a result of how he was treated. The creature’s heart was ‘fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy’ but wrenched with misery to ‘vice and hatred’. On a cold night in November, Victor Frankenstein brought his creation to life. This creation has thin black lips, inhuman eyes, and
He toils endlessly in alchemy, spending years alone, tinkering. However, once the Creature is brought to life, Frankenstein is no longer proud of his creation. In fact, he’s appalled by what he’s made and as a result, Frankenstein lives in a perpetual state of unease as the Creature kills those that he loves and terrorizes him. Victor has realized the consequences of playing god. There is irony in Frankenstein’s development, as realized in Victor’s desire to destroy his creation. Frankenstein had spent so much effort to be above human, but his efforts caused him immediate regret and a lifetime of suffering. Victor, if he had known the consequences of what he’s done, would have likely not been driven by his desire to become better than
Victor finds his monster absolutely repulsive, and even nauseating. This seen in the following quotation, “A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch.” (Shelley 36) Dr. Frankenstein has never seen anything so horrible and soon falls ill both from the sight of it and the realization that his monster is now out in the world and it could be doing anything. This shows how his drive for knowledge to be able to create life is damaging his health both mentally and physically. Furthermore, when the monster escapes from Victor’s laboratory it stangles Victor’s brother, William Frankenstein, to death. Victor must now bear the guilt knowing that he is responsible for the death because he created the monster and allowed it to escape. He must also keep the beast a secret from everyone else for fear the he would be held responsible for his brother’s death or they will believe he has gone insane, both of which results in Vict...
The Human Need for Love Exposed in Frankenstein Written in 1817 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is a novel about the "modern Prometheus", the Roman Titian who stole fire from the gods and gave it to man. The story takes place in several European countries during the late 1700's. It is the recollection of Victor Frankenstein, a ship captain, about his life. Victor is a student of science and medicine who discovers a way to reanimate dead flesh. In a desire to create the perfect race he constructs a man more powerful than any normal human, but the creation is so deformed and hideous that Victor shuns it.
A Monster and His Creator as One. The major character’s in Frankenstein desperately seek but never find ideal sympathetic companionship, and as a result the novels plot repeatedly dramatizes the failure of social sympathy. As said by Jeanne M. Britton “Frankenstein offers a version of sympathy that is constituted by the production and transmission of narrative as compensation for failures of face-to-face sympathetic experience.” To clarify, Victor Frankenstein’s sympathy comes from the feeling of harming the human race. An example of this is displayed when Victor first creates the Creature, and then again when the monster asks him to build a female version.
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
Frankenstein created his creature, and to his shocking surprise the creature came alive with full human emotions. The reader also discovers the want for compassion within the creature, and as I mentioned in the previous paragraph Shelley tries and does a fantastic job in creating a sympathetic feeling towards Dr. Frankenstein’s creation. Now, it’s also easy for the reader to relate to the community as well. The creature attacks the people multiple times and strikes fear into their lives. An account between Dr. Frankenstein and the creature in chapter 20 displayed a decision Dr. Frankenstein had to make. Shelley wrote “…You can blast my other passions, but revenge remains -- revenge, henceforth dearer than light or food! I may die, but first you, my tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery. Beware, for I am fearless and therefore powerful. I will watch with the wiliness of a snake, that I may sting with its venom. Man, you shall repent of the injuries you inflict" (149). In this moment the creature expresses to Victor that he could lose everything if he goes against the creature’s wishes. But Victor remained firm in his self-sacrificing, realizing the danger to the world is much larger than the danger to himself. Seeing both sides of this issue within Victor Frankenstein community allows the reader to try and pick if they are sympathetic to the creature or the people who wishes to destroy the creature. Either way the stigma of this situation is
He lives with loving family and has a quaint life. “No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence. We felt that they were not the tyrants to rule our lot according to their caprice, but the agents and creators of all the many delights which we enjoyed. When I mingled with other families I distinctly discerned how peculiarly fortunate my lot was, and gratitude assisted the development of filial love.” Once the creature is created, Victor becomes consumed with guilt and shame. He tries to hide the creature, but it is out to get revenge on him because of Victor giving him a dreadful life. It can be argued that by the end of the story, Victor is the true monster. He loses everything he loves because of the creature and becomes obsessed with destroying his own creation. “I, who had ever been surrounded by amiable companions, continually engaged in endeavouring to bestow mutual pleasure, I was now alone.” This isolation from his friends and family whom he had lived with so long could explain the change in Frankenstein's character. Victor's final words to Walton demonstrate that he has gained some self-awareness. He advises Walton
Victor did not create his monster with malicious intent; he explains to Captain Walton, “Pursuing these reflections, I thought, that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in the process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption” (49). Frankenstein was chasing immortality for the sake of his family or perhaps to resurrect his late mother. Frankenstein is not plagued with guilt upon the animation of the creature; he was merely appalled at his realization of power. He says that in the moment of animation a “breathless horror and disgust filled his heart” (54). Victor was disappointed and irritated by his creation but he was not guilty or remorseful. It was not until Victor realized the creature was responsible for William’s murder that he first becomes engrossed with guilt. After witnessing the creature at the site of William’s murder he laments, “Alas, I had turned loose into the world a depraved wretch, whose delight was in carnage and misery; had he not murdered my brother?” (77). Victor maintains this guilt during Justine’s trial and conviction. “From the tortures of my own heart, I turned to contemplate the deep and voiceless grief of my Elizabeth. This also was my doing! And my father’s woe, and the desolation of that so smiling home – all was the work of my thrice-accursed hands” (92). On multiple occasions Victor even refers to himself as the “t...
The creator of the monster, Victor Frankenstein is a man full of knowledge and has a strong passion for science. He pushes the boundary of science and creates a monster. Knowledge can be a threat when used for evil purposes. Though Victor did not intend for the being to be evil, society’s judgement on the monster greatly affects him. As a result he develops hatred for his creator as well as all man-kind. Victor’s anguish for the loss of his family facilitates his plan for revenge to the monster whom is the murderer. While traveling on Robert Walton’s ship he and Victor continue their pursuit of the monster. As Victor’s death nears he says, “…or must I die, and he yet live? If I do, swear to me Walton, that he shall not escape, that you will seek him and satisfy my vengeance in his death…Yet, when I am dead if he should appear, if the ministers of vengeance should conduct him to you, swear that he shall not live-swear that he shall not triumph over my accumulated woes and survive to add to the list of his dark crimes” (pg.199). Victor grieves the death of William, Justine, Clerval, Elizabeth and his father. Throughout the novel he experiences the five stages of grief, denial/ isolation, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance. Victor denies ...
Because of Victor’s need for fame and desire for power leads to Victor becoming a monster. Victor begins his quest to bring life to a dead person because he does not want anyone to feel the pain of a loved ones death. At first he is not obsessed with his project. As he moves along in the project he thinks about what will happen to him. "Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source, many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me." (Shelley 39) He realizes that he will become famous if he accomplishes the task of bringing a person back to life. The realization that he will become famous turns him into an obsessive monster. He wanted to be admired, and praised as a species creator. He isolates himself from his family and works on the creature. “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation, but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” (Shelley 156) By spending most of his time inside on his experiment, he has no time to write or contact his family. He puts fear within his family because they fear for him.
“Victor’s reliance upon splitting, the division of the world into ‘all good’ and ‘all bad’ objects, betrays the inability to acknowledge ambivalence, or to integrate the good and bad self into a single totality” (Berman 63). This “splitting” results in his rejection of his own creation, regardless of the creature’s innate innocence. When Frankenstein undertakes bringing a corpse back to life he unwisely meddles with powerful forces of nature. “...we are confronted immediately by the displacement of God and woman from the acts of conception and birth…” (Berman 58). This creature who he described as a monster is, in fact, a mirror image of himself. “Victor Frankenstein’s evident longing for another, despite his close friendship with Henry Clerval and his betrothal to Elizabeth, leads to the creation of a being who becomes the Inadequate Other which is, in reality, Victor himself” (Kestner 69). In the eyes of Frankenstein his creation is a failure; lacking human resemblance and harboring beastly qualities. Afterwards, his narcissistic personality appears once again as Majken Hirche describes: “The narcissist’s ultimate nightmare is to have his fallibilities revealed, because this will disrupt his self-image and protection against his painful unconscious. It is of no surprise then, that we see Victor Frankenstein’s narcissism most starkly exposed shortly after he has succeeded in creating a
In the book Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus, the main character, Victor Frankenstein discovers he has a passion for science. This is realized after he experienced the devastating loss of his mother. Due to the pain he faced, from this devastating event, he created a desire for resurrecting the dead. For many years, he became occupied in completing his goal. Although when he successfully finished, he was not pleased with the outcome. Victor said, “now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” (Shelley, 35) Due to the fear that Victor has toward his creation; Victor decides he wants nothing to do with the creature. Eventually, this put the creature in a difficult situation