Who Is Frankenstein Responsible

698 Words2 Pages

Frankenstein
“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity” (Einstein). In Mary Shelley's classic, gothic novel “Frankenstein”, she emphasizes how everyone has to take action for one’s consequences and do the right thing. Dr. Frankenstein made others suffer because he was horrified by his creation and did not want to own up to his actions nor did he want to be perceived as a madman. This in turn shows that responsibility for one’s actions is a duty even if those actions have negative consequences, one has to accept them and try to fix them.
When Dr. Frankenstein was researching about galvanism and “having the capacity of bestowing animation” he understood it was “inconceivable difficulty and labour” (Shelly 43) to do the experiment, yet he continued to work on his creation. At this point he understood that he was going to become the creator and his creature would be a responsibility like a father claiming gratitude of his child (Shelley 44). This entails that no matter what, one has to see things through and if they understand that possessing such power, it is one's duty to see things through and take responsibility for what their actions can bring about. Unfortunately, in Dr, Frankenstein’s case, he does not see things through. Once he finishes his experiment and …show more content…

The creature, then realized that he needed help. He found some guidance from the cottagers as he observed their way of life and how each of them cared for each other (131). This shows that if one lets things go and does not care for their belongings or actions, it can then become a burden or an unnecessary responsibility for other people. In addition to this, resentment flourished within the creature as he cursed Dr. Frankenstein (137). This shows that even rebellion can occur if the necessary actions are not taken or if one simply puts off their duty or doing the right

Show More
Related

  • Textual Irony In Frankenstein's Monologue Essay

    693 Words  | 2 Pages

    The result of society’s resentment, Shelly’s cynical text unmasks the fact that Frankenstein’s creation was not produced as innately monstrous but instead learned to become a monster over time. Once again utilizing the literary element of irony, the monster’s exclamation “Nay, these are virtuous and immaculate being!”, demonstrates the monster’s resentment towards not only humans but also himself. Realizing biological inferiority to be the cause of his misfortune, the monster’s frustrations underline the novel’s central paradox of the natural versus the artificial. That is, because human beings exist within the natural order of society and therefore control the law, characters such as Victor, Felix, and even Walton’s carelessness remain protected. Meanwhile, Frankenstein’s creation, an artificial production, exists as mankind’s ostracized enemy regardless of the being’s emotional or intellectual superiority. Beyond envy, the monster’s monologue additionally reflects a sense of desperation. Utilizing the repetition of the word “injustice,” Shelly’s literary choice solidifies the perpetual denial of societies crimes against Frankenstein’s monster. Concluding his speech with the word “injustice”, Frankenstein’s monster testimony signifies the unavoidable truth the being’s presence never caused

    Read More

  • Victor Frankenstein Pride Quotes

    518 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dr. Frankenstein pursues power and knowledge through experimentations that mock God’s power and enlarge Frankenstein’s pride to bursting levels. He creates life, an act that should only be left to God. The monster just wishes to be loved and accepted as anyone with emotions would, but is denied by his father. Ironically, something our God and Father would never do. He’s so proud that he gained fame, but yet he doesn’t get recognized by others because Frankenstein never accepts the responsibility for creating the monster

    Read More

  • Theme Of Remorse In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

    838 Words  | 2 Pages

    Remorse is a complex feeling; one that was not common in the period in which Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein was written. The literary work , written for a contest, shows the free thinking of the time and covers the danger of thinking too recklessly. Cadence was the name of the game. “’You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been,’” (p.31), Frankenstein says to Robert Walton, offering a clear warning that corresponds directly to the regret Victor feels for his sin. In the real world and in this particular piece of literature, remorse is incredibly powerful.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Justified Revenge Essay

    566 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the fall of Adam, humanity has always been keenly aware of the existence of good and evil, right and wrong, justice and injustice. Any person who has been betrayed or abused has felt the weight of injustice. Anyone who has been mistreated has experienced the desire for vengeance. However, opinions begin to differ when defining the boundaries of justified revenge. Varying perceptions prevents humans from viewing and validating the motives of others. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, the two main characters were driven to madness by their desire for revenge against each other. In the book, Victor Frankenstein and his creature both relayed the same story; however their individual perspectives drastically shift the roles of the perpetrator and the victim. Mary Shelly’s brilliant juxtaposition between the Creature and his Creator demonstrated the relativity of justified revenge.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    While history often views the story of Frankenstein as little more than a horror story about a monster, it is obviously much more. It is a tale that explores the darker side of mankind, loneliness, guilt, sorrow and above all the dangers of manipulating nature. The bounties that humanity has reaped through the works of science have indeed been great, but the consequences of some such discoveries can be far greater.

    Read More

  • Dangerous Knowledge In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1622 Words  | 4 Pages

    I took their word for all that they averred, and I became their disciple” (21). Frankenstein embodies the movement in science to understand everything, and that is not necessarily a good thing (Storment 2). Frankenstein only understands that this train of thought is bad when he reaches the pinnacle of knowledge and produces the creature. The fruits of Frankenstein’s labor end up costing him the lives of his friends and family, as well as his own sanity. The feeling of guilt thrives in Frankenstein because he knows his work was the direct cause of the chaos in his life.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Out of Class Essay

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    Critic Northrop Frye says, “Tragic heroes tower as the highest points in their human landscape that they seem the inevitable conductors of the power about them, the great trees more likely to be struck by lightning than a clump of grass. Conductors may of course be instruments as well as victims of the divine lightning”. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein greatly exhibits the theme of the consequence of knowledge and irresponsibility among others through its tragic hero, Victor Frankenstein. Northrop Frye’s quote is certainly true when looking at Frankenstein’s situation. Victor is a victim of his divine lightning, and ultimately causes much trouble for himself; however, Victor also serves as the tragic hero in the lives of the monster, his family, and his friends.

    Read More

  • Victor Frankenstein

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...eatures. Victor Frankenstein is given this power when he discovers the secret to reanimating dead remains, by which he creates the Being we have all come to call Frankenstein. In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley depicts this amazing power and the change it causes in not only Victor’s life but in the world. Along the way the young Victor Frankenstein creates more than what he initially believed but his greed and vanity shield him from recognizing the responsibilities and implications that arise, all of which are analyzed the by David Collings in his essay “The Monster and the Maternal Thing: Mary Shelley’s Critique of Ideology.” As Uncle Ben once told Peter Parker “remember, with great power. Comes great responsibility.” Victor acquired great power but disregarded all responsibilities that resulted out of his creations, therefore creating himself as a monster.

    Read More

  • Monstrosity in Frankenstein

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, explores the monstrous and destructive affects of obsession, guilt, fate, and man’s attempt to control nature. Victor Frankenstein, the novel’s protagonist and antihero, attempts to transcend the barriers of scientific knowledge and application in creating a life. His determination in bringing to life a dead body consequently renders him ill, both mentally and physically. His endeavors alone consume all his time and effort until he becomes fixated on his success. The reason for his success is perhaps to be considered the greatest scientist ever known, but in his obsessive toil, he loses sight of the ethical motivation of science. His production would ultimately grieve him throughout his life, and the consequences of his undertaking would prove disastrous and deadly. Frankenstein illustrates the creation of a monster both literally and figuratively, and sheds light on the dangers of man’s desire to play God.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ions toward one another. However, Frankenstein’s uncaring, negligent-parent approach to his creation who emotionally resembles a lost child, allows Shelley to establish the conflict between scientific discovery and moral consequence, as well as the greater conflict between right and wrong. She allows the audience to question who the true villain is in the story, and allow each reader to determine for themselves if the “parent” Frankenstein or the “childlike” monster is truly to blame for all the evil deeds that occur. Today, our society should view Frankenstein as a cautionary tale of the possibilities and consequences of scientific discovery mixed with greed.

    Read More

  • The Effect of Frankenstein's Monster

    1236 Words  | 3 Pages

    Countless situations created in life will always have some consequence, whether the outcome is a positive outcome or a negative outcome. During the novel, Frankenstein, there are many incidents portrayed through the characters that have both a positive outcome and a negative outcome, no matter the type of situation. The majorities of the situations that are conveyed in this novel almost always have a negative outcome because of the way the effects damage and hurt the innocence of the other characters in the story. In this novel many of the negative outcomes are a consequence of a hideous monster, known as Frankenstein’s monster, which was created by the hands of Victor Frankenstein.

    Read More

  • The Values Of Society In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    431 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, values of society are clearly expressed. In this particular society and culture, a great value is placed on ideologies of individuals and their contribution to society. In order to highlight these values, Shelley utilizes the character of Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein is the main character of the novel, and with his alienation, he plays a significant role that reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and moral values of individualism and use in society. This is done through Victor’s actions of self-inflicted isolation.

    Read More

  • Victor Frankenstein as the True Monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    The fact that Frankenstein’s creation turns on him and murders innocent people is never overlooked; it has been the subject of virtually every popularization of the novel. What is not often acknowledged is the fact that Frankenstein himself embodies some of the worst traits of humankind. He is self-centered, with little real love for those who care about him; he is prejudiced, inflexible and cannot forgive, even in death. While some of these traits could be forgivable, to own and flaunt them all should be enough to remind a careful reader that there are two "monsters" in Frankenstein.

    Read More

  • Who Is the Real Monster in Frankenstein?

    1708 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a nineteenth century literary work that delves into the world of science and the plausible outcomes of morally insensitive technological research. Although the novel brings to the forefront several issues about knowledge and sublime nature, the novel mostly explores the psychological and physical journey of two complex characters. While each character exhibits several interesting traits that range from passive and contemplative to rash and impulsive, their most attractive quality is their monstrosity. Their monstrosities, however, differ in the way each of the character’s act and respond to their environment. Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise.

    Read More

  • Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - Victor Frankenstein is to Blame

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    Can an intense appetency for the pursuit of knowledge result in fatal consequences? In most situations when a strong desire is present consequences are seldom taken into consideration. In the novel, Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein pursues knowledge in an obsessive manner that blinds him to the possible effects. Victor Frankenstein is the primary cause of his creature's desolation. Indeed, Victor Frankenstein is at fault for the creature's isolation and malformation, which causes the creature to feel rejected, lonely, and determined to seek revenge.

    Read More

More about Who Is Frankenstein Responsible

Open Document