Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: Victor Frankenstein’s Alternate-self

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Each person reacts differently to a mirror. Some prefer to primp and tidy their face while others take a quick glance and carry on. However, there are others who continuously stare into the eyes of their alternate-self. These people wonder, “What do I see?” They are the kind of people who desperately seek answers for their existence, and will not rest until their questions are resolved. The alternate-self is the true being. Although it remains as a reflection of the physical body it is also who we see on the inside. What one sees in his or her reflection equals the truth of their nature. For some we see an innate good, but for others it is the innate evil and horror of humanity. Victor Frankenstein may claim to be such a person, but he performs the ultimate taboo; he decides to bring his alternate-self to life. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a book of mirrors which investigates the idea of the alternate-self and suggests the terror of liberating the innate evil through Victor and his monster.

In the very beginning of the novel the first mirror appears through Walton. Walton writes to his sister imposing his ambitions upon her stating, “for nothing contributes so much to tranquillise the mind as a steady purpose, -- a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye” (Shelley 29). In other words Walton explains his predicament as one of the most important goals of life. He truly believes there is no other greater purpose in the world than to fulfill his ambitions no matter the concequences. His words are repeated throughout the novel not only by him but also by Victor. Though Walton is not Victor’s physical reflection he is a man of the same nature. “You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did...

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...erson he is. He spent hours to days trying to create the being he saw. Victor needed to bring his alternate-self to life. Perhaps it is because he needed to shake hands with the real Frankenstein, or perhaps he needed it to live before he could destroy the horrible side of his humanity. Some are able to handle who they are and change their flaws. These are the ones who spend a few minutes in front of their alternate-self. Others are wretched and a lost cause. They obsess with every feature and try to create something better than what they see. The alternate-self is the gateway to the real person inside. It is the one we despise or love. As Victor Frankenstein never learned, it is also the one we feel we have to destroy.

Works Cited

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein; Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism, 2cd ed. New York/Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000.

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