In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Victor betrays nature by creating the Monster. It
is the responsibility of nature, and not man, to create human beings. Victor has done
something unnatural, he has created life after death, "I have created a monster."
Victor is soon punished for interfering with nature when his own creation turns
against its creator. The monster murders William Frankenstein, Victor's brother; Henry
Clerval, Victor's best friend; and Elizabeth Lavenza, Victor's bride. The Monster kills all
those that are closest in Victor's life in a form of retaliation for Victor's creation of a
monster, one without a companion, one rejected by all of civilization. "I determined to
seek that justice which I vainly attempted to gain from any other being that wore the
human form" (Frankenstein, p.136, line 13). It is the death of Victor's family that
signifies his punishment " I have never seen a man so wretched a condition"
(Frankenstein, p.20). Victor's repentance comes in two parts: when he decides to destroy
his own creation: "I am going to unexplored region, to 'the land of mist and snow;' but I
shall kill no albatross, therefore do not be alarmed for my safety" (Frankenstein, p.15, line
25) and when the blame shifts from Victor to the Monster, and the Monster decides to kill
himself "Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live?" (Frankenstein, p.132, line 1). The
penance is done by the end of the book and the Monster is removed from civilization.
However, that is not to say that Victor is absolved of his betrayal. Victor is in constant
sorrow for his creation because it caused the death of so many in his life.
In the poem "The Rime of Ancient Mariner," the mariner betrays nature by
murdering the Albatross: "I had killed the bird that made the breeze blow"
(AM, p.08, line 52). The Albatross represents nature. The representation is meaningless
to the mariner until he sees the how things are quickly changed after the death: "Water,
water everywhere, nor any drop to drink" (AM, p.10, line 02). Finally, after suffering,
and losing his entire crew, the mariner realizes the Albatross as a symbol of nature and he
comprehends the evil he has done.
The mariner receives a sufficient punishment, "I looked upon the rotting sea, and
drew my eyes away; I looked upon the rotting deck, and there the dead men lay" (AM,
p.18, line 11). After the killing of the Albatross and the loss of the mariner's crew, his
suffering include having his soul in agoney soon afterwards.
Victor is not able to see past the metaphorical clouds that seem to shroud his mind from seeing the truth. Furthermore, Victor is not able to let go of his hatred for the creature. In contrast, the creature admits, “But it is true that I am a wretch. I have murdered the lovely and the helpless” (275). The creature is able to recognize that he has made mistakes and as a result, he loathes himself.
middle of paper ... ... Victor as creator condemns and rejects his creation. As with mankind if God rejected us. the creature would be damned.
and had no one as his friend. This caused the monster to murder Victor’s family out of
because of the way he is just abandoned by Victor and the way in which
...emain respectable in the journalistic field, it is imperative to abide by all constitutional laws and ethical values.
...as made of different people, so he had different personalities, and therefore could not be expected to act as a normal person. Upon his creation, he was left not receiving the protection and guidance he desperately needed. His feelings were the same as any other humans: grief, and distress, anger. But, instead of calmly diffusing his anger, he chose to destroy that which made his “enemy” happy. There was never a good reason to bring the dead to life, despite all of Victor’s claims. Because of his arrogance, and lack of a functioning human heart, he disregarded everyone’s opinions and advice and sought to do what was right for himself and not even attempting to protect his family, regardless of how he claimed he did. His incompetence cost his entire family’s life, but fortunately, saved that of Walton and his crew mates. So, at least, he did one good.
The United States of America is the place of opportunity and fortune. “Many immigrants hoped to achieve this in the United States and similar to other immigrants many people from the Asian Pacific region hoped to make their fortune. They planned to either return to their homelands or build a home in their new country (Spring, 2013).” For this reason, life became very complicated for these people. They faced many challenges in this new country, such as: classifying them in terms of race and ethnicity, denying them the right to become naturalized citizens, and rejecting them the right of equal educational opportunities within the school systems. “This combination of racism and economic exploitation resulted in the educational policies to deny Asians schooling or provide them with segregated schooling (Spring, 2013).”This was not the country of opportunity and fortune as many believed. It was the country of struggle and hardship. Similarly, like many other immigrants, Asian Americans had the determination to overcome these obstacles that they faced to prove that the United States was indeed their home too.
crueler to Victor and more spiteful than he could ever be to the heavens. The question that
...or was not thinking of others in his actions, but only of himself. He did not consider the tumult the abnormally large creature could cause in the world, nor what the feelings of the monster would be towards him if he abandoned him. Victor also did not contemplate the safety of his friends, as he had the chance to stop the creature’s misdoings but failed to do so, risking the life of his friends. Therefore, Victor was a selfish being, who only concerned himself with his wishes and never evaluated the situation of his loved ones, ultimately causing their demise. The misfortunate events that occurred through Victor’s life could have been prevented, and also discontinued when Victor had the chance. However, Victor’s irresponsibility overcame these opportunities and he in turn, caused misfortunes for himself as well as his loved ones.
“Revenge alone endowed [him] with strength and composure; it modeled [his] feelings, and allowed [him] to be calculating and calm” (145). Victor gained new purpose and even on his deathbed holds to the principle that he is justified in desiring the death of his enemy. Moment before his death he turns to Captain Robert Walton and says, “I feel myself justified in desiring the death of my adversary. During these last days I have been occupied in examining my past conduct; nor do I find it blamable” (156). He even begins to lose the small amount of compassion he had for the creature’s struggle. When visiting his family’s graves he cries that, “they were dead, and I lived; their murder also lived” (145). Previously in the novel he blamed himself for the deaths of Mathew, Justine, and Henry, claiming to be their murderer and lamenting on the evil he had set forth into the world. Victor now places the weight of these deaths solely on the monster’s shoulders and believes it is his god given burden to cleanse the world of this evil. He had been “assured that the shades of [his] murdered friends heard and approved [his] devotion… rage choked [him]”(146). The death of the monster would not even weigh on his conscience since it is god’s
affected his creator. Victor can not be accountable for his Creation's actions. The acts committed by the Creation was out of choice, not by his lack of knowledge. The Creation was able to decipher between what was right and wrong without a doubt. Therefore, Victor shouldn’t be excused from any and all accountability on behalf of the Creation's terrible crimes, due to his lack of capacity to control his behavior resulting from his mental illness.
As a romantic, archetype and gothic novel, Victor is responsible for the monsters actions because Victor abandons his creation meaning the creature is dejected and ends up hideous and fiendish. It is unfair to create someone into this world and then just abandon it and not teach it how to survive. The quote from the creature “Why did you make such a hideous creature like me just to leave me in disgust” demonstrates how much agony the creature is in. He is neglected because of his creator. The monster says “The hateful day when I received life! I accurse my creator. Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?” Victor is wholly at fault for his actions, image and evil.
Victor had a happy childhood and along the way his life got harder until he was lost and alone. His family died around him due to what he had created and only the guilt is what kept Victor from despairing. Victor’s only goal in life after his family died was to kill the monster. He made Walton promise that if he should die and the monster should come that Walton was to kill it. Victor knew that he would not live forever but he wanted the monster to die and not kill anymore.
Victor said when he saw the monster before it was alive. Afterwards it was the
“I shall die. I shall no longer feel the agonies which now consume me, or be the prey of feelings unsatisfied, yet unquenched.” The monster leaves the ship to his apparent suicide. Chapter 24