Comparing Frankenstein And The Creature By Mary Shelley

In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein and The Creature have a long and tragic history, as creator and creation. Similar to this relationship, is the relationship between God and the fallen angel Lucifer who attempted to claim Heaven’s throne. In comparing both Victor and The Creature on the outside, there is little doubt that Victor would be similar to God and The Creature to Lucifer because of their creator and creation relationship. However, a closer analysis would show a great irony with the common associations of Victor to God and The Creature to Lucifer, as the inner personalities of the two simply do not match the relationship that God and Lucifer have. Ironically, Victor, the creator, has more in common with Lucifer,

The Creature’s situation is closer to that of God than of Lucifer; comparing himself to something so sinful exemplifies his regret for his actions, something Lucifer never did. The Creature’s thoughts on page 213, when he compares himself to Lucifer, demonstrates that although the Creature truly believes himself to be evil, he shows a regret that the fallen angel Lucifer never demonstrates. Despite being a creation, the Creature’s situation follows that of God’s own history. Similar to God, there is no equal for the Creature, no being to match him in any way “But… the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone” (pg 213). The Creature chooses to help the weaker and lesser beings around him, such as collecting firewood for DeLacey, Agatha, and Felix and helping the drowning girl, but each and every time the Creature provides aid, he is scorned, chased, and attacked due to his appearance, which is paralleled by how people believe God constantly helps humans but despite

However, through his disruption of natural laws and repeated acts of defiance against nature, an undeniably connection links Victor and Lucifer together. Lucifer’s tragic flaw, just like Victor, was hubris. Lucifer desired a greater and higher throne than even God as Lucifer said himself, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit on the mount of assembly on the heights of Zaphon; I will ascend to the tops of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High" (Isaiah 14:12-14). However, Lucifer’s defiance ended in failure; Lucifer was banished from God’s garden for his sins and left to suffer. Victor’s experiment defied God’s natural laws, and he was punished accordingly by the very Creature Victor defied the natural laws to create. Victor dreamed of reaching power over nature that only God himself controls, and just “like the archangel [Lucifer] who aspired to omnipotence, [Victor became] chained in an eternal hell” (p. 203). Victor understands the sin he has committed and is permanently condemned for his sins, as quoted by he, "I did confess, but I confessed a lie. I confessed, that I might obtain absolution; but now that falsehood lies heavier at my heart than all my other sins. The God of heaven forgive me! Ever since I was condemned, my confessor has besieged me; he threatened and menaced, until I almost began to think that I was the monster