Merriam Webster’s Encyclopedia of Literature highlights Frankenstein as the work of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, published in 1818, and it brought into the Western world one of its best known monsters. Elements of gothic romance and science fiction help in telling the story of young Swiss scientist Victor Frankenstein, as he creates a horrible monster by putting together limbs and veins, leading to destruction and his later regret. The creature is left alone in the world, even by his own creator, for his hideous appearance, and through watching humans he learns their ways of living. Haunting Victor due to his loneliness, he forcefully makes Victor agree to make him a female companion, but Victor’s regret and misery enables him to tear up his
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 Frankenstein is a fictional character in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. He was born in Naples and led a very troubling life after the death of his mother. As he delved deeper and deeper into his studies, his mental state began to deteriorate and he became a recluse. His clear obsession then engaged him into the creation of a monster who soon became the culprit of many murders. Thus arguing that the crimes committed by the creation are not a result of Victor's negligence but rather out of the Creation's lack of ability to control his revengeful nature and therefore Victor's innocence on accountability for the Creation's crimes.
... their actions” (91) after what had happened when he tried to associate with the previous villagers. However, even they “dashed [him] to the ground and struck [him] violently with a stick” (115). The creature, unlike Victor, doesn’t have a choice of isolation. His hideous outward appearance is what causes humans to alienate him from them.
One who has only seen the Hollywood version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein would assume that in the course of the book the true monster is Dr. Frankenstein himself. But upon analysis of the text it becomes clear that it is in fact the Monster who is the greater of the two evils. Although created by the doctor, his own hatred and consciousness yield an evil larger than even the doctor could have predicted.
Although this novel strongly represents Romantic literature, I see a connection to the earlier Renaissance era in the form of scientific expansion and individualism. Frankenstein was focused on his sole purpose in the scientific development of creating a human (Shelley, 1818). Current Relevance While reading this novel I could not help but think how the creature's revenge parallels modern day mass shootings, followed by suicide of the shooter. How often do we hear the shooter was a tortured soul?
Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus is a well known novel written by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley and first published in 1818. This first edition included some remarks made by her husband Percy Shelley, which the author later revised for the publishing of the second edition in 1831 . A thought-provoking work set in the enlightened European society of the eighteenth century, Frankenstein masterly addresses themes such as responsibility, abandonment, and the ambitious pursuit of knowledge to depict the dreadful effects that may arise from scientific exploration.
Victor Frankenstein, a character in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, decided that he wanted to bring life into this world; a life that would eventually go on to killing the creator himself. The Creature can be seen as either innocent or guilty. The popular opinion of the Creature seems to be that he is guilty considering how he has burned down a house, set up Justine for murder and murdered three others. However, after taking a close look at the text, it can be seen that Frankenstein’s creature is not guilty. He was brought into this world with a child-like innocence, never progressed past the emotional state of a child and was rejected throughout his whole life causing him to do the things he did.
When a crime is committed, the blame is usually placed on the criminal. This is because a crime cannot take place without a criminal. However, a lawbreaker generally has reasons for his misdeed. For a crime to occur, a criminal must have incentive. Consequently, the causes of a wrongdoer’s motivation are also responsible for the offence. In addition, crimes can be avoided if the proper precautionary measures are taken. Therefore, anyone who could have stopped a crime from happening is partially accountable for it. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a creature created by Victor Frankenstein kills several of Victor’s loved ones. These murders could be blamed on the creature, but he is not solely responsible for them. The root cause of the murders is Victor’s secrecy. His concealment causes his obsession, a lack of preventative measures against the creature, and his fear of appearing to be mad.
...e all the evil things they have done. When he goes to Victor's coffin, the creature does the opposite of what a evil being would do. He grieves over Victor despite all the horrible things the creature has done to Victor. The creature even feels guilt over the innocent people he has killed and the torment he put his creator through. Despite Victor's actions leading the creature to commit evil deeds, the creature finds in himself to feel regret in the end.
I believe that Victor and the creature are both right about what they want and yet monstrous in their reactions. Victor is right about what he wants; one reason is because he is very committed to his work and in creating life for his creature. On the other hand he is evil because he abandoned the creature and left him on his own: "I escaped and rushed downstairs. I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited" (Shelley 57). Shelley shows Victor's monstrous reaction to the creature in the way that he abandoned the creature to his own luck and he shows no responsibility for him.
As a romantic novel Victor is responsible, because he abandoned his creation. As an archetype novel, Victor is the villain, because he was trying to play god. Finally, Victor as a Gothic novel, Victor is at fault, because, he and the creature are two different parts of the same person. If Frankenstein is looked at as a romantic novel, Victor, not the creature, is truly the villain. When Victor created the creature, he didn't take responsibility for it. He abandoned it, and left it to fend for itself. It is unfair to bring something into the world, and then not teach it how to survive. The creature was miserable, and just wanted a friend or someone to talk to. On page 115, the creature said, "Hateful day when I received life! Accursed the creator. Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust." This line shows the agony the monster was in, because of how he looked when he was created which led to even Victor running away from him. If Victor didn't run, he could have taught the monster and made his life happy. After the creature scared the cottagers away he said, "I continued for the remainder of the day in my hovel in a state of utter ...
By the time of their death, both Victor and the creature has committed repugnant acts: Victor created a being out of corpses and then abandoned it and let it wreak havoc on the people he loved, the creature directly killed three people. But Victor tells Walton that, “During these last days I have been occupied in examining my past conduct; nor do I find it blamable […] nor do I know where this thirst for vengeance may end” (269). 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 hate 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. He tells Walton that, “You hate me, but your abhorrence cannot equal that with which I regard myself” (275). Although no amount of regret or sorrow can bring back the people that he has killed, the creature does acknowledge the evil of his actions, which in turn allow him to make come to peace. He is able to reconcile his vengeful feelings towards his creator and praises Victor by calling him, “worthy of love and admiration among men” (275). Both Victor and the creature have done committed actions against each
Victor never even fathomed the actual existence of the creature, somewhat resembling an unplanned pregnancy that was never emotionally and rationally dealt with even after the actual birth of the child. He certainly did not adequately prepare himself for parenthood.
Victor definitely sees the Creature as a “demoniacal corpse” (Shelley, 59), and after the death of each person whom the monster kills, he reflects on how it is truly his fault for the outcome. However, what he fails to recognize is the negative consequences of testing the boundaries of science, and sees himself as innocent because he feels that the things he did had to have been done by someone, even if it had not been him. He calls the state in which he was in a “nervous fever” (Shelley, 79) and even “a fit of enthusiastic madness” (Shelley 219), but he does not acknowledge that he allowed that state to take control of him, and even elected to have the whole scenario take place. He even excuses people’s perception of the Crature as a monster by saying that “the different accidents of life are no so changeable as the feelings of human nature” (Shelley, 58) Although it is true that he does wish that he had not created the Creature, and therefore he is not innocent for the murders that occurred by will of the Creature, he deeply convinces himself that the creation was not his intention, and that the excitement of science essentially forced him to do it. He knows he is not wholly innocent in the entirety of what happens, but by holding on to the thought that he was