Throughout the novel, conflict constantly arises between Victor Frankenstein and the Creature because of their differing interests. Both view each other with great distaste, but, in reality, portray similar qualities. As the characterization of Victor and the Creature progress, the reader realizes the connections that develop between them as they both strive for knowledge, a woman companion, relationships with others, revenge against each other, and serenity in nature. Perhaps the author, Mary Shelley, incorporates the idea that sons resemble the behaviors of their fathers. Regardless of the dissimilar opinions about each other, all of their actions lead to a fate that ends in a lonely death. In the beginning chapters of the lives of Victor …show more content…
In literature nature can symbolize the healing and restoration of the mind and body. When they wander into nature, it provides an escape from reality and their internal conflict. For instance, Victor retires to serenity of the lake by his house in Belrive because the guilt of knowing that his creation holds responsibility of the death of Justine Moritz overwhelms him. He sails a boat out by letting the wind take over and lets the peacefulness and beauty of the lake envelop him. In the beginning memories of the Creature, he does not understand his surroundings and experiences a wave of confusion as new sensations overwhelm him. The time he spends in the forest, near Ingolstadt, allows him to calm his emotions and gain an understanding of the world around him. For example, he learns that fire provides warmth from the cold, identifies the noises of nature, and discovers new objects in each different environment. Both of these examples confirm that nature has its own form of medicine to a person’s body and mind. Overall these experiences in the wilderness constitute as a remedy for their inner struggles which allows them to clear the …show more content…
Their analogous actions, such as obtaining knowledge, yearning for a companion, and withdrawing into the wilderness, allows the reader to identify the connections in between them. Even though they despise of each other because of their life choices, they truly mirror one another. The author, Mary Shelley, does a fascinating job of incorporating the idea that the creation does not differ much from the creator. Also she highlights that no amount of rejection of one’s origin can hinder from them mimicking the actions of the
While Frankenstein’s monster is presented as the villain of the novel, his savagery and viciousness only mirrors that hate and isolation he experiences because of the evil that is within every human alive. Before the creature even understands how he is different from the rest pf humanity (his creator and, for all intensive purposes-his God) abandons him because he is physically deformed and frightening to look at. For Victor Frankenstein to desert his own creation is an act of evil driven by a heart-stopping fear of his monster. Then, when the monster seeks refuge in a town of strangers, they all denounce him and either attack or run away from him. This cold reception to a being that needs help is not the response of individuals who are in their hearts kind and loving, this savagery is the result of selfish and cruel beings contorted by society into gentler animals. In addition, the viciousness of human nature is clearly evident when Felix beats the weeping monster off his father's knees even though the creature does nothing to harm him.The creature is clearly not a threat, he is defenseless at the feet of an old man, yet Felix still attacks. This instinctive reaction to reject the unknown reflects the violence that is inherent in all of humanity. Finally, when the monster saves a little girl from drowning in a river, her father does not embrace the creature for saving his flesh
The monster tells Frankenstein of the wretchedness of the world and how it was not meant for a being such as himself. At the end of his insightful tale the creature demands a companion of the same hideous features but of the opposite gender to become his. Victor only has the choice to make the monster or suffer a lifetime of horror his creation would bring upon him. Which the creator ultimately agrees to make the female monster to save the lives of his family but gains a conscious that fills with guilt of all the destruction he has created and creating. When the monster comes to collect the female he tears her apart and the monster vows to destroy all Victor holds dear. The monster’s emotional sense is consumed with rage against Victor, murdering Frankenstein’s best friend. Though when the monster’s framing ways do not work to lead to Victor being executed, he then murders Frankenstein’s wife on their wedding night. This tragedy is the last for Victor’s father who becomes ill with grief and quickly passes within a few days, leaving Victor with nothing but his own regret. Shelley doesn’t give the audience the monsters side of the story but hints that the remainder of his journey consisted of being a shadow to that of his creator. It is at the graves of the Frankenstein family when the creature makes an appearance in the solemn and
As a tragic hero, Victor’s tragedies begin with his overly obsessive thirst for knowledge. Throughout his life, Victor has always been looking for new things to learn in the areas of science and philosophy. He goes so far with his knowledge that he ends up creating a living creature. Victor has extremely high expectations for his creation but is highly disappointed with the outcome. He says, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 35). Frankenstein neglects the creature because of his horrifying looks, which spark the beginning of numerous conflicts and tragedies. At this point, the creature becomes a monster because of Victor’s neglect and irresponsibility. The monster is forced to learn to survive on his own, without anyone or anything to guide him along the way. Plus, the monster’s ugly looks cause society to turn against him, ad...
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
While immersed in its beauty, Victor and his creation escaped worldly problems and entered a supernatural bliss. In short, Shelley presents nature as very powerful. It has the power to put the humanity back into man when the unnatural world has stripped him of his moral fiber. In comparison to the pure beauty of nature, the unnatural acts of man are far more emphasized; therefore, the reader is clearly aware of man’s faults and their repercussions. Unfortunately, not even the power of nature could balance the work of man: “the cup of life was poisoned forever.”
An idea becomes a vision, the vision develops a plan, and this plan becomes an ambition. Unfortunately for Victor Frankenstein, his ambitions and accomplishments drowned him in sorrow from the result of many unfortunate events. These events caused Victors family and his creation to suffer. Rejection and isolation are two of the most vital themes in which many dreadful consequences derive from. Victor isolates himself from his family, friends, and meant-to-be wife. His ambitions are what isolate him and brought to life a creature whose suffering was unfairly conveyed into his life. The creature is isolated by everyone including his creator. He had no choice, unlike Victor. Finally, as the story starts to change, the creature begins to take control of the situation. It is now Victor being isolated by the creature as a form of revenge. All the events and misfortunes encountered in Frankenstein have been linked to one another as a chain of actions and reactions. Of course the first action and link in the chain is started by Victor Frankenstein.
Victor Frankenstein, his creator and only companion, has the love and support of his family unlike the monster. They encourage him to pursue what he wants in college. In the beginning of his story, Victor tells of his family and the love they all had for each other. An example of this is when Victor describes his father. Alphonse, his father, brought Caroline, his mother to be, in when her father died. Alphonse is described as loving when Victor describes his father’s love and affection towards his sister. After she dies, he takes in the child because of that love. When Victor visits his father after creating the monster, his father is genuinely concerned and wants his son to be at ease. Alphonse did not know that the cause of Victor’s unease was that he created a monster. His father attributes his unease to the up and coming marriage. Alphonse cares about Victor's feeling about marriage and is worried about his ghastly appearance. The monster was formed when Victor shut out the love and affection from his family, thus creating a monster devoid of love and compassion. Victor put into the monster what he felt, and at this time he had forgotten about love. Appalled at the repulsive outer appearance of his creation, Victor sparked the beginning of the monster’s hate. He was too concentrated on creating life than giving the life love and compassion. His
Through the progression of the novel however, the distinction between antagonist and protagonist between Victor and the creature became obscure. The relationship of the monster of Frankenstein and the monster that is Frankenstein aided in developing their lust for vengeance as each did psychological harm to the
Education is a tool to advance an individual and a society; however, education can become a means to gain power when knowledge is used to exercise control over another. In Frankenstein, knowledge becomes the downfall of both Victor Frankenstein and the Monster. The novel explores the consequent power struggle between Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the dichotomy of good and evil, and the contrast between intellectual and physical power. Finding themselves in mirroring journeys, Victor Frankenstein and the Monster are locked in a struggle for dominance. Through these two characters, Mary Shelley explores the consequences of an egotistical mindset and of using knowledge to exercise power over others.
Every living thing needs some measure of acceptance and love. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, parent-child relationships and the need for companionship play a crucial role in the lives of Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his creature. The creature is repeatedly rejected and repulsed by society and, in turn, by his own father figure Dr. Frankenstein. This causes the creature to become consumed by his own fear, resentment, animosity toward humanity and, ultimately, malice. The characters all have a need for a parental figure, companionship, approval, and acceptance. The dreadful consequences of the absence of such relations is revealed through the Creature's suffering. The creature's reactions to rejection by others, isolation and inability
...e seeking help and strength to take care of problems in their lives. Victor Frankenstein is a man with a loving and caring family. Family and friends are an important part of his life. He has his whole life in front of him, when creates his monster. He creates the monster in the likeness of man with same need of love and affection as man. Although, this is his creation, he lets the monster down and does not care for him. The monster begins to feel neglected and lonely and wants desperately to have a human relationship. The monster turns angry and revengeful because he is so sad and abandoned. He wants Victor to feel the way that he does, all alone. The monster succeeds and Victor ends up losing all the important in his life and his own life. In the end, the monster dies and the need for human relationship becomes the destruction for both the monster and Victor.
Throughout this unit, surprisingly, I learned a lot about perspective and middle ground. As we progressed along in Frankenstein, I found myself in many instances where I would ask the question, “Who’s side am I on?” with a tag along question, “Who is right?”. I would get stuck and ponder over these questions for long before I realized: I couldn’t pick a side. It just wasn’t that simple for me to choose that one person is right over the other. It felt like I was torn because I could see in both ways. Half of me was siding with one person while the other half pulled me in another direction. Struggling to choose, I chose to stay in the middle.
Victor’s initial isolation as a child foreshadows the motif of detachment that occurs throughout the novel. As Victor Frankenstein recounts his informative tale to a seafaring Robert Walton, he makes it known that he was a child of nobility; however it is sadly transparent that combined with insufficient parenting Victor’s rare perspective on life pushes him towards a lifestyle of conditional love. Children are considered symbolic of innocence but as a child Victor’s arrogance was fueled by his parents. With his family being “one of the most
This idea is then reincarnated in the form of a monster which leads to the conclusion that Mary Shelley felt like an abandoned child who is reflected in the rage of the monster. After reading the article by Baldick, I immediately thought of Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.” I was forced to read the story again having an open mind and the idea that everything has an alternative meaning. After doing so, I realized that it contains the same concept of abandonment and anger.
In Frankenstein, Shelley creates two very complex characters. They embody the moral dilemmas that arise from the corruption and disturbance of the natural order of the world. When Victor Frankenstein is attending school, he becomes infatuated with creating a living being and starts stealing body parts from morgues around the university. After many months of hard work, he finishes one stormy night bringing his creation to life. However, “now that [Victor] had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (Chambers). Right after Victor realizes what he has done, he falls into deep depression and must be nursed back to health by his friend. Victor spends the rest of the story facing consequences and moral problems from creating unnatural life. When he realizes that the ‘monster’ has killed his brother, even though no one believes him, he feels responsible for his brother’s murder because he was responsible for the existence of the ‘monster’. Also feeling responsible, Victor...