How To Compare And Contrast To Victor Frankenstein

The phrase, “opposites attract” occurs in the thoughts of all the hopeless romantics available in the world. However, what is factual in life is also disturbingly accurate in books. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley encompasses the thoughts that hinder the sleep of many individuals across the world in her novel, Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus. Victor Frankenstein’s foil, or opposite, happens to be his childhood friend Henry Clerval. Their relationship portrays the themes of life, or existence, and the pursuit of science.

First and foremost, to properly delve into the topics that has previously been stated, the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and Henry Clerval should be properly explained. The two vagabonds met as children and Victor

The question that plagued the subconscious of the dear Hamlet. “To be or not to be.” This statement applies to Victor Frankenstein as he ponders the question of to create life, or destroy the creature he has created. Both Henry and Victor both view life differently. They both aspire to change the world. However, Henry would rather better society, and Victor would rather better society with a roaming hunk of dead flesh, but we all have our differences. Victor’s obsession with life is best described when he states, “One man 's life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought, for the dominion I should acquire and transmit over the elemental foes of our race” (). He is willing to give up the lives of others and his own life, very clearly explained by him working himself to a severe sickness late in the novel, just to reanimate a corpse. Henry would rather recreate the beauty in people as shown by being described as, “a being formed in the 'very poetry of nature '" (). As shown, Henry should have intervened in the work of dear Victor; yet, he did not because he believes in the privacy that all men should have. If only Henry arbitrated, the world would be less one creature, and the lives of three, or more, would be

In Frankenstein, the world could argue that the death of Victor Frankenstein’s friends is due to his desire to have the powers of God. William, Henry, and Elizabeth all fall doom to the wrath of the monster. Ironically enough, Victor seemingly cares more about the death of Henry more than the death of Elizabeth. As described in this excerpt, “ Her lover so barbarously snatched from her” (). Victor Frankenstein is more concerned with the mortal fear of his own death than the death of his betrothed. Compared to the death of Henry, “ I gasped for breath, and throwing myself on the body…” (). This is viable evidence that Victor cared for Henry more than his fiancé. When Victor creates his creation, his fate has already been drawn for him and his loved ones. If he had never dabbled in alchemy, or science, if he had taken responsibility for his creation, if he had abided by the basic societal norms of the world, then the dead would have stayed dead, and people would not be dead