In the novel Frankenstein, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, functions as an instrument of suffering to many of the other characters in the story. Frankenstein spends two years painstakingly constructing a creature he fully expects to be beautiful and superior to humankind. When he is faced with the reality that what he has created is grotesque and as far from humanlike as possible, he refuses to accept responsibility for his creation. Unable to be nurtured and cared for by his master, the creature is left to fend for himself in a cruel world that judges a person by appearances first. Because of his inability to interact with society and have a female of his own kind to love, Frankenstein’s creature eventually turns to murder as …show more content…
As rain fell hard against the window panes Frankenstein describes his first reaction to his creation, “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe…the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelly 1831). He turns and runs in horror from the one being who should have been the most important responsibility in his life. From the very beginning, Frankenstein refuses to take responsibility for his creation. It is much later in the novel, chapter eleven, when the creature is given the opportunity to recount his helpless first days of life. The creature describes himself as “a poor helpless, miserable wretch; I knew and could distinguish nothing; but feeling pain invade me from all sides, I sat down and wept” (Shelly 1831). It is clear from this example how truly innocent the creature was when he was first created. It is obvious that Shelly is starting to paint Victor as the true monster in the reader’s mind. How could he abandon his helpless …show more content…
Unfortunately, one day he passes by a lake and does not recognize his image. The creature’s internal sense of himself (his belief) differs from his external perception of himself (Baldick 1987). Suddenly, he sees himself as other do—as a monster. Still, in hopes of being accepted by humans, the creature saves a young girl from drowning. For his efforts he was shot by the girl’s father. Next, the creature comes upon the De Lacy family where he actually lives for several years learning to speak and read by watching the family. He bravely approaches the blind father of that family praying to be accepted by someone who would see him for who he is on the inside instead of what he looks like. Sadly, the father’s family returns and beats the creature and chases him away. Even young William Frankenstein, whom the creature feels may be too young to judge someone by their appearance calls the creature a monster and an ogre. William becomes the creature’s first murder victim. All this goes to point out Johann Lavater and Johann Spurzhems’s contemporary theories of physiognomy and phrenology—the assumption that the external human form accurately manifests one’s internal moral qualities (Mellor). The creature is no longer innocent. He is becoming what Victor Frankenstein created, a monster. This further goes to show Frankenstein failed in his duties to his
As Frankenstein is enroute to his pursuit of gaining more knowledge, he states, “I wished, as it were, to procrastinate all that related to my feelings of affection until the great object, which swallowed up every habit of my nature, should be completed” (Shelley 41). Frankenstein’s decision in allowing his intellectual ambitions to overpower everything else in his life leads him to be blinded to the dangers of creating life. He isolates himself from his society when creating the monster, letting himself be immersed in his creation while being driven by his passions, allowing nobody to be near him. The fact that he allows this creation of a monster to consume his total being reveals how blinded he is to the immorality of stepping outside the boundaries of science and defying nature. His goal in striving to achieve what wants to in placing man over nature makes him lose his sense of self as all he is focused on is the final product of his creation. He starts to realize his own faults as after he has created the monster, he becomes very ill and states, “The form of the monster on whom I had bestowed existence was forever before my eyes, and I raved incessantly concerning him” (48). His impulsive decision to make the monster leads him to abhorring it as it does not turn out to be what he has expected. Because he chooses to isolate himself in creating the
Although humans have the tendency to set idealistic goals to better future generations, often the results can prove disastrous, even deadly. The tale of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, focuses on the outcome of one man's idealistic motives and desires of dabbling with nature, which result in the creation of horrific creature. Victor Frankenstein was not doomed to failure from his initial desire to overstep the natural bounds of human knowledge. Rather, it was his poor parenting of his progeny that lead to his creation's thirst for the vindication of his unjust life. In his idealism, Victor is blinded, and so the creation accuses him for delivering him into a world where he could not ever be entirely received by the people who inhabit it. Not only failing to foresee his faulty idealism, nearing the end of the tale, he embarks upon a final journey, consciously choosing to pursue his creation in vengeance, while admitting he himself that it may result in his own doom. The creation of an unloved being and the quest for the elixir of life holds Victor Frankenstein more accountable for his own death than the creation himself.
The creature displays his hatred toward Frankenstein for leaving him immediately and not providing guidance and protection in this harsh, new world by murdering his family and friends. While seeking his creator, the creature first murders Victor Frankenstein’s youngest brother William and exclaims, “I too can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him” (Shelley 144). The creature wishes for Victor Frankenstein to suffer taking his own companions away, forcing him to be miserable as well by destroying his personal relationships with others by murdering loved ones. Through the rejection of the creature because of his physical appearance, he learns what is accepted as well as how you can treat another being as he succumbs to his anger and proceeds with his crimes. The creature tells Frankenstein, “your hours will pass in dread and misery, and soon the bolt will fall which must ravish your happiness forever.
The Creature was born capable of thing such as love and sympathy though he lost these capabilities as a result of how he was treated. The creature’s heart was ‘fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy’ but wrenched with misery to ‘vice and hatred’. On a cold night in November, Victor Frankenstein brought his creation to life. This creation has thin black lips, inhuman eyes, and
He toils endlessly in alchemy, spending years alone, tinkering. However, once the Creature is brought to life, Frankenstein is no longer proud of his creation. In fact, he’s appalled by what he’s made and as a result, Frankenstein lives in a perpetual state of unease as the Creature kills those that he loves and terrorizes him. Victor has realized the consequences of playing god. There is irony in Frankenstein’s development, as realized in Victor’s desire to destroy his creation. Frankenstein had spent so much effort to be above human, but his efforts caused him immediate regret and a lifetime of suffering. Victor, if he had known the consequences of what he’s done, would have likely not been driven by his desire to become better than
Frankenstein, during his creation of the monster, did not reveal the secret to life to Walton because of how horrifying the outcome was. In order to create the monster, Frankenstein had to, “...[collect] bones from charnel-houses and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame.” (Shelley 20). After collecting the bones, Frankenstein was in his, “ workshop of filthy creation…” (Shelley 20) where he had eyeballs prepared. Moreover, Frankenstein’s occupation in his dissection room and slaughter-house brought his work near its conclusion. “...on a dreary night of November… [Frankenstein] collected the instruments of life around [him], that… infuse a spark of being into the lifeless…” (Shelly 21), so the creation is complete, and the monster lives.
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.
As scientists pursue the progress of science, it would be good if they could do so to benefit the human race. However, if scientific discoveries are motivated by selfish ambition, and scientists do not take responsibility for them if fail, their creations might become threats to humans. As the novel Frankenstein, written by the English author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, tells the story of a young scientist Victor Frankenstein who unintentionally creates a grotesque creature in a scientific experiment, and this causes the tragedy for the rest of his life, and the death of many innocent people. When people read this book, many of them might see the creature as a monster because the term “monster” basically refers to an imaginary creature that
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 ...
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly explores the concept of the body, life, ‘the self’ and most of importantly humanity, which is repeatedly questioned throughout the novel. The definition of humanity is the quality of being humane or in other words someone that can feel or possess compassion. Despite all the facts against the “monster” in “Frankenstein” he is indeed what one would consider being human. Humanity isn’t just about ones physical appearance but also includes intellect and emotion. Some people argue that the “monster” is not a human for he was not a creature that was born from “God” or from a human body. That being said, the “monster” is not only able to speak different languages, he can also show empathy - one of many distinct traits that set humans apart from the animals. Both the “monster” and his creator, Victor, hold anger and feel a sense of suffering throughout the novel. Victor is a good person with good intentions just like most individuals, but makes the mistake of getting swept up into his passion of science and without thinking of the consequences he creates a “monster”. After completing his science project, he attempts to move forward with his life, however his past – i.e., the “monster” continues to follow and someone haunt him. While one shouldn’t fault or place blame on Frankenstein for his mistakes, you also can’t help but feel somewhat sympathetic for the creature. Frankenstein just wants to feel accepted and loved, he can’t help the way he treats people for he’s only mimicking how people have treated him, which in most cases solely based on his appearance. Unlike most of the monsters we are exposed to in films past and present, the character of the “monster” ...
Victor Frankenstein serves as an instrument of suffering of others and contributes to the tragic vision as a whole in this novel. He hurts those surrounding him by his selfish character and his own creation plots against his master due to the lack of happiness and love. The audience should learn from Frankenstein’s tragic life and character to always remain humble. We should never try to take superiority that is not granted to us because like victor we shall suffer and perish. He had the opportunity to make a difference in his life and take responsibility as a creator but his selfishness caused him to die alone just like what he had feared.
Frankenstein’s creation was a victim of circumstance. One who is brought into the world alone, with no protector to guide him, and is driven to desolation. A person with no mate is miserable, doomed to spend his life without pleasure or company. A man who is thrown out by those he deems his fellow creatures, lives a mean life, alone with infinite misery. Any creature that is demoted to this degree of torment is deserving of our sympathy.
At the moment of his birth, the creature is entirely innocent; he affectionately reaches out to Frankenstein, which is interpreted as a hostile movement, only to have the latter violently abandon him. Despite his appalling appearance, his “wrinkled” grin is as guiltless as a newly-born child which, in a sense, is precisely what he is to Frankenstein (61). With the rejection of his monster based solely on a personal appearance that epitomizes everything Frankenstein fears in his life, the reader begins to recognize the profoundly unethical character of Frankenstein's experiment and of Frankenstein himself.
As a result, the Creature becomes a wretched monster, who now has no sympathy for anyone or anything. The Creature becomes fixed on the idea of needing a companion, and due to this obsession, he turns Victor’s life upside down. The Creature is able to torment Victor by killing his family members, then quickly vanishing so Victor can not tell who or what he saw. The Creature and Victor finally meet again, and the Creature tells Victor of his stories and struggles. Throughout the novel, the Creature remains in the same state of being, he persistently harasses Victor and maintains a watchful eye on him.
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...