Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, is a timeless classic. It is an iconic work of literature that has been widely analyzed and discussed for nearly 200 years.
In it, she tells the story of Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the monster. The distinction between Victor and his creation is often blurred as readers debate who is truly the real monster in this story. While Victor created the creature with an ambition to do good, he ultimately failed to take responsibility for his actions and abandoned his creation. In my essay, I would like to take a closer look at both characters and analyze who is really the monster in this dark tale.
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Victor Frankenstein - The Scientist or Madman?
Victor Frankenstein is a tragic hero due to his reckless choices and disregard for potential consequences. He is a scientist and medical student who is highly passionate about science, but lacks foresight when putting his ideas into action. When creating the monster, Victor fails to anticipate what the repercussions may be, and this careless mistake has far-reaching influences on the characters and plot of the novel. His ignorance in making decisions demonstrates that he rarely considers what could result from his actions, leading him to suffer dire consequences throughout the story.
The thought of creating life scared Victor so much that he decided not to do so again. However, this does not stop him from continuing his experiments on animals and even people! This shows that Victor does not think about what will happen if he continues doing these experiments, though they are illegal because they involve human subjects without their consent or knowledge (like Frankenstein's family).
The primary argument against Victor being labeled a “monster” is that he had good intentions when creating his creature. After all, he was trying to create life from death, which could be seen as a noble goal.
However, it can be argued that Victor was driven by his own ambition and hubris rather than any moral code. He chose to ignore the warnings of others about meddling in matters best left alone, and instead pursued his own agenda without regard for anyone else. This selfishness could qualify him as a “monster,” since it caused so much suffering for so many people.
The Creature - Victim or Villain?
From the moment of its birth, the monster has been abandoned by humanity. To make matters worse, when humans do come into contact with him, they recoil in fear and disgust - furthering ostracizing him from society. Despite this treatment, however, he still retains an innate desire to connect with humanity, something which Victor refuses to provide him with even though it was within his power to do so.
On the other hand, one could make a case for labeling the creature as the “monster” in this story. After all, he was created with no understanding of right and wrong and yet still chose to act on his impulses to hurt others, even though they had done nothing wrong to him. He also seemed to take pleasure in causing fear and destruction among those he encountered, which makes him seem more like a villain than a victim.
Conclusion
Ultimately, who we choose to label as the “monster” in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein comes down to interpretation. Many might argue that Victor Frankenstein is at fault for his ambition and lack of consideration for creating his own creature and then leaving it behind. On the other hand, some contend that the creature itself can be considered the true monster with its acts of aggression and violence as a way to cope with its loneliness. However, regardless of who becomes labeled as 'the monster', there remains a resounding truth: this tale's real beast isn't either character; it's our own human nature.
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