Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein had Victor Frankenstein as the creator of the monster. Through his creation you can see Victor becoming the monster “If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes into you” (Nietzsche). After Victor Frankenstein’s monster was created he is then set upon a path of his own. The Monsters first encounters with people lead him down a path of himself becoming a monster himself. This is a cycle that is not uncommon and continues in this day and age.
He went on a tour with Clerval until he felt he was ready to begin making the female monster. Victor no longer had the same intense feeling he had when making the first fiend. This time, he was making it thinking about the fact that the monster told him “Oh! my creator, make me happy; let me feel gratitude towards you for one benefit (Page 99)!” Victor could do nothing but think if he brought this “creature” to life he would have to take care of it as a father would a child, but this was not the case. I guess looks do play a big role in any society.
In another attempt to be seen not a monster, he saves the girl, only to be shot at by a man. The monster runs away and as he nears Geneva, he runs across Victor’s younger brother William in the woods. When William mentions that his father is Alphonse Frankenstein, the monster puts it together that he is the brother of Victor. The monster erupts with rage and strangles William.” Frankenstein! You belong then to my enemy – to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.” He then takes a picture of Caroline Frankenstein that he finds on William.
Dr. Frankenstein vs. his monster Dr. Frankenstein has created life. He has set out a goal to create life and be as God. In the novel, the doctor even refers to himself to be like God when the monster shown signs of life. Victor set out to create something that not only had life but potentially would not die. His creation was made without thinking of the ultimate consequences.
Frankenstein -Setting- The setting of Frankenstein mainly took place in Geneva, but it was also set in many other countries throughout Europe. -Point of View- 1st person Victor, and 1st person monster -Major Characters- Victor, the Monster, Robert Walton, Elizabeth, Henry. -Personality -Victor- Out of touch with the decisions that he made, obsessive. He is the Protagonist. Created the Monster, the deaths of his friends and family.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is first depicted as a hero that turns tragic due to his own detrimental flaws. Victor’s demise began when his mother died while trying to nurture Elizabeth back to health. Due to his need for an escape, Victor turns to his fascination with nature. He feels trapped in his tragic, monotonous life and craves the feeling of living again. Seen first as a genius of science, Victor is loved by others only for him to turn around and become the cause of suffering for nearly every character.
Frankenstein and the Creature shared an uncontrollable need for vengeance. After the Creature murdered Elizabeth and Clerval, Dr. Frankenstein devoted his life to finding the Creature. He tracked him across the continent; he sacrificed himself by going through fatigue and the bitter cold which was all driven to simply get revenge on the Creature for his actions. Dr. Frankenstein even says, “revenge— a deep and deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and anguish I had endured” (Shelly 169). The Creature all the same was driven by vengeance during his time of existence.
His arm stretched out seemingly to detain me, but I escaped.” – Victor "Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy--to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim." - The Monster “I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone?” - The Monster call it murder”- The Monster "Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? “ A pair of star crossed lovers take their life” “ My only love sprung from my only hate” ” Away, begone , the sport is at the best” O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?
Freud argues on behalf of the monster because he interprets Victor's refusal to let the monster have a companion as a part of being mildly content. Victor convinces the real monster that he's going to build this new "companion" for him yet decides not to after considering reasoned ramifications at the costs of the lives of others he loves. Freud argues, "When any situation that is desired by the pleasure principle is prolonged, it only produces a feeling of mild contentment" (Freud 25). Victor is a monster in that he let's his own family die at the hands of the monster in order to make himself not look foolish after refusing to build the monster a woman-monster and to content himself with what is just in his eyes. Victor even travels for some time with his friend Clerval, ignoring his promised task to the monster in order to avoid further suffering.
The monster comments on his bodily composition in the novel and makes a seemingly obvious comment much more intriguing. The monster paves the way for a successful scientific understanding of the novel and the concept of recreating life: “I was not even of the same nature as man” (Shelley 103). The monster makes clear the fact that he came into existence in a fashion far-removed from natural sexual reproduction and human birth. The critic Stanley Crouch explains: “Frankenstein injected into the game the idea of artificially creating life. Scientifically manipulating the forces that underlie existence; subverting sexual coupling as the sole manner of passing on the divine spark” (Crouch 56).