In the novel Frankenstein, author Marry Shelley depicts character Victor Frankenstein as a scientist with a strong passion for forbidden knowledge and finding the answers to life through science. Though his intentions are good this leads him to the creation of a monster. Throughout the novel Frankenstein is constantly encountered by obstacles that test his passions for science and responsibility for his creation. For Victor it seems that the choice to abandon the monster is the easier path, rather than taking care of his creation. In the beginning of the book, right after the creation of the monster, Victor fled his home to get away from the creature, only to return and find that it had escaped.
This then upsets the monster and makes him furious and goes to meet Frankenstein. The monster is also emotional as he is pleading for justice and asking for a relationship from Frankenstein. He also shows him that he is literate and cultured as he had read the classic novels, unlike Frankenstein who only read scientific journals. Once Frankenstein refuses to accept the monster he is asked to create a second female monster just like the first. Frankenstein agrees to create the monster but then once he is practically accomplished he rips up his creation.
Secrecy plays a major role in the story of Frankenstein. Without secrecy, the monster would have never learned how to speak, read, or conjure up feelings. The monster learns of how to read by skimming through the Frankenstein’s journal he had secretly taken while finding clothes to use to conceal his identity when he ran away from the laboratory, as well as learning how to speak and read by observing the De Lacey family, hidden inside the family’s property. He also learns how to love by watching the De Lacey family, while hidden, which allows the story to continue on how and why the monster desired to come out of secrecy to persuade his creator to make him a partner for his own. Physically speaking, the monster’s character is built by combining raw materials from dead and useless body parts; although, secrecy is how the monster’s mental character is built in both the film and book.
Chen 1 Shanye Chen Dr. Melinda Luisa de Jesús SSHIS 200-03: The Monsters We Make October 24th. 2013 Frankenstein and Prometheus, Knowledge and Wisdom Frankenstein，a novel written by Mary Shelley in the nineteenth century, is about Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, who creates a humanlike creature and abandons the creature immediately. The creature studies by himself and tries to find his identity, but he is not accepted by society because he’s ugly and horrible looking. Then the creature kills all the people, who Victor loves, for revenge. Frankenstein was the first science fiction and Gothic novel, a remarkable work showing a profoundness and criticism of science, which still has influence today.
The monster starts to recount the story of his life once they are inside. In this chapter, it is shown that Frankenstein still feels guilty about the murder of his brother, and the execution of Justine. It is shown that he is deeply flawed, and feels isolated. The monster is shown to be more human in this chapter, as he engages in conversation with Victor, and portrays some form of emotion. He states that he was a virtuous and worthy creature until the disdain and ignorance of humans made
The ending of the story, when Victor almost chases to monster to the north pole, is also a glimmering example of how Victor has changed internally from a Geneva, to a cold, harsh, inhuman monster. The main characters, Victor and the monster, are both interesting mixes of good, as well as evil. Victor, on the one hand, is good in the sense that he wants to understand science to further humanity. He does have an ugly side, however. For example, Victor abandons his monster after he creates it because he realizes what he has done.
The creature has infinite potential, but it is Frankenstein’s prideful nature and negligence that makes the creature become “monstrous”. Frankenstein’s selfish pride stems from his unbridled curiosity and obsession. Frankenstein’s curiosity was first aroused as a child after he read a volume of the works of Cornelius Agrippa (Shelley 39; ch. 2). When Frankenstein’s father explains to him why he shouldn’t continue to waste his time on the reading the book, Frankenstein instead defies his father’s wishes and continues to “read with the greatest avidity” (Shelley 40; ch.
He tells him ‘do your duty towards me and I will do mine towards you,’ and if Frankenstein refused, he threatened him by saying he would ‘glut the maw of death’. This shows how the Creature’s abandonment and lack of nurture leads him to become a murderer. Further proof of this is when, during the Creature’s tale he tell Frankenstein ‘I could not conceive how one man could go fourth and murder his fellow’ showing that he was ‘benevolent and good’ and had Frankenstein full filled his duty he may have remained so. The Creature admits to Frankenstein ‘misery made me a fiend’ implying that Frankenstein’s actions, or lack of action, lead to this misery. Primarily it is not Frankenstein who has to suffer the consequences of his creating life, it is the Creature.
While in the process of creating the monster, Frankenstein is both completely obsessed with his project, and, does not consider the consequences before it is alive. As soon as he becomes “capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter,” (53) Frankenstein explains how it “was the most gratifying consummation… to arrive at the summit of [his] desires” (53). Immediately, he begins work, and “[seemed] to have lost all [of his] soul or sensation but for this one pursuit” (55). Frankenstein “could not tear [his] thoughts from [his] employment” (56) and “pursued [his] undertaking with remitting ardor” (55). Even though Frankenstein feels that his “human nature [did] turn with loathing from [his] occupation” (55) as he is creating the being, he continues on with an “unnatural stimulus” (55).
Through the actions committed in the play, Victor Frankenstein becomes one of the most monstrous characters in the story. The first steps to becoming a monster take place in the very beginning of the story, and Victor complete isolates himself from society and alienates his family. Victor does this more than once in the novel, once when creating the first creature then again when attempting to create