Did you ever notice that human nature revolves around needs, desires, and wants? There are different types of needs, such as safety, social, basic needs. These desires and impulses gives us our survival and the ability to function in the environment we live in. Our subconscious mind is responsible for the decisions we make, and such impulses makes us commit actions we have no control of. In literature, we are able to understand and judge the character’s behavior more so than our own. We are able to see their impulsive nature and desires that must be satisfied in the end. The works of Mary Shelley are an excellent example of not only romanticism, but also the impulsive behavior depicted in human nature. Shelley has become such an influential …show more content…
Victor Frankenstein, a medical student spend two whole years trying to create a human out of body parts in his apartment while studying in Ingolstadt. Frankenstein focused his time and energy on his creation, isolating himself from his friends and family back home and he succeeded in making a human, albeit an abnormal human. Victor at seeing his Creation let his instincts take a hold of him which lead to his demise in the end. Victor flees the apartment in fear of the Creature, “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and … I escaped and rushed downstairs” (59). Due to his appearance, which is grotesque and ugly with scarring and yellowish skin, Frankenstein’s instinct is to flee from the Creature. Shelley characterizes Victor in a way that he acts on his impulses and not with rationality. As a result, Victor does not take the time to teach or talk to his creation. This action leads to his downfall as his loved one’s are killed by the Creature taking revenge on Victor for leaving him to fend for himself. Victor’s actions have consequences, hence why all his loved one’s are murdered because of his instinct to leave out of fear and safety. Shelley proves that our id demands immediate gratification of needs and thus, is in control of our actions. Similarly, the writer Brackett explains, “At times, Victor’s actions suggest that the id has overpowered him as, earlier in Chapter 23, he notes that he doesn’t know what happened . . . ‘I lost sensation, and chains and darkness were the only objects that pressed on me’ … Victor’s id, his subconscious desires, have overcome his ego, the more rational aspect of his character” (Brackett). Brackett notices the change in Victor’s character. This means that Shelley understands the way our attitudes change rapidly, sometimes for the
Victor's gradual descent towards the dark side of the human psyche is clearly portrayed through Shelley's writing. As stated in previous discussions, Victor's original motivation in pursuing a career in the science field was purely out of love for the world of science and a true passion for acquiring knowledge. However, as the novel continues, we witness his motives go from authentic to impure. As such, we delve into the dark side. His pursuit of knowledge and his creation of the monster are all on the purer or perhaps lighter side of the psyche. It isn't until he abandons him that we begin to see him cross over. His choices to abandon the creature, to let someone else to die for its crimes, to create it a companion only to kill her, to allow the ones he loved to die at its hand, and to still refuse to claim it in the end are all acts
From the very beginning, Victor show no care to his creation, in contrary he completely abandons the creature. Victor forsakes his duties to his creation which essentially fabricates the creature’s malice. Shelley presents a very contrast situation in Victor’s childhood in a previous chapter before the creature is alive. Victor addresses his childhood through the following
Shelley 94). Victor’s various thoughts of rage and hatred that had at first deprive him of utterance, but he recovers only to overwhelm the creature with words expressive of furious detestation and contempt, as he recalled creature’s misdoings to his loved ones. However, Victor pauses to “conceive,” to “feel,” and to “reason” with monster (M. Shelley 94). As Victor follows his creation, he notices the “air [to be full] of exultation” and “the rain” beginning “to descend,” showcasing Victor’s consent to change his view. (M. Shelley 98). Chapter 10 is exemplary of the Romantic Period where story becomes an allegory for real emotions and struggles. Victor’s
After bringing life to something seemingly horrible, Victor Frankenstein reveals his personality of avoidance and arrogance. Instead of facing the creature he created, he runs away from the problem. His motivations for the experiment vary, but there is one clear one that he even admits. "The world," he says, "was to me a secret which I desired to divine" (Shelley 18). Victor tells us that he's curious, and more importantly that he's always been this way. Victor has been raised in a very loving family. His father and mother were kind parents who loved all of their children, and even adopted some children. Victor, however, grows up a little indulged and perhaps because of this, he is selfish. He is stubborn and unyielding about many things. For
Many readers have sympathised with Frankenstein’s creation, the unnamed monster, because he is badly treated by most people who he comes across. Victor created the monster with dead body parts that he got though grave robbing once he got all of the parts it took him 2 years to build a body. Victor is very obsessed with his work because he would not let any one help him or see him his fiancée is very worried he might be doing something he would regret.
The human heart is simply forgiving and caring, except in the most extreme circumstances. Romanticism was a time of becoming "in tune with one's self as well as nature." (Rajan 3) They view simplistic happiness as the foundation of a happy life and Mary Shelley makes the reader feel as if the creature has been robbed of a chance of the experience while Victor has had it stripped away from him. This is the other subtle example of Romanticism in Frankenstein.
As a tragic hero, Victor’s tragedies begin with his overly obsessive thirst for knowledge. Throughout his life, Victor has always been looking for new things to learn in the areas of science and philosophy. He goes so far with his knowledge that he ends up creating a living creature. Victor has extremely high expectations for his creation but is highly disappointed with the outcome. He says, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 35). Frankenstein neglects the creature because of his horrifying looks, which spark the beginning of numerous conflicts and tragedies. At this point, the creature becomes a monster because of Victor’s neglect and irresponsibility. The monster is forced to learn to survive on his own, without anyone or anything to guide him along the way. Plus, the monster’s ugly looks cause society to turn against him, ad...
Victor avoids association with his family and many others during the time which he is developing the creature, and solely interacts with professors at his time at Ingolstadt. The theme of association with others goes hand in hand with the theme of isolation, as Victor seems to prefer keeping to himself. Many compare the creature to Victor and the way they are similar, but the creature longs to be apart of society, and to be loved by others, or by a family. The opposition is Victor’s inability to grasp a relationship with those who seek one with him, while the creature is kept from associating with anyone from the outside world due to the way he looks. Shelley ties together the theme of association with others to isolation, and family as many of the people Victor hides from is his family. The importance of associating or communicating with others for Victor is the less likely chance he will fall ill when isolated. Shelley provides many instances, which she places the importance of associating with others on both Victor and the
A very prideful man, Victor spent his time preparing to essentially play God and create life from death. Seeing the hideousness of his creation, Victor quickly flees the scene and abandons the creation. Allison Green goes to say, “Victor Frankenstein is fixated on the boundaries between life and death, and death and life,” (Green). Upon hearing the monster’s story, Frankenstein is immediately compelled to strike down the monster and undo his work. “Begone vile beast!” (85). Despite his actions, Victor’s heart is in the right place when he plans to destroy his hideous creation. Anna Clark states, “Victor is a singular character inwardly focused on his own flaws.” (Clark). Perhaps it is this inward focus that prevents him from taking decisive
Victor had created the creature with the vision from his dreams of a strong, tall perfect being with no flaws. His years of study with the unnatural and science had come to this final conclusion and masterful idea that he was determined to finish. To his surprise, he had created the opposite, “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” (Shelley 35) Victor is saddened by what he thinks of as a failure. He leaves his own apartment to go sleep in his court yard outside following his creation. He begins to isolate himself from the creature because of his fear of the creature’s outward appearance. He loses all hope for the creature without even learning anything about him. The fact that Shelley begins to refer to the being that Victor created as a “creature” shows Victor’s ignorance and lack of acceptance. It is Victor’s prejudice that blinds him of the creature’s true potential due to the unwanted preconception that follows the creature as he finds meaning in
... his ego has brought him, and he is aware that everything that had happened was ultimately his fault. Shelley then claims that due to his mistakes, Victor has been “Chained in an eternal hell” (194). Shelley shows the reality of Victor’s destruction by placing him in an everlasting nightmare, hell. Victor’s ambitions caused everyone around him to be miserable.
Victor Frankenstein's determination to constitute a race causes him to create a deformed creature, which he immediately rejects. In the first place, Victor, who is strong willed, spends both night and day working on his creation, his initial concern is to create a race in which he may be their leader. He also uses parts that are bigger in size so that he may finish faster. When he finishes his reaction is completely different from what he had expected. For instance, when he is done with his creation he becomes so appalled by its appearance that he "rushed out of the room" (42). When Victor awakens the next morning he finds the creature at his bedside and at that moment he leaves. When he returns he finds an empty house with no creature in sight, which brings him a feeling of relief. Victor describes the creature as a "demonical corpse" (43) to which he has given life. Furthermore, Victor, sometime later, sees the creature at a distance and never once decides to approach it. Instead Victor always rushes in the opposing direction. For example, while Victor is on his journey home he crosses the lake to Plainpalais and sees...
The contrasting behavior between the innocent creature and the educated Victor show that human behavior is influenced by society. After studying at a college called Ingolstadt, Victor Frankenstein sets out to create life out of inanimate objects. It was on a dark and gloomy night that the creature became alive. Upon seeing the animate creature, Victor remarked, “these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his[the creature] watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips”(42). The use of the words “horrid” and “dun-white sockets’ highlight the fact that Frankenstein hates his creation just because of the way the creature looks.
After Frankenstein discovered the source of human life, he became wholly absorbed in his experimental creation of a human being. Victor's unlimited ambition, his desire to succeed in his efforts to create life, led him to find devastation and misery. "...now that I have finished, the beauty of the dream had vanished..." (Shelley 51). Victor's ambition blinded him to see the real dangers of his project. This is because ambition is like a madness, which blinds one self to see the dangers of his actions. The monster after realizing what a horror he was demanded that victor create him a partner. "I now also began to collect the materials necessary for my new creation, and this was like torture..." (Shelley 169). Victor's raw ambition, his search for glory, has left him. His eyes have been opened to see his horrible actions, and what have and could become of his creations. As a result, Victor has realized that he is creating a monster, which could lead to the downfall of mankind. His choice is simple, save his own life or save man.
Through the theme of birth and creation, Shelley criticises Victor not only for creating the new being, but also for abandoning it when it comes to life. Victor first wishes to create the being because he thinks: