If someone were to ask people who Frankenstein is they would probably describe a tall, hideous monster with bolts sticking out of its neck. But long before movies reinvented their version of the monster, there was a novel by Mary Shelley entitled Frankenstein. In her novel, the monster is shown as child-like and uneducated. But what really makes someone a monster? Who is the true monster of Mary Shelley’s novel? Victor and the Creature present similarities and differences in their action and character throughout the novel. Though the Creature disgusts the townspeople and they are afraid of him, it is Victor who is the true monster of the novel. He possesses many of the characteristics that define what a monster is. Victor Frankenstein created …show more content…
The vivid similarities between the two tragic characters are driven by their isolation from the secluded world, which refuses to accept those who are different into society, by hatred, and most importantly by the absence of motherly figures in both Victor’s and the Creature’s lives. As Victor had stated, “I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.” (Shelley 40) as he described that he lost all touch with the world due to his work. Both figures seem to strongly despise one another yet strangely enough, they both also despise themselves for their wrong and disastrous actions. Family ties and vengefulness are truly one of the most significant aspects affecting the resemblance of both Victor and the Creature. At a young age, Victor was left without his mother after her death and as a result, he never got to experience the true feelings of a mother’s warm touch and love. “She died calmly...it is so long before the mind can persuade itself that she whom we saw every day and whose every existence appeared a part of our own can have departed forever and the sound of a voice so familiar and dear to the ear can be hushed, never more to be heard.” (Shelley, 29) Just like Victor, in his own time, the Creature never got to experience not only the love of a mother but the love of a father as well. These driven characters thrive for the same goals, feed of similar pain, and feel the same …show more content…
The confrontation between the two demonstrates Victor 's weaknesses as an individual. Although Victor is the Creature 's creator, he refers to his creation as an "abhorred monster" (Shelley 68) and is willing to "extinguish the spark which he so negligently bestowed" (Shelley 68) upon him. This demonstrates Victor 's lack of responsibility. His goal was to create life, essentially to play God. Once the monster began to murder those dearest to Victor, he failed to take responsibility for the creature 's actions. Another weakness in Victor 's character is revealed through the dialogue exchanged between creator and creation. Instead of calmly trying to reason with the Creature, Victor lashes back at the Creature. He even suggests that the two "try their strength in a fight in which one must fall." (Shelley 69) The monster, however, maturely and eloquently urges Victor 's "compassion to be moved" (Shelley69). Because Victor is full of "rage and horror" he wants to destroy his own creation even though victor is playing god in recreation of humanity. They both are to blame due to the fact that Victor created the creature as well as the signs of irresponsibility between the two for the Creature killing people and for Victor trying to recreate
Since the original novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, to the multiple movie adaptations, the monster is almost always predicted as the monster of the story. It may be his physical appearance, from his tall, broad frame, to the signature screws in his neck. It may also be his unnatural upbringing and interpreted evil characteristics. We have grown to fear the monster, which ultimately, has masked the true monster, Dr. Frankenstein. With each coming movie, the good side of the monster is brought to light, while the real monster shows his true colors.
In Frankenstein is shown, in a straight way, who the real monster is. Frankenstein ambitious to be recognized and playing god made him look like a life player, the real monster of the story. It is true his creation did terrible things and assassinated a little girl, but it was not on purpose.
I had the opportunity to read Frankenstein by Mary Shelley several years ago and it became one of my favorite books. My initial feeling was sorrow, what a wonderful story that has been slowly destroyed by Hollywood through the years. We think of Victor Frankenstein as a mad scientist trying to destroy mankind, and the monster having bolts in his neck with very little intellect. Mary Shelley’s book is completely different from the Hollywood version we are accustom to. The monster is intelligent and has emotions, the mad scientist or Victor was scared of his own creation due to his appearance. The monster initially showed no signs of evil in the novel, but where did he learn it from? Who is the real evil monster
What is a monster, really? Is it really a Creature that has three eyes instead of two, with pus seeping out of every crevice in his face and an abnormally large form? Or is it someone with a mind so corrupt it rivals that of Satan? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a story within a story that centers on the tale of a man with an immense thirst of knowledge and a fetish to imitate the Creator. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a lot like the Greek mythological tale of the Greek God, Prometheus, and his brother, Epimetheus, who were assigned the task of creating man. The story captivates the theme of monstrosity. Mary Shelley wrote the novel in a form so the reader’s opinions never stray far from sympathy for the monster and apathy for Victor Frankenstein. The novel looks at “Monstrosity” and “Humanity” in a deeply analytical way.
Victor is obsessed with the creation of life. “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. 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 disgust and horror filled my heart” (Shelley 43). Victor has spent almost two years of his life doing nothing but working on his creation of the creature. He even says that it was an obsession when he says that he desired it with a passion more than normal. This obsession led to Victor’s disappointment with what he had created. He was certain that he would love his creature and that it would be beautiful but once his dream came to life, he was severely disappointed. He says his heart was filled with hate and disgust. Victor wasn’t even able to stay and look at it so he rushed from the room and then obsessed over hating the creature. If Victor didn’t obsess over the creature as much as he did he wouldn’t have been so disappoin...
Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein, is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise. Throughout the novel, Shelley investigates the idea of monstrosity. She makes the point that a monster does not have to be genuinely evil in order to be considered monstrous.
A monster is usually viewed to be a supernatural creature that humans judge based on looks and not necessarily on personality. In the novel, Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, the monster is a creature Victor creates but abandons immediately because he is horrified by his own creation. Due to the monster’s appearance, society does not give the creature a chance to show his true self. Therefore, the monster faces an external conflict because of Frankenstein’s and society's rejection, making it difficult for him to blend into his new life. Victor creates the monster because of his unusual compulsion of aspiring to be like God. However, Victor does not know how to treat or be responsible for his creature. Victor Frankenstein is the true monster
The monster of the novel is often misattributed with the name, “Frankenstein.” However, Victor Frankenstein can ultimately be considered the true monster of this tale. His obsession would lead to the corruption of his soul and the creation of two monsters—one himself, and the other, the creature. In attempting to take on the role of God, nature would become a monster to Victor and destroy his life. These elements of monstrosity in Frankenstein drive the meaning of its story.
Despite popular belief, Frankenstein is not the name of the monster but instead its creator. Victor Frankenstein created the “tremendous and abhorred” (page 76) creature that is known as the Monster after he discovers how to give
In the beginning Victor creates the creature to decipher his identity and gain a sense of power within the family circle. He struggles for a flame of power that is masked by the enclosed "domestic circle" that he has been accustomed to. This is demonstrated by the passage "Such was our domestic circle, from which care and pain seemed for ever banished" (24); the circle bounded Victor in a safe and secure domain. His carefully structured and secure reality was enclosed in a reciprocal nature prohibiting Victor from exploring the sublime qualities of life. His personal identity became hidden and could not be separated fr...
Frankenstein is a well known story about a man that created a creature from hell. This book has been rewritten and told in many different ways with different endings. In the novel Frankenstein, the author Mary Shelley uses the creature to represent how being a social outcast changed a person’s character. In the novel Victor wanted to create something that would put him over the top and make his name well known. Victor felt like his idea would be able to bring back the dead. The creature with an unknown name is first brought into the society during the time that Victor was trying to be rebellious. Alphonse’s disapproval of victors studies caused him to want to do something for himself. Yet, as soon as he created it he found every way possible
My conclusion is that the creation is the real monster his only intention was to cause pain to others he was the one who murdered several people. You could argue that victor made his creation things he did by abandoning him but I think came to the conclusion that victor was not deliberately trying to hurt people. His actions were foolish and rationale but not monstrous , he was driven by fear not vengeance. The only monster in this story is victors creation.
Eight feet tall and also hideously ugly, the monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is rejected by society. However, his monstrosity results from his grotesque appearance and from the unnatural way he was created. Which involves a mix of stolen body parts which helped his rebirth of life. The creature is born like a newborn; despite his size, he knows nothing of the world or what his life be holds of him. The creature's mind is a "blank slate" and he only learns to be good or bad from his experiences. Therefore, he is not born good nor bad, but learns the bad behavior we see in the novel from Victor Frankenstein. The monster's creator Victor Frankenstein himself is a monster, as his ambition, and selfishness alienate him from human society.
In this case, Victor the main character didn’t think very hard about his future and this got him into very bad situations. He didn’t think how powerful knowledge can be and what it can do to others, unfortunately he didn’t just take himself down his loved ones went too. He wasn’t there for the creature, the creature didn’t have a parent, a role model to look up to, one of the most important figure in one’s life. Mary Shelley shows how a parenting mishap can lead to more than just a character's life. This also goes to show that anyone who does not want to take on the role of a parent shouldn't have a kid, or in Victor’s case create a monster just to neglect and judge it instantly based on its appearance. Just because something looks different doesn't mean that it should be judged and neglected without a second look, as many say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, same goes to humans. This book is great for showing literary elements, throughout the story the elements of isolation are shown greatly. Isolation is shown in both the creature and Victor himself. It is present in the creature when Victor abandons him and he is left to suffer on his own. But then the same theme is prevalent when the monster comes back for Victor on his wedding night, Victor tries to hide but the monster still finds him. Isolation was also shown when Victor was creating the
In Mary Shelley 's timeless novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein refers to his creation as an abhorrent "monster". However, throughout relating his tale to Captain Walton, Frankenstein shows that he is the true monster. While "the monster" is overcome with a desire for revenge and a feeling of hatred towards man only after he is treated like a monster, Victor acts heartlessly while putting himself before anyone else, the true definition of a monster. Throughout the novel, Frankenstein demonstrates his selfish nature; his creation, on the other hand, shows selflessness and generosity even after being shunned by man. Shelley makes is very evident that although Frankenstein 's creation is referred to as "the monster", Victor Frankenstein is the real monster in Frankenstein.