Creator In Frankenstein Essay

Kyra Echevarria

October 16, 2017

HON204

Paper 2

Creature v. Creator

The word “creator” stood out in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818). It appears a total of nineteen times in the whole of the novel. This word is significant because it describes not only Victor, but also his creation.

A creator is defined as, “a person who or thing which creates or brings something into existence.” It is usually in reference to a God or higher being. This word is still moderately common in its use today. (OED) The first appearance of this definition of the word was in 1548 by Robert Crowley in the work, Confut. Mishapen Aunswer, in the sentence: “A priest is hier then kinges, more happy then angels, and the creatoure of his creatoure.” Relating Frankenstein to this use of the word would make the creature the creator, however every time the word “creator” is used in Frankenstein, it is referring to Victor.

The first use of this word in Frankenstein is by Victor, claiming he wants to be a creator, a father to a new species. Afterwards, this word is mostly used by the creature when referring to Victor as, “my creator.” The majority of the time, the creature is speaking of the hatred that Victor has for him, using other words such as,

“detest,” “abhor,” “cursed,” “hideous,” “disgust.” Once Victor had finally become a “creator,” something he had been working toward for a long period of time, he wanted nothing to do with his creation. In creating this life form, he had also destroyed the lives of his family and friends, and ultimately of himself. Victor understands that what he had done was out of selfishness once he began to see and feel the consequences. The creature also calls Victor his creator as a way to guilt him into making a female companion, being that Victor is the closest thing he has to a relationship. Victor agrees but ultimately decides against it being that he no longer wants to be the creator of beings that could produce as much terror as the first. By calling Victor, “my creator,” the creature produces a sense of intimacy, the same way a religious person would feel toward his/her God.
Looking at the example from the Oxford English Dictionary, Robert Crowley’s use in this sentence: “A priest is hier then kinges, more happy then angels, and the creatoure of his creatoure…” makes it possible that the creature is actually the creator.

Victor Frankenstein had become what he did by the end of the novel because of this creature, in a sense making the creature his creator. The creature is the cause of Victor’s distress and negative emotions, reciprocating what Victor had done to him. Victor was so horrified by what he had made that he couldn’t look at the creature; he did not even give it a name. The way Victor treats his creation is extremely poor and unfair to the creature who, after some time in the world, regrets being given

life.
In theory, a creator should be stronger, more powerful than his creation, however that is not the case in Frankenstein. The creature holds many characteristics that make him stronger than Victor. He can withstand extreme weather conditions, as well as gunshot wounds, and still end up perfectly fine, as much as he can be, afterward. The creature, in my opinion, has a higher sense of morality than Victor, but that is tainted when he is treated as poorly as he is. For example, the creature saves a girl from drowning, and does not cause any harm until someone has wronged him, that someone being Victor. The creature then uses his power to harm Victor, but again this is only after he feels the need to.
Both Victor and the creature felt the need to seek some kind of revenge on each other, thus creating a hostile way of life, let alone environment. The creature does everything in its power to make Victor miserable after Victor refuses to do anything that would make it happy. Victor then spends years hunting for the creature, trying to destroy it for all the harm it has brought to him, his family, and his friends, creating a cycle of misery and torment. This cycle can only be broken when one of the two reaches his demise, which ultimately is Victor. The creature claims he will go off to commit suicide, however there is no clear indication by the end of the novel if he has done so.
In conclusion, the word “creator” holds a significance over the whole text of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. While it not only describes Victor, the literal creator in the novel, it also describes his creation.

Word count: 789