Dramatic Foils In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Frankenstein Report

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley was written for more than just a ghostly scare. In Frankenstein, Shelley’s characters show similarities and relationships throughout the play. Shelly created characters and purposely used some of them for dramatic foils. The main question that has arisen over the years is who is the protagonist? Is the protagonist Victor or his creature?

One quality that Victor and his creature share is intelligence. Victor is an intellectual individual who excels in science and technology. Victor had the knowledge to create a new version of mankind. This kind of knowledge is not a quality that many people have. Victor takes advantage of his knowledge and discovers a whole new part of science. When Victor started this experiment, he never thought of the consequences it could have. The creature displays his intelligence by learning how to communicate with people just by watching cottagers from afar. The creature had enough self-discipline and perseverance to learn multiple languages. This is not like speaking English and learning to speak Spanish with help. The creature learned his first words and had to figure out how they were used and what they stood for all on his own. He did not have anyone to discuss his findings or his questions with. Victor and the creature’s intelligence are way beyond the

average person.
As the chapter numbers increase, the reader continues to see how Victor and his creature resemble each other. Similarly, both of these characters have faced isolation, though for different reasons. Victor stayed away from people, while the creature wanted to be with people. Victor isolated himself because he was obsessed with creating the creature, finding the creature, and living with what the creature did. Then he isolated himself when he started creating his second creature. The creature was isolated because everyone saw him only for his physical attributes, and they were scared of him. Victor chose to be isolated while the creature did not.
These two characters also show another thing they have in common. Both Victor and the creature want revenge on one another. Victor wants to get back at the creature because he killed his closest friend and some of his family members. Victor wants the creature to pay for what he did. This is why Victor decides not to do the favor of creating a companion for the creature.
The creature wants revenge on Victor for multiple reasons. One reason is because Victor created him, but made him ugly. Another reason is because Victor abandoned him when the creature needed him the most. The last reason the creature wants revenge is because Victor did not create a companion for the creature. The creature has gotten some revenge on Victor by murdering his family and Henry, but the creature does not feel satisfied.
As stated above, a reader can see how Victor and the creature grow more similar. For example, both of these men isolate themselves when they get sick or depressed. These men get mad easily and expect big things out of themselves. This does not mean that Victor and the creature like each other. Usually opposites attract, and in this case they are far from opposites.
Victor and the creature’s relationship develops and changes throughout the chapters of this novel. While Victor saw the creature as a nuisance at first, he grew to discover that the creature just wanted companionship. Victor tried to give the creature a chance, but once he killed Henry Clerval, Victor gave up. He got mad at the creature and stopped creating a companion for the creature. Once again, the creature got mad and killed another one of Victor’s loves, Elizabeth. Victor and the creatures relationship was kind of like a rollercoaster; they had highs and lows, but mostly lows.
Victor was born into a family who loved him, while the creature was not. The creature desired a family but never got the chance to have one. As a child, Victor was his parents’ muse. Victor was really close to his family until he chose to distance himself and go to college for science. Victor considered science as a greater importance than his own family. After his brother's death, Victor came home but his family relationship was not the same. He was worried about what the creature did and where he was. He did not focus on Elizabeth’s depression or his father at all. Victor was going to start a new family, but the creature killed his wife before he got the chance to.
The creature wanted a family so bad, he asked Victor to make him a companion. If the creature had a chance like Victor had with his family, he would have never left them. The creature did not have a great first attempt to get a family. He tried to get close to “his father” Victor, but he didn’t have any luck. Then he watched some cottagers from afar and he learned many things from them. The one thing he stil did not receive was a family. The creature wanted to be a part of something and be able to communicate with someone so bad, but nobody would give him a chance.
The relationship with nature and the characters in Frankenstein are present throughout this novel.

In Frankenstein, nature has a way of rejuvenating the characters and helping them in their daily lives. Nature helps Victor by restoring him to health after he created the creature and lost him and when he lost his loved ones. The creature saw nature as his safe haven. Nature made the creature feel safe, and in the novel he tells Victor that the beauty of nature is one of the only things that had made him happy. Throughout this novel, nature made the creature feel not as lonely, and nature made it more bearable to be on his

own.
Over the years, a controversial question has come up. Is Victor the protagonist or is his creature? Though it may seem controversial to some people, evidence shows that Victor Frankenstein is the protagonist throughout the story. Victor is the person who gave the creature life. Victor was the creature's creator, and he is responsible for every part of the monster and his actions. All the things that the monster faces is because of Victor. Without Victor, the creature would have never existed, therefore he would have never done the things he did without the help of Victor Frankenstein.
Some opposing viewpoints might compare the layout of Frankenstein to Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights. Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights are both told in frame story formats. In Wuthering Heights, Nelly Dean is the narrator for some of the story. There are also diary entries and perspectives from other characters. Even though Nelly Dean is the main narrator for most of the story, she is not the protagonist. Some people will argue this point. They will say that even though Victor tells most of the story, this story is about the creature and not Victor. They will compare Victor to Nelly Dean, and say he is just an outside narrator telling the story for the creature. This is false, all of the problems throughout this novel stem from Victor Frankenstein. Yes, the creature faced challenges, but all of these challenges that the creature faced came back on Victor.
Provided by the information above, the novel Frankenstein brings more than just a Halloween aspect. Frankenstein was not written for kids to think that Frankenstein was the monster and dress up as him for Halloween. Instead, while reading Frankenstein, one should see the true lesson. This lesson in Frankenstein shows the reader what could happen if temptation and the drive of discovery get the best of someone. Yes, it could be a warning for scientific creations and advancements, but it also warns the reader about creating life. Shelley shows the reader that challenging God is not a good idea. This theory is shown when the creature kills Victor’s love of his life. Throughout this novel, she shows the reader that God should be the only creator because He knows what He is doing. If the reader gets that out of the book, then they would have learned that it is more than just a costume idea for Halloween.