Examples Of Ambiguity In Frankenstein

Often, things are not always what they seem. In Mary Shelley’s morally questionable novel, Frankenstein, Shelley employs ambiguity in its characters thoughts and actions, allowing the reader to overlook many socially and ethically problematic situations that might otherwise provoke concern. Victor Frankenstein’s creation is morally ambiguous, as seen through conflicting sides of the monster’s character: one of innocent sincerity and one of confused violence. Together, these conflicting sides portray Victor’s creation as morally ambiguous.

From the moment Victor brought his creation to life, the creation’s life has been one of rejection and exile, not only from villagers, but also from his creator. Understanding of Frankenstein’s first experiences,

abundant in rejection and exile, serves as an explanation for questionable decisions made by the creature. The monster is forced to learn things like how to speak, write, and read, without help from anyone.

Once the creature finally meets his maker, Victor, he uses his new skills to express his troubles to Victor, commenting, “Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, they creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us.” (Shelley 970) This comment, among others, shows the relationship between the Created and the Creator. Victor, the creator, is disgusted and ashamed of the Created, the creature, whom is sad and isolated from society. Their relationship is a crucial motivator for the creatures many controversial actions. For example, once the monster meets William in the woods and learns of his relation to Victor Frankenstein, the creature kills William through strangling. Upon first reading, the audience may view the murder as morally wrong, but the way in which Shelley displays the situation, the farther in the book the reader gets, the more leniency is given to the creature. As more knowledge is given of the monster’s sad life, the greater the audience sympathizes with the monster, thus taking away from the initial effect Williams murder had. When the creature kills again, Shelley ensures that the audience is provided with

sufficient background for the monster’s actions. Shelley went as far to show Victor’s pity for the creature, professing, “For the first time also, I felt what the duties of a creator towards his creature were, and that I ought to render him happy before I complained of his wickedness.” (Shelley 99) It was clear that Shelley strategically places a few statements about Victor’s pity towards the creature to alleviate the majority of hatred and disgust throughout the novel. In a way, the mood is lightened slightly by the creature’s moral ambiguity.
Also, moral ambiguity allows the reader to enjoy the plot without any obligations. Often, while reading a novel, readers are more likely to side with the author’s opinions, and therefore be under no real moral or social obligations or indignation or humanity.