Examples Of Benevolent In Frankenstein

“I was benevolent and good; misery made me fiend” How far and in what ways is the creature a victim of Frankensteins thirst for knowledge?

Throughout the creatures perspective, the creature assures the reader that he was not made evil, that it was his abandonment and the mistreatment upon him which caused the his monstrous acts. As the creature states, “I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend” showing that overall it was effects of both the society in which he lived and Victor’s abandonment which caused the monster to become a “fiend” and killing Victors brother and wife.

The first way in which the society both victor and the monster live in is shown to hold appearance to high regard thus causing the creature to become ostracised

is through Elizabeths letters to Victor in which she places extravagant emphasis on the looks of minor characters, including “her ugly sister” and repeatedly calling others “pretty”.The society the creature is attempting to joins emphasis on looks, entirely unachievable to the creature, further shown by the fact that this was the main reason Elizabeth herself was adopted into Victor’s family and saved from a life of poverty, as she is often referred to as Victor’s “pretty present”.

The idea that it is not just Victor, but Victors ego which has caused the ultimate suffering of the creature and thus turned him into a fiend, is also prevalent throughout the book, which many believe to be a sign that ambition is not always the best.

as Victor states “I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation.” holding no thought to how or why he should chose to embark on such an endeavour. This blind ambition is not only how the situation of a creature created “benevolent and good” became a “fiend” but also to Victors ‘brain fever’ that left him bedridden throughout the time he should’ve been raising his creation. This blind ambition is not only shown through Victor as he states “From my infancy I was imbued with high hopes and a lofty ambition.” but the ambition also embodies a human form in Walton, who states that he wishes to be of the same regard as many great minds, stating “I imagined that I also might obtain a niche in the temple where the names of Homer and Shakespeare are consecrated” and yet the very ending of the book in which Victor dies as alone as his creation in the arctic circle, after his family and wife being murdered, shows the dangers of ambition

completely.

The ways in the creature is shown to be a victim not of his creation but of his abandonment are shown by the creature throughout his narrative, in which it becomes apparent his need for Victor, not only as a friend, but as a compassionate creature able to teach him the ways of the world he has been thrust into. This is shown through his childlike wonder at the world around him, as the creature states “Soon a gentle light stole over the heavens and gave me a sensation of pleasure” unable to call this the sun, as he has not been taught the word as he would have been had he had a responsible and compassionate creator. This childish wonder is swiftly shattered as the creature encounters people who “the children shrieked and one of the women fainted” reinforcing the creatures solitude and bewilderment.

Overall I would say that although it is not simply Victors thirst for knowledge that causes the creature to suffer once he has been created, it is Victor who created the creature, thus allowing any subsequential suffering to take place. As the creature said, I was benevolent and good misery made me a fiend” following the philosophy of Jean Jacques Rosseau whereby it is believed that people come into the world a clean slate, knowing only self preservation and compassion, and it is outside influences throughout life which change this.