Examples Of Injustice In Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein written in 1817, and published in 1818. Almost 200 years later the novel is still being printed and sold around the world. The novel is due to its science fiction and horror themes, as well as its great messages about inner beauty. Frankenstein also includes the theme of injustice, which effects almost all of the characters. The injustice in the novel is mainly felt by the two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and his Monster. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the theme of injustice is the direct cause of the sympathy that readers’ feel towards Frankenstein and his Monster.

Initially, Frankenstein’s injustice towards his creation causes readers’ to have sympathy for The Monster. The first instance where Victor shows

this injustice is when he first animates his creation he said, “The beauty of the dream vanished, the breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room” (5). Frankenstein spends years of his life selecting the materials for his creation, however once he brings his creation to life he is disgusted by it. Victor shows injustice towards his creation because he abandons it within minutes of its animation. This causes the readers’ to have sympathy towards The Monster because he has done nothing wrong, he does not deserve this treatment from his creator. Frankenstein shows injustice once again when he says, “I thought with a sensation of madness on my promise of creating another like to him, and trembling with passion, tore to pieces the thing on which I was engaged. The wretch saw me destroy the creature on whose future existence he depended for happiness, and with a howl of devilish despair and revenge, withdrew.” (20).Victor denies his creation a companion. This is an injustice because Victor brought the monster into a world that does not accept him. This causes the readers’ to sympathize with The Monster because Victor denies his creation the only thing that can bring him happiness. This causes pain for the monster because he depended on a female creature for future happiness. Readers’ have sympathy for The Monster because of the injustice he experiences from Victor.
Furthermore, injustice towards the members of Victor’s family causes the readers to have sympathy towards Victor.

The readers’ sympathy is evoked towards Victor when The Monster murders a member of Victor’s family. The Monster murdered Victor’s youngest brother William, right before The Monster committed this act of injustice he said, “Frankenstein! You belong then to my enemy to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.’ “The child struggled and loaded me with epithets which carried despair to my heart; I grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet” (16). The monster murdering Victor’s younger brother William. This is an example of injustice because William is just an innocent child who has committed no offence towards the monster. This act of injustice causes readers’ have sympathy for Victor because his own creation killed his brother, this causes Victor to blame himself for his brother’s death. Additionally, Frankenstein is unjust towards Justine when he says, “I was firmly convinced in my own mind that Justine, and indeed every human being, was guiltless of this murder. I had no fear, therefore, that any circumstantial evidence could be brought forward to in convict her. My tale was not one to announce publicly; its astounding horror would be looked upon as madness by the vulgar” (7). Victor Frankenstein knows that Justine is not the person who killed William, yet he does not say this at the trial. This is an act of injustice towards Justine because Victor new the true killer but because he did not want to be thought of as a madman he did not speak at the trial, which resulted in Justine being convicted and executed. Victor must now deal with the anguish of believing that he is responsible for the death of both William and Justine. This causes readers to sympathise with Victor because he feel as though he is responsible for injustice towards Justine and William when The Monster is truly

responsible.
Moreover, The Monster is judged to quickly by people which is an injustice, this evokes sympathy from the readers’ towards the monster. In the beginning of the book The Monster is full of good intentions. The Monster even saves a drowning woman, but when he is seen carrying the woman he is shot, he responds to this injustice by saying, “This is then the reward of my benevolence! I had saved a human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now withed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone…. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” (16). This evokes sympathy from the readers towards The Monster because he only had the best of intentions and was treated with the injustice of being shot for his kind act. Frankenstein becomes angry with humanity because all he offers is good intentions and all he receives is injustice so he says, “if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear” (17). The monster wants to be loves he does not wish to harm people, but he is never given a chance, people judge him too quickly. The monster is outraged by this quick judgement and decides to take action. He wants people to love him but they instead fear him, so he will purposely invoke fear. The readers’ are able to have a connection with The Monster, they feel his frustration and sympathize with him. The injustice towards The Monster causes the readers’ to connect and sympathize him.
Readers’ sympathize with Victor Frankenstein and The Monster because of the injustice that they both experience. Victor experiences the injustice of his family being murdered by his own creation, which causes him to blame himself. The Monster is treated with injustice when he is abandoned by his creator and denied the only thing that can bring him happiness. People treat The Monster with injustice when he is trying to do things with good intentions and people respond by beating him and shooting at him. The injustice of alienation, murder, and abandonment experienced by Victor and The Monster helps to create a deep connection between the characters and the reader.