Frankenstein And Victor's Relationship Essay

Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’ explores the relationship between creator and being in a very complex manner and allows the reader to delve deep into the psyche of the purpose of their individual journeys. Victor deals with the problems he encounters in his life by fleeing and seeking alternatives instead of confronting them. His avoidance creates further problems once the Creature he created begins to seek him out. The Creature on the other hand is left with nothing; he has to seek understanding and solace by himself. They each have a need to fulfill something inside of them that is constantly fleeting, an acceptance that cannot be found in others. They give themselves to their passions without much contemplation or thoughts of consequence.

Their individual drive in opposite directions creates a whirlwind in their lives that they can’t escape from.

Victor and the Creature handle people and society differently, Victor avoids society while the Creature desperately looks for a way to fit in.

Victor isolates himself from society in a need to fulfill a desire to have complete control, even over life. This becomes most apparent when he goes to school and cuts himself off from people, including family, and further envelops himself into his studies which becomes his “sole occupation.” (29) When Victor’s mother dies it creates a void within Victor, his mother was the closest relationship he had as a boy. Her death causes Victor to feel a deep despair as he presents when he says “I need not describe the feelings of those whose dearest ties are rent by that most irreparable evil, the void that presents itself to the soul, and the despair that is exhibited on the countenance.” (24) This void spurs his obsessive need to create the perfect human and cure death, resulting in the Creature. In contrast the Creature has a need to be included in society and feels a need to be part of something. The Creature is abandoned from the very beginning of his life, he is forced into complete isolation and spends his life searching for companionship. In his desperation for a connection the Creature hides away in a family’s home to teach himself to be articulate and social, in hopes that when he finds his “father,” Victor he can converse with him, explain his emotions, and have a relationship with him. Both Victor and the Creature lack real connection in their lives, Victor’s solitude was a choice while the Creature’s was forced upon him at

birth.

Both Victor and the Creature succumb to their instincts and emotions in everything they do. Victor gives into his emotions when his mother dies. He is so distraught by the loss he has suffered, he engulfs himself in his work to cure death. He does not stop to think what a cure to death might look like, nor does he think about the responsibilities of creating a human life when completing his project. Victor is solely thinking about a solution to what he has just gone through with his mother’s death. He also gives into his primal instincts on the mountain when he first comes into contact with the Creature. Victor’s initial reaction to his fear was to attack the Creature, despite it being much larger and stronger than himself. The Creature, never having a mentor to teach him what is right and wrong, uses violence to gain Victor’s attention. The two basic human and animal instincts are fight or flight and since the Creature was not taught otherwise, that is all he knows. After Victor fails to meet the Creature’s demands of a companion, the Creature gives into his emotions and reverts back to that initial instinct of violence, following through on his threat to kill the people Victor cared for.

Victor and the Creature are extremely determined in their approaches. They both have an unwillingness to compromise with anyone, especially each other. Victor demonstrates this with his reluctance to finish creating the Creature’s companion. He knows the consequences of not following through with the Creature’s request but he is so disgusted by what having two creatures could become he cannot bring himself to complete the companion. The Creature follows through with his threat and Victor does not feel any responsibility for what happens after, despite having been able to avoid it. The Creature’s persistence to find companionship and a place in the world shows how determined he is in his approach. The Creature teaches himself to be articulate, and searches for Victor for years in hopes to be accepted. But, dissatisfied with how his search is going, the Creature murders to get Victor’s attention.

There is much to be said about an individual’s search for meaning. In the case of “Frankenstein,” Victor goes to ungodly lengths to manipulate that which cannot, or maybe should not be controlled. Loss is part of the journey, yet Victor’s inability to accept this forces him to use his will, a will that could have saved him, for ominous intentions. The Creature’s reaction to the world can be ascribed to how we as humans have to tread on through endless struggle in search for purpose in our lives. Sheer determination and perseverance is essential but only if placed toward a positive path. When the desire to fulfill something within us that isn’t birthed from a good intention, it can lead to catastrophic results. In the case of Victor and the Creature, Victor’s selfishness and the Creature’s lack of understanding lead to annihilation of everything they love, including themselves.