Frankenstein Nature Of Man Quotes

It is hard to describe the true nature of man, until you look through the lens and ultimately see their inner intentions reveal only altruistic behavior. All the actions of man reflect their sole purpose of selfish desires and having full knowledge of the harm they are causing. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor decides to go beyond all boundaries of life and create something from the dead. He becomes all too obsessed with alchemy and human anatomy, that he takes his dark and twisted desires and creates a creature of whom he begins to refer to as a wretch and monster. Victor does all this with no intention of getting to know who the true person behind the ugly yellow skin is. By looking at Victor’s cruel actions and careless

thoughts, it is evident that he resembles the true monster, thus revealing that mankind is inherently selfish.
Victor has a thirst for knowledge as he becomes obsessed with alchemy and the human anatomy. The more knowledge that Victor grasps, the more his power starts to overtake his actions, which essentially leads to his fixation with playing God. Victor spends countless hours studying and feeding into his obsession as he writes, “I became acquainted with the science of anatomy: but this was not sufficient; I must also also observe the natural decay and corruption of the human body” (Shelley 30). Victor takes everything to the next level, whether it is going against the natural order of it or not. He realizes that his initial knowledge of science and the human anatomy is not enough for him, so he begins to create the monster from dead limbs.
Knowledge can overtake someone as they start to lose the initial intention of why they starting learning in the first place.

Victor’s thirst for knowledge was nowhere near the end. He deprived himself of everything normal in life because he was locked in a room creating something he did not even know was going to be the most undesirable creature. As the monster’s limbs and fingers started to have a wretched twitch, Victor reacts by saying, “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavoured to form?...I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. (Shelley 35). Victor becomes so overtaken by his creation and all his power he has obtained. He is so disturbed and shocked by the fact that he has created something from the dead. Victor is frightened by the ugliness and unknown actions the monster will make, so he selfishly runs and leaves the monster to fend for

himself.
As the monster is alone in the dark, demented room of creation Victor left him in, he becomes curious with life outside the room and searches for his own knowledge.

The monster searches endlessly to find Victor because he is so furious that he left him alone just after one look at him. Victor gets a call from his father saying William, his brother, had been killed. Victor instantly knew it was the monster who was responsible for the murder of his brother, yet stood in silence about it. Justine was executed for the murder of William, even though she was innocent. Victor was more concerned about being labeled crazy by his family and friends that continued to sit in silence and let Justine be killed for the murder she did not commit. Victor thinks to himself about the consequences of his own for coming forward about the monster when he writes, “I well knew that if any other had communicated such a relation to me, I should have looked upon it as the ravings of insanity. Besides, the strange nature of the animal relatives to commence it. And then of what use would be pursuit? Who could arrest a creature capable of scaling the overhanging sides of Mont Saleve? These reflections determined me, and I resolved silent” (Shelley 51). Victor had the chance the help her and let go of his selfishness, yet he only ran from his problems he created in the first place. He revealed the true nature of man, undeniable

selfishness.
Victor searches endlessly to find the monster and get his pay back he deserves for killing William and Justine. Although, the monster knows that it is not his fault for killing Justine, and he killed William, so that Victor would feel the pain he did when Victor left him alone. The monster demanded that Victor creates a companion for him to live life when he says, “You must create a female for me, with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do; and I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede…” (Shelley …). The monster only wanted a companion in life so that he could have someone to relate to. It would allow him to feel less of an outsider, and be able to actually have someone look at him without squealing. Victor response was nothing short of selfish as he says, “I do refuse it," I replied; and no torture shall ever extort a consent from me. You may render me the most miserable of men, but you shall never make me base in my own eyes. Shall I create another like yourself, whose joint wickedness might desolate the world” (Shelley…). Victor viciously refuses the monster’s one request he asks of him because he wants to protect himself of the dangers of another roaming monster in the world. After the monster becomes so enraged by the decision that Victor makes to destroy the start of his new creation of a companion, he sets out on a vengence.
Revenge can overtake an individual as they become completely consumed in the end to their enemy, and thus can lead to their own demise. Due to Victor’s rage and selfish actions to destroy the monster’s one person in life who could have related to him, the monster sets out to find Victor. The monster finds Henry Clerval, Victor’s friend, and kills him to hurt Victor even more for all the hurt that Victor caused the monster. Victor becomes enraged with the monster’s decision to murder his friend and sets out to find the monster. Victor wanted to erase his creation to end living in fear of what was going to happen next. Victor only revealed his true self interest and no genuine remorse for his actions. Once the monster has acknowledgment that there’s no connection between them and he pushed the monster so far away from him that it began both of their consumption of revenge for each other. The monster says “You my creator, would tear me to pieces, and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me? You would not call it murder”(Shelley...), thus showing that Victor does not care if the monster was dead or alive. Frankenstein was not willing to give the creature any piece of happiness at all, which pushes the monster over the edge and ends Victor’s life at once.
By looking at Victor’s brutal actions and repulsive thoughts, it is evident that he resembles the true monster, thus revealing that mankind is inherently selfish. Victor resembled the idea that mankind is innately egocentric when it comes to our own lives, thus revealing that he was the true monster in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Mankind has a history in putting themselves in front of others because they make decisions based on their own self interest. Victor resembled the true monster as he only displayed selfish, inhumane, and careless qualities and actions. He continuously ran from his problems rather than facing them head on. He caused problems for others around him due to the fact that he kept his own best interest over other’s safety and happiness.