Frankenstein Personal Relationships

Frankenstein: The Affect of Anticipation on Personal Relationships

“Nothing is more painful to the human mind, than, after the feelings have been worked up by a quick succession of events, the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows, and deprives the soul both of hope and fear” (Shelley, 85). The anticipation of results or achievements can positively or negatively affect one’s personal relationship with another. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Robert Walton narrates to the reader the story of Victor Frankenstein and his creation. At first glance, the novel seems to only include the relationships of Victor Frankenstein and how the monster affects it negatively. However, as the plot continues, the reader experiences the relationships

of others and how all relationships, including Victor’s, connect to the theme of anticipation not only in a negative way but also positively as well. By examining Victor’s relationship with Robert Walton, Victor’s relationship with Elizabeth, the creature’s relationship with the De Laceys, and Victor’s relationship with the creature, it is clear that the anticipation of results or achievements negatively and positively affect personal relationships in Frankenstein.
Walton’s anticipation of achieving success positively affects his relationship with Victor.

In the novel, Walton aims to find a passage to the North Pole. However, Walton also longs for a friend on the ship. Walton achieves the latter when Victor surprisingly arrives on board the ship. If Walton had not gone on this adventure in the first place, he would not have met Victor. This proves that Walton’s personal relationship with Victor positively affects Walton because he is expecting to find a passage to the North Pole. After Victor reveals his story to Walton, he asks Walton to kill the creature upon seeing him. “Yet, when I am dead, if he should appear, if the ministers of vengeance should conduct him to you, swear that he shall not live” (Shelley, 216). This demonstrates the importance of Walton to Victor, giving Walton the friend he longs for. Victor tasks Walton with killing the creature. Moreover, at the end of the novel, the reader recognizes the importance of Victor’s story to Walton’s life. “Alas! yes; I cannot withstand their demands. I cannot lead them unwillingly to danger, and I must return” (Shelley, 224). This gives the reader a sense of what Walton learns from Victor’s story. In this scenario, Walton anticipates the crew members’ deaths and decides not to take the risk. This proves that Walton learns a lot from Victor’s story since he considers the dangers of pursuing his dream. In addition, he thinks about the lives of his crew members. Similarly, Victor is

placed in this situation however, unlike Walton, he is not thinking about the lives of his friends and family after abandoning his passion. Due to Victor telling Walton his story and Walton expecting to find a way to the North Pole, Victor unexpectedly saves Walton’s life, and also becomes friends with him positively affecting their relationship.
Unlike Victor unintentionally saving Walton’s life, he intentionally tries protecting Elizabeth. However, this negatively affects their personal relationship. Victor trying to anticipate the monster’s arrival leads to the death of Elizabeth Lavenza. After the creature’s suspenseful statement, “I will be with you on your wedding night” (Shelley, 194), Victor anticipates his arrival on the day of his wedding with his sister, Elizabeth Lavenza. “ I continued some time walking up and down the passages of the house and expecting every corner that might afford a retreat to my adversary” (Shelley, 201). While Victor is doing this, he hears a shriek come from the room that Elizabeth was in. When Victor sees the corpse of Elizabeth, he holds it in his arms. This passage proves that Victor’s anticipation of events led to the death of Elizabeth, therefore negatively affecting their relationship. Since, Victor was expecting the monster’s arrival, he carelessly left Elizabeth alone so that the monster can hurt her. Victor’s anticipation of the monster’s entrance negatively affects his personal relationship with Elizabeth Lavenza.
The creature not only ends the relationship that Victor had with Elizabeth, but he also ends his relationship with the De Laceys. The creature’s anticipation of meeting the cottagers negatively affects the personal relationship he has with them. Shelley shows this in the novel during the creation’s time in his hovel. The loving and caring aspects between the members of the De Lacey family convince the monster that they are good people and won’t mistreat him however; when he approaches them, he is immediately judged by his appearance. In addition to this, the creature becomes hurt physically but more emotionally as well, therefore breaking the personal relationship he had with the cottagers. “[O]vercome with pain and anguish, I quitted the cottage” (Shelley, 135). The monster’s relationship with the cottagers has now been altered due to this incident with the De Laceys. At first, the creature is persuaded that the cottagers would not judge him by his appearance and when they do, the creation immediately loses faith in the De Laceys. Furthermore, the creature later blames himself for being too impatient. In other words, the monster was anticipating what would happen but chose hastily. “[A]nd by degrees to have discovered myself to the rest of his family, when they should have been prepared for my approach” (Shelley, 137). This quote proves that the character gets his hopes up and becomes too impatient to introduce himself to the De Laceys due to him anticipating the results. The creature’s relationship with the cottagers become negatively affected by him foreseeing them to treat him as a friend and human being.
Like the De Laceys, the creature longs for a friend in Victor.

Victor’s relationship with the creature is one that is negatively affected by Victor’s anticipation. This is because Victor expects his creation to look beautiful. The reader can see this by examining the creature’s features. Victor gave his creation pearl white teeth and flowing black hair. However, upon first sight, Victor describes his monster as ugly using words like “horrid” and “hideous” and then he runs away from it. The reader can see how disappointed Victor is at the result of his work. “I had worked hard for nearly two years… [B]ut now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley, 50). Shelley reveals to the reader the disappointment of Victor and how long he was looking forward to the birth of his creation, telling the reader that he got his hopes up. However, Victor fears the face of his creation and abandons it, negatively affecting their personal relationship. Because of this, the creature goes on a path of his own and later vows to take revenge on the human species. He kills some of Victor’s friends and family members. This not only affects his relationship with Victor, but Victor’s relationship with his friends and family. Victor’s anticipation of the creation of his creature negatively affects their personal relationship with each

other.
In conclusion, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, personal relationships are both affected negatively and positively by an individual’s expectations of results. After examining the relationship between Victor and Walton, Victor and Elizabeth, the creature and the De Laceys and Victor and his creation, it is clear that Shelley uses the theme of anticipation to affect these relationships in some way.