Frankenstein: The Complex Character In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Victor Frankenstein is a complex character that we have come to learn more about while reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. He is a man that seems to have this fervent desire to do what suits him best without regard to what others may think. Victor’s brother William has been murdered and a childhood friend is to pay the price of his death. After sighting what is assumed as the creature created by Victor, Victor is panged with guilt that these events are his fault. If he is correct, then he would be justified in feeling this way because Victor is selfish, stubborn, and lacks compassion for others around him. Victors actions all lead up to the demise of William and Justine. Victor is hands down one of the most selfish characters in the novel.

Victor being the stubborn individual that he is, could still not be swayed from studying what he wanted. This only pushed him to read further into this category of the supernatural and begin reading from authors such as Albert Magnus and Paracelsus. Victor was even quick to state “My dreams were therefore undisturbed by reality; and I entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the of the philosopher’s stone and the elixir of life” (23). His stubborn nature becomes more evident when Victor finally gets to Ingolstadt for his education. After being criticized for only studying those authors by M. Krempe, a professor that Victor is to study under, and refuses to take the recommendation from Krempe to study other authors. Victor is quick to say, “I returned home, not disappointed, for I had long considered those authors useless whom the professor had so strong reprobated; but I did not feel much inclined to study the books which I procured at his recommendation” (28). His constant stubbornness won’t even allow him to take suggestions from a Professor that he is supposed to learn from. This of course allows for bad choices to be made and just goes to show how Victor lacks compassion for the people around

He openly offers “and a church-yard was to me merely the receptacle of bodies deprived of life” (31). Victor goes forth to create a being. When he learns of the death of his youngest brother, he immediately goes to be with his family. As he journeys to Geneva, he suspects that he has seen his creation and his mind goes to that it must be the creatures fault that his brother is dead. Justine, though a close friend of the family, will not be spared from death because he cannot bring himself to admit to others that his creation could be the culprit in the death of William. His concern for himself only ultimately leads to Justine’s death. Victor makes it clear that he does not need to share the information about the creature because things will work out in Justine’s favor. When discussing the innocence with his father Victor rationalizes to himself that “I was firmly convinced in my own mind that Justine, and indeed every human being, was guiltless of this murder” (53). Victor relies on the fact that people with common sense would conclude that Justine was innocent in the death of his brother. This ends up not being the case and Justine ultimately pays the price for a crime she did not