How Does Victor Influence Frankenstein

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In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the main character has a mentor-like acquaintance whose influence dramatically changes how a character views not only himself but the world as well, which is significant to the work as a whole. In Frankenstein, the Creature that Victor Frankenstein creates is strongly influenced by Victor, but in a harmful manner.
The original title of the novel Frankenstein was The Modern Prometheus. Prometheus was a Greek demigod who in some stories brought fire (in others he brought life) to mortals on Earth. By doing this, he went against the orders of Zeus and was chained to a rock where every day an eagle would come and eat out his ever-regenerating liver. Prometheus played God, and because of that, he was …show more content…

When the Creature came to life, Victor was astounded and terrified and ran from the Creature to promptly fever faint for a few months “His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed down the stairs. I took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I inhabited...” (58). The Creature was impacted by this because, Victor, the first person he saw after being created, ran from him in fear. Victor, who should have been a father figure for the creature, left him to fend for himself. Thus began the Creature’s loathing of Victor …show more content…

Upon seeing the Creature, people would scream and run away, causing the Creature to believe that the world hated him. The Creature became angry at Victor for making him look terrifying and deserting him when he was first created. Because of the Creature’s pent-up anger, when he came upon a boy who happened to be Victor’s younger brother, William, the Creature killed him “‘Frankenstein! you belong then to my enemy- to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim.’ ‘The child still struggled, and loaded me with other epithets which carried despair to my heart; I grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet.’” (142-143). By killing the first of Victor’s loved ones, the Creature discovered that he had power over Victor. He told Victor he would leave him alone if he made him a wife “‘I am alone, and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species, and have the same defects. This being you must create.’” (144). Victor agreed, but fearing a race of Creatures, Victor destroyed his second project. Because Victor had taken the only hope out of the Creature’s life, the Creature killed Victor’s best friend, Henry, and wife Elizabeth. At this point in the novel, Victor is a horrible mentor for the Creature. He left the Creature when he first created it, and

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