How Does Victor Violate The Laws Of Nature In Frankenstein

In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, a young aspiring scientist, Victor Frankenstein, violates the laws of nature to make his dream experiment of creating life. In the beginning of the novel, Victor is sent to the University of Ingolstadt in Germany to fulfill his science career; leaving Elizabeth his soulmate, his father Alphonse, and best friend Clerval behind in Geneva. Using electricity, Frankenstein shocks his two year long creation to life. The creation known as the monster is abandoned by Victor, and rejected from a human companionship because of his appearance. Because of his abandonment, the monster ravages through Frankenstein’s family and friends, committing numerous murders. The monster is the physical murderer of many innocents

in the novel, but ultimately Shelley conveys the idea that Victor Frankenstein is responsible because of his failure to properly nurture or acknowledge people of his creation.
After working on his experiment for two years, Victor’s dream and ambition have finally been fulfilled when he shocks his creation to life.

He made the choice to create life without considering the possible outcome of the experiment. As soon as Victor’s finished, he says: “but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room”(Shelley 58). Frankenstein did not seek responsibility for the monster; instead he ran away from his responsibilities and neglected his own creature. Abandoned by his creator the monster learns how to survive on his own for a few months. One day, the monster comes upon little kids at recess, and sees a boy he thinks would be willing to be his companion. As the monster grabs for the boy, the boy shrieks with disgust and disappoints the monster. In this moment the monster finds out the boy happens to be a Frankenstein, William Frankenstein, and anger rages inside of the monster. The monster takes his hurt feelings of being neglected by Victor Frankenstein out on William. The monster strangles William to death. The monster’s actions of strangling William were due to Victor Frankenstein’s failure to take care of the monster. In result of Williams death, Justine Mortez, a loyal family friend of the Frankenstein’s, was convicted

of murder since she had a picture that was last seen with William. As a punishment Justine was sentenced to be executed. Knowing who really did the crime, Victor still didn’t stand up for Justine during the trial, or let anyone know about his creation. Since Victor never stood up for Justine, she faced the charges. After the events, Victor notes, “I beheld those I loved spend vain sorrow upon the graves of William and Justine, the first hapless victims to my unhallowed arts”(90). Shelley is displaying the idea that Victor is responsible for Justine’s and William’s deaths because he did not consider the outcome of his experiment which is irresponsible, and here he lets people mourn over the tragedy of his own art. William would not have been murdered if Victor hadn’t run away from his responsibility to take care of his creation when it first came to life, and his silence lead to the execution of the innocent Justine.
Unfortunately, the series of bad events for Victor does not end with the death of William and Justine; it continues as Victor does not take care of his monster.

Mourning on top of Mount Chamnioux Victor fills with rage as he sees the monster approaching him. After throwing a mouthful of hateful words at the monster, the monster replies: “Do your duty towards me, and I will do mine towards you and the rest of mankind”(102). This shows the monster confronting Victor about how he has failed to nurture him, which has caused the monster to act out. After their dispute, Victor travels around England with his friend Henry Clerval for a few months. Then isolates himself to work on the monster’s female companion that the original monster demanded for. Halfway through his work Frankenstein gives up, and lurking around in the area the monster sees Victor has ruined and quit at his demanded task. After another argument, as the monster’s on his way out of Victor’s shack he says: “ I go; but remember I shall be with you on your wedding-night”(173). This reveals Victor risked the life of Elizabeth, his future wife, by not acknowledging her of the monster’s existence. As we later see in the book the monster does kill Elizabeth on their wedding night. If Victor had completed his duty towards the monster then the monster wouldn’t have threatened Victor’s wedding night, but because he did not nurture and make the female companion it was his liability to let Elizabeth know about the monster’s

presence.
Shelley conveys the idea that if Victor had properly nurtured the monster then the monster wouldn’t have been lead to destroy Frankenstein’s loved ones, and since he didn’t nurture the monster it was his responsibility to let people know about the monster’s existence. Victor is responsible for the murders of the many innocent people throughout the novel because from the very beginning of the monster’s life Victor ran away from his duty to care for him. Victor was running away from him and his existence when really forgetting his existence caused many of the deaths. The laws of nature are significant, because if someone were to create a monster and not nurture and educate it from right and wrong, then there could be a possible chain of murderers and crime’s. Therefore, the laws of nature should never be violated, because if they are then people would live a miserable life like the scientist Victor Frankenstein.