Lack Of Guidance In Frankenstein

In a world full of novelty, guidance is essential to whether a being’s character progresses positively or negatively in society. Parents have a fundamental role in the development of their children. A parent’s devotion or negligence towards their child will foster a feeling of trust or mistrust in the latter. This feeling of mistrust due to the lack of guidance from a parental figure is represented in the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his creation in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein. The creature created by Frankenstein was shown hatred and disgust from the very beginning, which led to its indignant feelings toward his creator and his kind.
Initiating the creation of the monster, Frankenstein was consumed by the proud feelings

of any expecting parent. He believed that, “ a new species would bless [him] as its creator and source,” and, “no father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as [he] should deserve theirs,” (Shelley 44). Frankenstein wanted nothing to do with his creation and abandoned it. The creature was greatly affected by this event. It felt unwanted and unloved by the one person who had all the right to express these feelings towards him. The creature was aware that his creator abhorred him just as every one of the latter’s fellow-beings. It expressed the hurt it felt by carrying out horrendous deeds, such as murder, since it did not know how to adequately handle its emotions. The negligence and misguidance the monster received perpetuated by Frankenstein led to its thirst for revenge.
One correlation brought up in the book is the comparison to the story of Adam and Eve.

In the book of Genesis, God is creating the world and eventually creates his children Adam and Eve. Like Adam, the creature in Frankenstein was created by another being, in this case Victor Frankenstein. As a creation, the monster has had no choice in his own development just like Adam didn’t. Frankenstein abandoned his creation and left it to fend for itself and cope with abandonment as it learns the workings of the world. This is similar to Adam’s excommunication from the Garden of Eden as he himself was cast away from God. The creation says, “Remember, that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed,” (Shelley 84) which shows how even though Frankenstein is the parental figure he has disowned the creation similar to the story of Adam. In the book of Genesis, as a result of God’s negligence as a parent, Adam acts in rebellion towards God. Likewise, the creature’s abandonment leads it to act in a malicious manner towards Frankenstein and other human beings. The negligence of the parental figures led both of their children to have eccentric behavior as they had to develop their own understanding of the world without any guidance from a parental

figure.
The lack of guidance from Frankenstein causes the creation to develop hatred and resentment towards Frankenstein.

The creation’s actions are influenced by his desire to make an impact upon Frankenstein. His decision to move to Geneva, his continuous contact with the human population when he could just as easily go off and live in nature, and the way he lives his life with killing and tormenting, all in hopes of having an influence upon Frankenstein. For example, at the end of the book, a large portion of the creation’s life motivation is to lead Frankenstein across the world, having him endure perpetual torment. The creation says, “I have devoted my creator, the select specimen of all that is worthy of love and admiration among men, to misery; I have pursued him even to that irremediable ruin” (185, Shelly). The creation turns this into sort of a game, every time Frankenstein is close to quitting the monster provides him with a clue or resources. In a type of sadistic way, the creation coerced Frankenstein into finally spending some father son time. This lack of attention provided by Frankenstein causes the monster to act out. This is mirrored by God’s negligence of Adam in the book of Genesis. The desire for a father’s attention is directly mirrored by Frankenstein and it seems as though Mary Shelley was commentating on the importance of a father’s presence in the life of their children. The novel Frankenstein implies that the concern and attention of one’s parental

figures are crucial to the development of a child’s moral compass and quality decision making.
When a parental figure is negligent towards their children, the children’s behavior lacks vital morality. Frankenstein’s abandonment of the creation forced it to fend for itself and learn the workings of the complicated world on it’s own. The result of this abandonment led to erratic and rebellious behavior towards the parental figure, similar to Adam and God. The presence of an active parental figure is necessary in raising a being with upstanding behavior.