Rejection In Frankenstein

Rachel Adler

Mrs.Hughes

ENC 1101

16 March 2015

Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a story of a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who creates life in the form of a monster. Although Frankenstein resolves to hating the creature after he kills a majority of Victor's family, there are many reasons why the creature and him are similar in personalities. When Frankenstein created the creature he made a doppelganger, which is a complex representation of two character s through literature, of himself (Webber). Throughout the book it is apparent in personality, actions, and thoughts, that Frankenstein and the creature are just alike.

At the beginning of both Frankenstein and the creature's lives they were filled with a

yearning

for knowledge. Victor aimed to learn as much as he could about science and human life. He emerged himself in books and even left for college at 17, "From this day natural philosophy, and particularly chemistry, became nearly my sole occupation" (pg.31). After reaching Ingolstadt, Victor continued his quest for knowledge, "I proceeded, and soon became so ardent and eager that the stars often disappeared in the light of the morning whilst I was yet engaged in my laboratory" (pg.31). On the other hand, the creature had a different quest for knowledge. The creature was fascinated with humans, and he wanted to learn everything he could to become a part of their world. He read books, studied human habits, and listened to the words they spoke to each other. Using books, the creature was able to relate himself to humans, "The possession of these treasures gave me extreme delight; I now continually studied and exercised my mind upon

these treasuries" (pg.92). Although Frankenstein and the creature possessed the desire to learn different things, their love of knowledge and learning is what makes them similar.

Frankenstein’s monster is a projection of Frankenstein's loneliness and the evil inside him; therefore, making the monster feel like an outsider, ugly, and lonely.

The creature's rejection from society caused a deep hatred of humans in him, "My sufferings were augmented also by the oppressive sense of the injustice and ingratitude of their infliction. My daily vows rose for revenge-a deep and deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and anguish I had endured" (pg. 103). Due to the abandonment of Victor, and the rejection of the DeLacey family, when the creature discovers William in the woods and hears of his last name he can not control his anger towards society and murders him. Along with the creature, Victor had similar feelings. He created a hatred within himself because he felt like what happened with the monster was his fault. Frankenstein isolated himself from society in order ensure nobody else he cared about would be hurt, "I shunned the face of man; all sound of joy or complacency was torture to me; solitude was my only consolation" (pg. 62). The struggles that both Frankenstein and the creature endured through their life caused the same feeling of hatred towards society and the want to isolate

themselves.

At the end of the book Victor and the creature began to feel sorrow and remorse for what they felt they had done. After Frankenstein's death the creature realizes all the wrong he has done, and he became overwhelmed with the guilt of killing Victor's family. "Polluted by crimes, and torn by the bitterest remorse, where can I find rest but in death" (pg.165). Victor felt the same sorrow and guilt, he blamed himself for all the harm that his creature has caused, "Remorse extinguished every hope, I had been the author of unalterable evil; and I lived in daily fear"

(pg.63). The connection between Victor and his creature allowed them to feel guilt for the sorrow they caused each other.

Victor's creation of the monster is represented by the isolation and sorrows that Victor feels himself. To further shows the similarities between Frankenstein and the creature, Mary Shelley omitted a name for the creature, resulting in many people going by the creature as Frankenstein, this further blends the similarities of the two characters together.