Sympathy in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Sympathy in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Frankenstein for many people is a huge fiendish monster, a brainless

oaf with a couple of neck bolts, who is a horrible murderer. This

image has been created by Boris Karloff and other television/film

images. I also thought like that, believing Frankenstein to be a

monstrous murderer, so when I was met with the text I was surprised to

find as a mad scientist who creates a monster. This changed my opinion

greatly at first.

As the central characters were the narrators, they were obviously

going to be bias in their description of the novel. They would always

make themselves out as innocent or say that someone else was to blame.

For example Victor Frankenstein described the monster as 'the devil'

and 'a demon', whereas the monster describes itself as wanting 'to be

loved' and a 'benevolent soul', that is until he was rejected and

isolated. Also the characters will portrait their situations and other

characters to their advantage, making the text quite unreliable.

Frankenstein can also be 'melodramatic' and may be using this to evoke

sympathy for himself.

In this novel, I feel sympathy for both Victor Frankenstein and the

monster. I am sympathetic towards the monster as Victor Frankenstein

started this whole thing by creating it, although the monster killing

another that had not harmed him was unjustified.

When first created the monster is treated like an inhuman wretch.

Frankenstein was too swept up in the idea of bringing an inanimate

object to life to realise that what he was creating a monster.

'Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out

of the room'

...

... middle of paper ...

...rief, as Frankenstein's death gives

him the reality that he now has no one, his creator died hating him

wishing him death. He has nothing to live for, his revenge is complete

and because of this he wants forgiveness, but it is too late.

My sympathies have changed throughout the novel, at first they lay

with the monster as Frankenstein was neglectful to his family whilst

creating the monster, then neglectful to the monster when created, and

also goes on to neglect his duties to save Justine's life. However,

Frankenstein's development into a more courageous character, and the

monsters conscious decision to become a killer, means my final

sympathies lie with Frankenstein. As the monster did not have to

become a killer, his actions were unjustified, whereas Frankenstein

realised his mistakes and tried to make them right.