The Consequences Of Frankenstein In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

1740 Words4 Pages

In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein secretly creates a monster without considering the consequences. After the creation of the monster and throughout Victor’s life he and the monster suffer constantly. Because Victor keeps his monster a secret from his family, friends and society, he is alone and miserable. The monster is also alone and miserable because he is shunned by society due to his grotesque appearance. Victor remembers his childhood as a happy time with Elizabeth, Henry and his mother and father. But looking back, Victor see’s his first tragic event, the death of his mother as “an omen, as it were, of [his] future misery.” Chapter 2 He blames his passion for education as the impetus to his suffering. “in drawing the picture of my early days, I also record those events which led, by insensible steps, to my after tale of misery: for when I would account to myself for the birth of that passion, which afterwards ruled my destiny” CHAPTER 2 At the age of seventeen, victor leaves his family and attends a university at Ingolstadt. Like a mad scientist, and to the knowledge of no one, he locks himself away in his apartment and after two years of obsessive labor he creates his monster. Even during this time of following his passion, Victor is miserable and suffers from illness. “and now every day showed me more plainly how well I had succeeded. But my enthusiasm was checked by my anxiety, and I appeared rather like one doomed by slavery to toil in the mines, or any other unwholesome trade, than an artist occupied by his favourite employment. Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow-creatures as if ... ... middle of paper ... ...ns and now that his last victim is dead, he is ready to die. “I shall die. I shall no longer feel the agonies which now consume me, or be the prey of feelings unsatisfied, yet unquenched.” The monster leaves the ship to his apparent suicide. Chapter 24 Both Victor and the monster suffer tremendously both physically and emotionally throughout their life. Victor’s physical suffering was brought on by his inability to cope with his tremendous guilt and secret. The monsters physical suffering was due to the abuse inflicted upon him by society’s fear of him. Both also suffered emotionally; they were both alone, Victor due to his secret that caused isolation and his inability to admit and disclose what he had done. The monster suffered emotionally because of his creator’s rejection and society’s inability to get past his grotesque looks and accept him for who he was.

Open Document