The Justice League’s New Member: Frankenstein (An analysis if Frankenstein is a hero)

Hero’s in today’s modern society spawn images of muscular men in capes or in fast sports car going around their city fighting crime. However, these thoughts are common among our younger and adolescent generation, while our more mature and adult figures conjure images of police officers, soldiers, and other who put their lives on the line to establish safety along with life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Then the question arises in Mr. McGee’s second period British Literature class, is Victor Frankenstein a hero? Anybody who has read the real book Frankenstein knows that Frankenstein is the name of doctor, and not the monster, the doctor who creates life. Even though Frankenstein has created life and pretty much secured his place as another god for doing so, this doesn’t make him a hero. Victor Frankenstein is not a hero because first he doesn’t understand the enormity of his works, second he doesn’t follow through with his creation and third, he devotes his life to destroying the creature he has made.

To begin with, Victor Frankenstein is not a hero of his time because he doesn’t understand the enormity of his work. Victor, like many scientists today, only wonders, “if they could” rather than “if they should”. Compared to Prometheus, as we know who introduced humans to fire against the will of Zeus in knowing that it would bring harm to humanity, such as the way Frankenstein has introduced the creation of life, made by another human being. This power, I believe is too much for humans to handle, too much responsibility for the irresponsible. Victor even knows of this while he tells the men on this ship his story when he states, “It was a strong effort of the spirit of good, but it was ineffectual. Destiny was too potent, ...

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...g in the North Pole, that Frankenstein’s dedication to destroy his mistake, outtakes all other positive options he could have taken with his and the monster’s relationship, or simply with the life of Victor himself. The time and dedication it takes Frankenstein to commit evil is something a modern hero wouldn’t do.

In conclusion, due to the fact that Frankenstein doesn’t know the enormity of his creating possibilities and the fact that he never followed up with his creation and that he dedicated his life to destroying the monster, which led to Frankenstein’s own demise, goes to show that Frankenstein is no hero. In today’s modern society heroes are either seen as someone with super powers or as someone who willingly put their life on the line for the safety of others. Victor Frankenstein is not an example as someone who is a hero, or should be seen as a hero.