Who Is Victor Frankenstein A Victim Of Justice

Two-hundred years ago, Mary Shelley wrote one of her most famous novels, Frankenstein, in which Victor Frankenstein scientifically creates a monster. Since Shelley wrote this novel, a lot has changed in the world's culture and technology. However, one concept that remains constant is the passion people show to those that they love and their willingness to do anything for them. In some cases, this can be as extreme as breaking the law. Shelley exhibits this notion in her novel through the revenge that Victor seeks as his monster harms his family and friends and is not brought to justice. Due to the flaws of the criminal justice system and the moral injustices in society, Victor and his monster turn to vigilante justice as a means of revenge,

ultimately providing neither justice nor closure for either.
The prejudice in the criminal justice system can best be seen in the contrasting ways that Justine Moritz and Victor Frankenstein are treated after being accused of murder. Justine, a member of the lower class and housekeeper for the Frankenstein family, is quickly assumed guilty of the murder of William Frankenstein. Shelley “represents inequities within the justice system...in three ways: manipulation of circumstantial evidence, misuse of the accused’s reactions to condemn or absolve, and coercion of confession” (Fenno 4). In Justine’s case, the prosecution produces “the picture...which the servant has found in [Justine’s] pocket...same which, an hour before the child had been missed, [Elizabeth] had placed round his neck” (Shelley 65). This is clearly circumstantial evidence as the photo could have been planted by anyone, as the reader finds out later in the novel, by the monster. The quick assumption made by her peers, that the picture meant Justine’s guilt, shows the faults in the criminal justice system. Justice was also found guilty because “she fell into violent hysterics and kept her bed for several days” after being shown the deceased child’s body (65). Although she was reacting this way because of her care and love of the child, this is misinterpreted for guilt. Another flawed characteristic in the case against Justine is her confession, as she later tells Elizabeth and Victor that she “‘did confess, but [she] confessed a lie…[her] confessor... threatened and menaced’” (69). Given Justine’s assumed guilt, the courts feverishly interrogated Justine until she confessed. Knowing that the interrogation would not stop, Justine concedes, ultimately sealing her fate. In the end, “The ballots had been thrown; they were all black” and Justine is falsely convicted and sentenced to death (67).
On the other hand, Victor, a wealthier member of society, is quickly proven innocent even when facing much of the same circumstantial evidence as Justine. After arriving on the island, he hears “witness testimony and material evidence are substantial...he lacks an alibi. Half-dozen men serve as witnesses against him” (Fenno 6). The reader knows of Victor’s innocence as he could not have committed murder while at sea, on his way to the island. However, with the amount of evidence presented, to go along with his reaction to Clerval’s body, “[gasping] for breath, and throwing [himself] on the body,” it should have been enough to convict (Shelley 155). While in prison, his father, a member of the aristocracy, is able to pull strings and “the grand jury rejected the bill” (160). Although their circumstances were similar, the same class- influenced criminal justice system that benefited Victor, damaged Justine.
Victor’s monster is not affected by the criminal justice system, but is a victim of moral injustice through the way he is treated and isolated by society. The first example of this is when the monster is “brought” into the world. After seeing the creature he had created, Victor “rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing [his] bed-chamber, unable to compose [his] mind to sleep” (42). Right from the start of his life, the monster is isolated from human life, never giving him a chance for a successful interaction with the human race. The trauma experienced at birth would stick with the monster for his whole being, starting him on an irreversible path of violence. After being isolated from the beginning, he is physically and mentally tormented by humans due to his monstrous appearance. While trying to become friends with the blind man, Mr. De Lacy, his son “Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore [the monster] from his father…[Felix] struck [him] violently with a stick” (115). At this point in the novel, although the monster is giant and has a frightening appearance, he is trying to make peace with the De Lacys. When his peace offering results in a beating, he begins realizing that no matter how much good he does, he will never be able to successfully interact with the human race. These feelings of resignation further manifest after he saves a little girl from drowning in a river. When the father sees his little girl with the monster, “he darted towards [the monster] and [teared] the girl from [his] arms...the man saw [him] draw near, he aimed a gun...at [the monster’s] body and fired” (120-121). The final example occurs when the monster and his creator try to reconcile their differences in order to provide the monster with a life worth living. After originally agreeing to create a female companion for the monster, so he would stop his violent acts and flee to South America, “Victor refuses the creature’s request for a mate who will reattach him” to a world he has been long excluded from (McClinton-Temple 979). At this point, the monster can never forgive Victor and has committed his life to seeking revenge against him.
The several miscarriages of justice in the novel cause characters such as Victor to seek fairness in the form of revenge. This is demonstrated as “the reader continually sees Victor favor his own ambition above his friendships and family” (Telgen 188). Victor begins blocking out his loved ones, ignoring letters from Clerval, his father and Elizabeth, dedicating his life to taking the appropriate acts of revenge on his monster. This is first exemplified after determining that the monster was responsible for William’s death and ultimately Justine’s death after her false conviction. After trial, Victor said that he “wished to see [the monster] again, that [he] might wreck the utmost extent if abhorrence on his head and avenge the deaths of William and Justine” (Shelley 74). Victor knows that his monster killed William, but the monster is not found legally guilty by the courts. Due to the inequity of the situation, he decides to pile onto the monster’s all ready miserable life. After initially agreeing to create a female companion for him, “trembling with passion, [he] tore to pieces the thing on which [he] was engaged” (145). This decision by Victor is a crushing blow to the monster’s morale. Finally, after years of isolation, the monster believes that his soulmate will come to life and save him from the evil acts of man. Victor, however, prevents this from happening to punish the monster from taking the life of two innocent people he dearly cared about. Lastly, while practically lying on his deathbed, Victor tells Walton that he “swear[s]...to pursue the demon who cause this misery, until he or [him] shall perish in mortal conflict..to execute this dear revenge” (180). As a person nears the end of their life, they begin reflecting on their accomplishments and failures. The fact that Victor can only think about revenge on the monster at this critical point in his life shows his true dedication to reprisal. Although he fails at this task, the revenge sought out by Victor is a direct result of an ineffective criminal justice system.
Victor Frankenstein’s monster, a victim of moral injustice also seeks revenge on his abusers through vigilante justice.

The monster, unknown to man, is dependent on “that his ‘father’ and ‘god’...assume proper responsibility for him (McClinton-Temple 979). Victor fails to do this, and as a result the monster strives for revenge on all human life. The monster’s first retaliatory act is toward the De Laceys, who he closely observes for several months in attempt to learn more about culture and language. After begin beat up by Felix while trying to interact with the human race, he “lighted a dry branch of a tree...the wind fanned the fire, and the cottage was quickly enveloped by the flames” (118). Earlier in the novel, the monster talks about how children run away at the sight of him and pelt him with rocks, so there is a clear pattern of mistreatment. The burning of the house symbolizes not only vengeance against Felix and the De Laceys, but toward mankind as a whole. The monster’s next acts of revenges are directly aimed at Victor, as he begins killing off all of those close to Victor. When he sees a little boy in the forest and determines his relation Victor, the monster yells, “‘Frankenstein! You belong then to my enemy-to him toward whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim’” (122). This act is the beginning of the monster’s murder rampage as a retaliation for lack of compassion that Victor shows toward him. The monster next moves on to kill Victor’s friend Clerval. Throughout the novel, Victor appears to spend most of his time alone and does not have many friends, and therefore by killing his only friend, the monster is sending a strong message. The monster finally begins sending direct threats to Victor, saying that he “‘shall be with you on your wedding-night’” (147). Throughout the novel, the monster has sought his revenge purely by harming Victor’s friends, but never before has he been impacted first hand. Victor,

however, continues with his wedding plans and after sending his wife, Elizabeth to sleep, he “heard a shrill and dreadful scream. It came from the room into which Elizabeth retired” (173). The murder of Elizabeth is the monster’s final blow toward Victor, as it makes his life not worth living. He no longer has his father, brother, or any friends and dies a lonely death in the middle of the ocean. The monster makes Victor’s life miserable due to the moral injustices he experienced ever since “Victor’s parthenogenetic creation of the monster” (Verdeer 2).