Dorian Gray And Frankenstein Comparison

Mary Shelley, in her novel, Frankenstein, and Oscar Wilde, in his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, describe a monster as the way in which a man takes responsibility for his sins. Shelley defines this as the destruction man causes in pursuit of knowledge beyond human understanding, thus transgressing morality, while Wilde defines a monster as a man who wrongfully surpasses mortality in pursuit of perfection at the expense of his peers.

Frankenstein tells the story of a scientist’s struggle to take responsibility for his living experiment dubbed as the “Creation.” When the scientist, Victor Frankenstein, discovers a book by Cornelius Agrippa on the outdated philosophies of life and how the human system works. He is inspired to pursue the

For example, once Frankenstein makes the decision to commence his unholy research, he locks himself in his lab, unheard and unseen from human society. His isolation affects the Creature as an embodiment of Frankenstein’s soul. The Creature is so removed from human communication, and unfamiliar to human compassion that he becomes used to alienation. This is important to note because it reveals what Frankenstein is lacking in his relationships with family and friends. By exposing himself to only himself and his passion, he becomes numb to any judgement upon his character and does not realize the consequences of his actions, such as the murder of William Frankenstein, Henry, and Elizabeth. Later when Frankenstein returns to the outside world, his feelings of disconnection live on. Daniel Cottom, in his essay, Frankenstein and the Monster of Representation, states that, “[the] wanderings of Victor… unlike those of the prototypical adventurer, Odysseus, do not return him to society and domesticity, except to tell his story and die” (Cottom 68). Cottom explains that even after having faced society once again, he retreats to solidarity again, further distancing himself from his family. This theme of self isolation carries over into the introduction of the book, when we are met with a stranger writing to his sister from their stranded ship, unable to contact any humans. The isolation

Dorian is afflicted with this as he keeps to himself in his estate. Furthermore, without the influence of parents, as stated in the novel that he lived most of his childhood without them, he is offered no other perspective to guide him away from the negative influence from Lord Henry. But as he changes, taking in the influence Lord Henry has upon him, he acts upon his new perspectives without the help of Basil or other peers to turn him back around. This is Dorian’s fault, as he has the outlets in which to redeem himself, just as Frankenstein did, but chose to ignore them, and continued to let their attitudes and passions to get the better of their judgement through