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Ego In Frankenstein

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In Frankenstein, Mary Shelly warns against the dangers of ego. Walton is shown to have a blinding ego from the beginning, disregarding danger, as well as having a distorted view of his goal. Victor doesn’t see his creation as hideous until it comes alive. He also undoes his entire message he has been warning against in his dying breaths. The Monster, while having the potential and beginnings of an ego, does not develop one. Because of this, he is one of the only characters who sees the world, and therefore himself, as they truly are. In Frankenstein, Shelly uses diction to show how ego distorts reality and exposes unnecessary danger to the world. Shelly uses Walton’s disregard of danger and view of the north pole to show how he does not see …show more content…

The Monster, through Victor, speaks of his time after he fled from Victor. He observes a family and their sadness and misery. He is curious of their source of misery because “[he] thought (foolish wretch!) that it might be in [his] power to restore happiness to these deserving people” (Shelly 102). The monster tells his original view of himself, he shows his budding ego. Unlike Victor or Walton, his ego was to help other people, not himself. He does not hide his original view like Victor does, but still shows his new perspective after gaining intelligence and experience. His actions shape his view of himself, and he speaks of himself in extremely negative language. The Monster spoke of his final view of himself: “After the murder of Clerval I returned to Switzerland, heartbroken and overcome. I pitied Frankenstein; My pity amounted to horror; I abhorred myself” (Shelly 210). The Monster sees himself as a monster, a horror, because of his actions. He sees how he caused pain and misery, and he shows regret for what he has done. The Monster’s view of himself reveals how he sees truth in the world.
Throughout her novel, Shelly uses diction to show how ego distorts reality and exposes unnecessary danger into the world. Walton and Victor both suffer from their ego, distorting their goals and putting them into dangerous situations. The Monster, through his lack of an ego, sees himself as

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