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Egoism In Frankenstein Research Paper

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What makes a monster? “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley is a novel about a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein who creates a grotesque but sentient creature in his laboratory through a scientific experiment. The creature, however, is rejected by society and is left to fend for himself, leading to a series of tragic events. The novel is iconic for its warnings against scientific experimentation. However, its themes extend far beyond scientific advancement and delve into complex questions of social ethics. “Frankenstein” is just as much about social ethics as it is about scientific advancements—most notably Victor's battle with unintentional philosophical egoism and his conscious struggles with Kantian first and second formulation. “Frankenstein” can be connected to philosophical egoism, as both explore the concept of self-interest and the pursuit of personal satisfaction. Philosophical egoism is the …show more content…

Furthermore, Kao suggests that social contract theory offers a solution to the potential negative effects of egoism. According to social contract theory, individuals agree to follow certain rules and norms in exchange for protection and benefits provided by society (Cressman et al., 2019). This can be seen in chapter 17 of the novel, as the monster demands that Victor create a female companion who can sympathize with his existence for him; in exchange for the monster's promise to leave society and live in isolation. However, Victor ignores this request as his feelings towards the creation of monsters are tainted forever. This means that Victor is also not following the rules of social contract theory, he is leaving the mistake he created out of balance and isn't doing the one thing that could stop its destructive path. Despite this imbalance, according to Immanuel Kant, Victor might be making the right decision by not creating a female

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“You may render me [Victor] the most miserable of men, but you shall never make me base in my own eyes,” Victor says to the monster, meaning that the monster can do whatever he wants, but he will not allow him to make Victor lower himself more than he already has, but this is exactly what the monster does when he convinces Victor to make him a female companion. This is a prime example of a minor character foil contrasting a main character; the monster takes complete control over Victor and dominates his character, ultimately turning himself into a more prominent aspect of the storyline. The author most likely does this in order to employ a drastic shift in the meaning of her novel. As the novel started, it was portrayed that Victor would be a rising character and achieve great things, but with the creation of the monster, his character ultimately became his own

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1244 Words | 5 Pages

In Marry Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein selfishly goes on an unethical scientific journey to gain glory and fame. From a young age Victor has an abundant amount of knowledge and extraordinary ambition that he continues to cultivate through his unfaltering study of science and alchemy. After experiencing the tragic of death of his mother, Victor isolates himself in an attempt to reach the level of success he believes his knowledge and ambition entitles him to. Through his constant dedication to his work, the dangerous project that drives Victor insane comes to life on a dark and stormy night in Ingolstadt, Germany, forever changing his innocence and livelihood. The selfish manner in which Victor yearns to gain glory

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921 Words | 4 Pages

In Mary Shelley novel called Frankenstein, the character of the Monster is shown as a true monster. A real monster is someone who withholds information, lack of remorse, and avoid responsibility, lying and many more. Victor Frankenstein created the monster, but Victor is also a very complex character in the novel. Victor created the monster for scientific researched; he was studying the dead and wanted to be the first person that brought the dead back to life.

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554 Words | 3 Pages

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, a monster was created by a scientist, Victor Frankenstein, that leads to the negative consequences of science and knowledge. The monster faces societal rejection which plays a crucial role in developing his personality. Frankenstein believes that by creating the Monster, he can discover the secrets of life and death. He is motivated to attempt these things by ambition. He wants to achieve something great, even if it comes at great cost.

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1004 Words | 5 Pages

Gavin Rhoda Ms. Straayer English 12 20 March 2023 The Creation of a Monster Mary Shelly has Victor Frankenstien create a monster in the book “Frankenstein. She does this in a multitude of ways. Some ways are through the Creatures actions which he is to blame, society and their responses to him, and Victor's own negligence/rejectance towards his Creature. There is evidence written all over the book on how “Frankenstein” is a revenge story.

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When the Monster asks for a female companion, Victor sincerely considers his point of view. Victor has a moment where he does have a change of heart for the monster as “his words had a strange effect upon [him], and [he] compassionated him and sometimes felt to console [the Creature]” (Shelley 133). Victor learns of the Monster's struggles and is left feeling remorse. He agrees to create a companion to give his Monster, but when he finishes the female counterpart, Victor, this time around, thinks of the possible dangers that could arise with a female companion. The Monster “saw [Victor] destroy the Creature on whose future existence he depended for happiness, and with a howl of devilish despair and revenge, withdrew” (Shelley 152).

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The problem Victor tried to avoid was the reproduction of the two monsters. This would leave him responsible for an entire race of monsters, holding him accountable for all disasters and misery. Victor, also, is interested in creations by himself without the help of a woman. Victor’s destruction of the female monster can be viewed as an act of anti-feminism.

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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave – Personal Response There was a time, back in the days where at a point I had friends. The friends you could talk too, the friends you cried to when something went wrong. The friends you could call “best friends “, but threw out time everything changed. What I was told threw out my childhood years, were lies.

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Another example of Victor failing to take responsibility is when the creature confronts Victor, demanding a mate as it is his right to have a partner in a world that hates him so much. Victor originally agrees but then changes his mind, justifying his decision by claiming the creation of a second creature would start a “Race of devils” and that he would not be able to live with such a responsibility. He is once again refusing to take accountability and is leaving his creation fend for himself with nothing that can help or support him through his

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901 Words | 4 Pages

Frankenstein is a book written by Mary Shelley about a man named Victor Frankenstein and his life and how it came to be. He had created a monster and brought it to life by studying and learning natural philosophy. Mary Shelley brought the emotions forward from the main characters by the amount of detail she put into the book. Most of the detail was brought in by the suffering that happens throughout the book caused by Frankenstein’s monster. The monster in this story is a tragic figure that is the main cause of suffering that occurs to everyone.

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Monsters are often classified based upon their appearance and inhumane characteristics. In the book Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein tears apart graveyards for the formation of a new being, which is brought to life with electricity. Frankenstein was fascinated with life itself and wanted to create this being through the dead with the use of science. After multiple years of suturing this new being together Victor succeeded in bringing this creature to life. Although realizing what he had just created Victor is repulsed by this new being and calls him a Monster.

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Victor Frankenstein is selfish. The novel portrays Victor as a selfish character who is only concerned about his own well-being. Frankenstein wanted to manipulate the power of life. He abandons his creation because of the creature’s appearance and also withholds information or lies about his creation. Due to Victor 's selfishness, readers feel sorry for his creation.

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1220 Words | 5 Pages

In 1818 Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, a novel that follows Victor Frankenstein, an ambitious man on his journey to defy the natural sciences. In Volume I of the novel, Victor discusses his childhood, mentioning how wonderful and amazing it was because of how his family sheltered him from the bad in the world. “The innocent and helpless creature bestowed on them by heaven, whom to bring up to good, and whose future lot it was in their hands to direct to happiness or misery, according as they fulfilled their duties towards me” (35). When Victor brings up his childhood, he suggests that parents play a strong in how their kids turn out, either "to happiness or misery" (35). In particular the main character was sheltered as a child to achieve this “happiness” leading to Victor never developing a coping mechanism to the evil in the world.

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929 Words | 4 Pages

”(Millhauser). This violent rejection is a repetition of Victor’s lack of acceptance for the monster and attention to his family. Victor knows that the monster will never be able to live within society and that his ability to create life is the only hope the monster has of achieving companionship. Victor's own aversion to companionship surfaces as he, “ fails to give him the human companionship, the Eve, the female creature, that he needs to achieve some sort of a normal life.” (Mellor).

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703 Words | 3 Pages

The creature, Victor Frankenstein’s creation, had to suffer and tolerate life without care, love, or identity. The creature was never given a name because Victor didn’t want his monster to become more human-like. It can reinforce that the creature is property, and not a human being that is loved and cared for. Names are important for everyone because it is the easiest way to have self-identity. The creature never received a Christian name throughout the story.

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