Examples Of Loss Of Innocence In Frankenstein

In his attempt to create a new being, Frankenstein is successful. That is, he is successful until he allows his creation's innocence to be tainted by the relentless savagery that is reality. As a result, Frankenstein's creation becomes Frankenstein's monster, defiled by hatred and the need for revenge. However, the destruction of innocence occurred not only in Frankenstein’s creation, but also in Victor Frankenstein himself. By the time of his death Victor is a monster consumed by hate and revenge.
Victor Frankenstein was born into a wealthy Swiss family. Victor was privileged to an idyllic, peaceful childhood where he was loved and doted on. “I was their plaything and their idol, and something better their child, the innocent and helpless

This thirst for knowledge is what leads to Victor’s loss of innocence and eventually his whole family’s demise.
When Victor was seventeen, Caroline died of scarlet fever that she contracted while tending to Elizabeth. On her deathbed, Caroline proclaimed her dying wish for Elizabeth and Victor to be wed. "My children," she said, "my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect of your union.” (Shelly Ch. 3)
Shortly after the death of his mother, Victor leaves for University in Ingolstadt. It is here that his downward spiral begins. He becomes obsessed with the desire to achieve notoriety in the field of natural philosophy. He is consumed with the desire to create life, in a sense playing God. His obsession leads him to create a human being out of parts of dead bodies which he retrieves from cemeteries at night. Victor works in secret and spends years isolating himself from his family. Finally on a dark, stormy night, his work is complete. As soon as the creature opens his eyes, Frankenstein is aghast at what he has created, rejecting his creation he runs off into the night. When Frankenstein returns in the morning, the creature is

“The characteristics of the narcissistic personality disorder as defined in DSM IV: a grandiose sense of self-importance; preoccupation with fantasies of unlimited success; exhibitionism; cool indifference or feelings of rage in response to criticism; and interpersonal disturbances, including exploitativeness, alternation between over-idealization and devaluation, and lack of empathy,“ (Psychoanalysis and Frankenstein). Frankenstein was only concerned with himself and creating something that would gain him notoriety and fame in the world of science. He demonstrated his narcissistic trait by rejecting his creation without thought or empathy to what the creature was experiencing. He seemed to experience a relief when he returns to his rooms to find the creature gone. He only cared for how the creature affected him and did not worry about what the creature was experiencing out in the world. He did not think about the safety of others, only