Frankenstein Research Paper

The classic novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley is a masterpiece from the 1800’s that explores themes such as life, death, and man vs nature. Mary Shelley has the reader contemplating whether it is victor or the creature who is the real monster over the course of the novel. At first glance, the creature appears to be the monster with his unhuman-like physique and unusual facial structures but over time, the readers start to realize that Victor abandons his creation without giving him a second glance, Victor fails to take responsibility for his actions, and he tries to play god and becomes consumed by his own ambitions all while sacrificing his physical and mental health. These three points suggest that Victor is the true monster of the

The creature would have never gotten to the point he did if he had had a good role model to guide him through the way the world works. “He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him.”(p.66) The creature’s quote shows that the creature acted the way he did due to hatred caused by Victor’s abandonment. As the creator, Victor should have been present during the creature's early days. He should have taught him basic world functions such as love, language, and what makes the creature different from the humans. Instead, Victor abandons his creation the moment he lays eyes on him. “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I created, I rushed out of the room.”(p.59) This left the creature all alone, leaving him figure out everything for himself all while leaving his creature exposed to all sorts of hate, discrimination, and loneliness.

After the creature kills Victor’s best friend, Henry, Victor refuses to take responsibility in creating the creature. “I was guiltless, but I had indeed drawn down a horrible curse upon my head, as mortal as that of crime.”(p.192) By blaming the creature's action as a curse rather than the consequence of his own creation, he distances himself from the tragedy. The same thing happens when Victor’s family gets murdered by the creature. He writes, “He was the murderer! I could not doubt it. The mere presence of the idea was an irresistible proof of the fact.”(p.217) Although he is overwhelmed with grief and the desire to seek revenge, he places all the blame on the creature. He once again avoids accountability of his own creation that killed his entire family. 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