Is Victor A Neglectful Father In Frankenstein

Being a parent is much more than being the parent. One must care for and nurture their children to insure their children grow into their full potential. Parents must supply the foundation required to build their children into efficient members of society. Without a parental figure guiding children through life, children would be completely and utterly lost in this world. In the short story of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor is a prime example of a neglectful father whose child is lost in the world. Victor was not a parent to his creature, although he might have labored in making his creature, he deserted him when he needed him most and was not there physically or emotionally for him.

While in the beginning, Victor explains how parents

Victor runs from his creation, completely disregarding all fatherly obligations, “He might have spoken but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs” (Shelley 36). In the beginning of the novel, Victor talks about how beautiful and perfect he had put together his creature, but quickly his feelings turned into those of revolt when the creature “awoke”. Victor expresses his feelings when he says, “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form” (Shelley 35). Victor states that he no longer wants anything to do with his creation, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” (Shelley 35). Even though the monster looked evil and hellish, in the beginning the creature had nothing but good intentions. Despite the creature’s outside appearance, he was nothing more than a helpless and dependent baby who was desperately seeking human contact (Miller 4). Throughout the book it is clear to see that the monster

Since Victor did not help the monster transition into society or teach his monster how to control his feelings, the creature resorted into himself and spread the only feelings and actions he had been shown and felt, which were hatred and vice. What eluded from the story was a resultant of the creature’s treatment (Claridge 14). The romantic educators typically placed the blame for an adolescent’s misconduct at the door of the negligent (though often well-meaning) parent (Claridge 14). Most believe Victor is solely to blame for his own demise/misfortune, since he never taught the monster any better (Miller 4). Even when the monster showed compassion, his creator, instead of trying to sympathize for what the monster had been through, continued to fail his creature (Claridge 20). Unlike the creator, the creature longs for society and sympathy (Claridge 23). This can be justified in this statement “It is not, then the monster’s nature that makes him so vengeful, as his creator deludes himself into thinking, but rather his overwhelming sense of isolation and despair at lacking human connection that in fact his father should have first provided” (Claridge 21). The creature’s vengeful acts are a way of trying to get his creators attention, hoping that Victor will eventually take him under his wing (Claridge