Moral Responsibility In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Voltaire, a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher, stated that “With great power comes great responsibility.” Taking responsibility is recognizing and admitting the choices we have made, how we carried out this choices into actions, and their outcomes. There should be a correspondence between the actions we choose and our moral values. Having moral responsibility is one of the things that separate us from animals. As social beings, we have learned to follow the rules of society and to fulfill certain obligations. However, being responsible is a choice; individuals must choose to be in charge of their own emotions and intentionally act according to their values, beliefs, and goals. Furthermore, we have to think in the

This trait is intimately correlated to self-victimization. Once again, Frankenstein rationalizes the causes that led him to the creation of the creature and decides to shift the blame to others. In chapter 2, when he discovered and become obsessed with the works of Cornelius Agrippa, Victor blames his father for not explaining him with detail why he should not waste time studying this. He claims, “If, instead of this remark, my father had taken the pains to explain to me that the principles of Agrippa had been entirely exploded […] I should certainly have thrown Agrippa aside…” (Shelley 24) In chapter 3, Frankenstein blames his professors, Krempe and Waldman, for the way he directed his studies stating that, “M. Krempe was a little squat man with a gruff voice and a repulsive countenance; the teacher, therefore, did not prepossess me in favour of his pursuits.” (Shelley 31) Conversely, M. Waldman was a handsome, eloquent professor with the “…sweetest voice he ever heard” (Shelley 32), so it was only logical that Frankenstein felt inclined to follow the path of Chemistry. Furthermore, Frankenstein places all the blame on the creature, or the monster, as he calls him. He never admits that his lack of care, teachings, and understanding were the ones who had a negative impact in shaping the personality of the creature. Instead Victor argues, “He showed unparallel malignity and selfishness in evil; he destroyed my friends; he devoted to destruction beings who possessed exquisite sensations, happiness and wisdom…” (Shelley 193) Throughout the story, Victor Frankenstein continues to assign blame to others: guilt, hatred, and sadness propelled this blame