For me, Justine is the biggest victim so far. Considering her background and the hardship she went through at an early age and being neglected by her family was indeed a tragic scenario; even though she felt love and comfort in the Frankenstein 's home. What 's really sad was when she was accused of killing William and was executed. Apparently, Victor knew his brother was killed by the monster, yet still he couldn 't do anything to save the girl 's life because he was scared and don 't want people to know he had created an awful
The vainglorious and vindictive tones in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein demonstrate Victor’s evolution from a character who took pride in becoming a father to a new species to the annihilation of his own existence. Victor’s ego drove him to finish his creation and become world renowned. It is that same creation that he abandons and must take vengeance upon. Victor’s egotistical aspiration to conquer death is something beyond what others are capable of. “A new species would bless me as its creator…”
In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and his creature, both display a sense of moral ambiguity. Each character has committed both good and evil alike, and neither knew the consequences of what they had done. However, Victor Frankenstein is generally the morally ambiguous character by his treatment of his creation and his own imperious personality. He wanted to be able to help science by recreating life or bringing it back, but at the same time, he did not want to consider the consequences of doing so. Victor tries to prove himself as a good moral character in the relationship between his creation and himself.
Victor’s rejection of accountability aligned with Romantic ideals, of this time, of rebellion against societal norms and institutions. The historical context in which Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein, plays a significant role in shaping Victor Frankenstein’s character and
Victor’s creation is described as a “monster” in the story of Frankenstein. He is immediately considered to be evil because he has committed murder, even though he meant no harm. He wrongfully forges his identity according to how others see him; as an evil monster. He forges his identity on how others view him, which is an evil monster (Lall 36). At this point, he is growing out of the mental stage of an infant and is beginning to learn how to take care of himself.
Victor Frankenstein is born into a wealthy family and by all accounts is a happy child with the opportunity to have a successful life until he becomes obsessed with the idea of creating human life. Victor quickly becomes obsessed and almost arrogant with the idea of creating life having no idea that he has separated himself from the rest of the world. Victor would tell people that the creation of the monster has ruined his life. “I feel exquisite pleasure in dwelling on the recollections of childhood, before misfortune had tainted my mind and changed its bright visions of extensive usefulness into gloomy and narrow reflections upon self. Besides, in drawing the picture of my early days, I also record those events which led, by insensible steps, to my after tale of misery, for when I would account to myself for the birth of that passion which afterward ruled my destiny I find it arise, like a mountain river, from ignoble and almost forgotten sources; but, swelling as it proceeded, it became the torrent which, in its course, has swept away all my hopes and joys” (Shelley, 24) Even in Victor 's own words he admits to losing his happiness because of his desperate desire to create the monster.
Throughout the story, Victor faces a series of consequences as a result of his unethical behavior, which extend far beyond his personal pain and infect the lives of people around him. His reckless use of knowledge and abandonment of the creature resulted in the creature's loneliness and sense of rejection, causing its spiral into violence and vengeance against its creator. Frankenstein's failure to recognize the creature's rights and humanity increased its agony and fueled its need for vengeance. Additionally, his actions set off a chain reaction of disaster that affected not only himself but also his loved ones, demonstrating the ethical consequences of playing god and ignoring one's responsibilities as a creator. The devastating death of
Throughout ‘Frankenstein’, we discover that Shelley presents Victors responsibility as flawed, We see him as childish and unable to accept his failures and mistakes. Rarley does he accept the “demonical corpse” who is “more hideous than belongs to humanity”, as his creation. Rather than dealing with the conequences and raising the monster, as his father and god. He abanondens it into society. We Can look back into Victors childhood to see where he gained his original morals, and where the drive for the creation of the monster was.
In the Mary Shelley novel Frankenstein is made to be a gothic horror story. She developed a character named Victor he liked science and had an ambition to create the “ perfect human” in his eyes but as you will see stuff doesn't always go as planned. Abandoned, Revenge and Vengeance, and guilt and regret could be the three characteristics developed through the actions and words of Victor. Although he had good intentions Victor Frankenstein becomes distressed and deranged and as a result of this he forgets and leaves behind his creation.
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Justine is used as a foil for Victor to highlight his flaw of selfishness, and how their relationship foreshadows the devastating deaths of Victors loved ones
The duality of man is often portrayed in stories, but in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, it is exemplified in the character traits of Victor and his Creation. The Creature is described as a grotesque and horrifying monster, but he is molded by how others react to him and force him into the shadows. The Creature is not the monster of the story because Victor refuses to take accountability for the actions and consequences of his creature. Victor is the true monster of “Frankenstein” with his twisted morals and ideologies, that push unfortunate circumstances onto his peers around him. At the beginning of the story, there is a series of letters from Walton to his sister that paint his adventures and dreams on the sea, in the fourth letter Victor is introduced and instantly portrayed as an
Subsequently, Frankenstein fits the role of a typical gothic hero but perhaps his selfishness causing the death of innocent people and inability to blame himself, as he blames ‘destiny’ for ‘decreeing his terrible destruction’, so it is difficult for the reader to empathise with Victor despite his redemption arc proving him to be more complex than a typical gothic hero challenging early gothic literature. Overall Shelly challenges the reality of early gothic conventions by illustrating the idea of a monster as complex and providing insight to the complexity of Victor as a gothic hero, also by focusing on terror rather than
This much is true for Victor’s failure to take responsibility for not only teaching his creation about life but also failure to take responsibility for the actions of his creation. “Frankenstein! You belong then to my enemy… you shall be my first victim” (153). Victor’s knows that he is responsible for the death of William because he abandoned his creation and made the monster learn the hard way that he would not be accepted into society. But he has no choice but to let Justine take the fall for the death of his brother because he fears being seen as a madman.
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS The role of victor is subverting the mythical norms in Frankenstein. Usually the creator is considered superior and perfect in his qualities however, in this novelette, the creator himself is flawed he fails to own his own creation. On the complete contrast, Mary Shelley portrays the Creature to be an isolated figure that spends his life desiring a companion and friendship. The Creature is so rejected by society, so abandoned by Victor and the people he come across, that he becomes filled with hatred towards everyone, particularly for the one who placed him into this terrible state in the first place – Victor.
Victor knows that the monster will come on his wedding night but by not telling Elizabeth, he intentionally puts her in danger because he knows that Elizabeth will not marry him if he told the truth. He intentionally manipulates her by not revealing the truth and does this for his benefit despite knowing that either he or she might die. The lack of basic regard and life threatening situation he knowingly places her in displays his egocentric lack of basic regard he has for a loved one. Consequently, Frankenstein's willingness to sacrifice lives and place others in danger to protect his personal image displays his deep narcissism. Moreover, Victor’s desire for vengeance against the monster ultimately causes his demise.
