The Destruction Of Humanity In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

While science is typically associated with rationality, objective thought, and maturity, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein follows the story of a scientist who, while intellectually developed, possesses in many senses a childlike personality and worldview. One common trait among children is that they tend to focus mostly on their individual desires and interests, essentially absorbed in their own worlds, yet lack the maturity to hold themselves accountable when their pursuits lead to negative outcomes. Victor Frankenstein, a scientist obsessed with discovering the secret to creating life, exhibits these characteristics as he leans towards either independence or dependence when it suits him most. Though his emotional relationship with science causes

When the small size of the body parts required to form the creature prove to be a “great hinderance to [his] speed,” Victor simply decides “to make the being of a gigantic stature” (58). So strong his impatience and desire for instant gratification that he sacrifices diligence for time, not once stopping to consider the consequences of increasing the monster’s size. Once the monster comes alive, Victor feels “breathless horror and disgust” that “fill[s] [his] heart” and causes him to “rush[] out of the room” (61). This impulsive reaction is characterized by his yielding to negative feelings, and his reference to his heart further signifies the dominance of emotion over the precise, analytical thought that scientists must typically exercise in order to keep high-risk experiments under control. While it is understandable for one to initially flee from that which they find repulsive, Victor remains in the courtyard the entire “rest of the night,” never returning to the monster to assess its potential to escape and hurt those around it

Like a child blind to the error of his or her ways, Victor often rationalizes his actions which lead to the monster’s creation as the result of powers beyond his control, such as fate and destiny. His frequent use of passive voice, such as when describing how his ideas “received the fatal impulse” which led to his downfall or how his “mind was filled” with his obsession, indicates a rejection of responsibility for his pursuits (46, 53). He describes his momentary distaste for alchemy as “the immediate suggestion of the guardian angel of my life- the last effort made by the spirit of preservation to avert the storm that was even then hanging in the stars, and ready to envelope me” (49). Not only does Victor attribute the course of his life to another, more powerful individual, but he also presents himself as the victim to his obsession with science by equating it to a force as unavoidable as a natural disaster. The reference to the stars furthers the impression that Victor believes his life to be in the hands of the universe, while the phrase “even then” suggests that his actions have been predetermined, explaining why he makes little effort to assert autonomy over his decisions. Victor also reasons that his sudden change of mind is a product of the way people’s “souls are constructed,”