The Monster In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

The Monster in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein Friedrich Nietzsche once said that one who fights a monster should see to it that in the process they do not become a monster themselves. The protagonist in the fictional novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly deals with this dilemma. Victor Frankenstein is a knowledge-hungry modern scientist in Europe in the 18th century. Creating life out of intimate objects fascinates him; one could say he was captivated by the desire to become a god. After attending the University of Ingolstadt, Victor had mastered everything his professors had taught him. His obsession with the “secret of life” drove Victor to discovering how to bring dead body parts back to life, and therefore creating The Monster. This creation is

He is innocent, pure, and hardworking. After two years spent in a lab, he finally discovers the science between life and death. Although various professors had advised him against this desire, Victor’s goal blinded him from those who were more knowledgeable than him. Then one day, his goal was complete and “[he] seemed to have lost all soul or sensations but for this one pursuit” (33). Victor had done the impossible: created life. He was now a god. Losing soul and sensation is an unnatural occurrence. For example, when someone faints, it is an unnatural act where the soul takes over the body. The soul, being the divine feature of mankind, took over Victor’s body because he felt as if he were now god – disconnected from the natural world. While on this high, Victor does not know what to expect of the Monster, so he waits. One night, while Victor is asleep, the Monster enters his room. As soon as the Monster see’s Victor, “a grin wrinkles his cheeks…[and] he [tried to] speak” (36). Just like a child after birth, trying to connect with its parents. However, Victor’s reaction is not as loving. He describes the Monster as a “storm, so beautiful, yet so terrific” (50). Then Victor flees, losing his godly high. The Monster is now lonely and lost, he says that he “felt pain invade [him]…[then] sat down and wept” (70). A creature needs a creator. In Genesis, when God invades His nation, they are lost. In life, when a

He hunts down the Monster, isolates himself from humanity, and does everything in his power to destroy his creation. In turn, the Monster loses its compassion as well. He Monster kills the people dearest to Victor: his love, Elizabeth, his best friend, Henry, and his brother. However, the Monster only commits these actions once Victor rejects him. After being abandoned for years, the Monster confronts its creator. Instead of a warm, loving welcome, Victor responds with malice. He threatens his child and says, “fear the fierce vengeance of my arm on your wretched head” (67). The Monster then threatens Victor back, and Victor agrees to hear the story of his creations survival. Once the story has been told, the Monster explains, “I am malice because I am miserable…I will revenge my injuries: if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear” (102). His transformation into an evil creature is then complete, because Victor’s selfish ego refuses the Monster any love in this world. The Monster then concludes, “What a wretched creature I am” (91), and leaves Victor and his evil spirit. Victor then loathes himself, because he realized that the Monster and himself have become one evil being, “The being that I had cast over mankind…[was] the light of my own vampire, my own spirit let loose” (51). They were both vengeful creatures now. While Victor hunted the Monster, his creation, he lost his morals and forgot what love can do in