The Monstrous Qualities In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Frankenstein's Monstrous Qualities Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein, is well regarded as one of the first science fiction novels for the monstrous creature that young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, brings to life, and for the chilling events that follow this “abhorred” being’s creation. For many, such a brief synopsis implies that the true monster of the novel is the murderous creature, of which is composed of mix matched human body parts. However, others would agree that there are multiple characteristics displayed by Frankenstein himself that reveal a more monstrous disposition than his creation. I argue that, in this case, the difference between being a monster, and being monstrous are blurred, and that Frankenstein is quite monstrous due

“What did he there? Could he be… the murderer of my brother? No sooner did that idea cross my imagination, than I became convinced of its truth,” (50). The truth is the creature did kill Frankenstein’s brother, but it is the speed and immediate confidence in authority of his accusation that is problematic. Victor has now revealed his inclination to imagine a crime committed by someone and quickly believe it as true; in this case, his accusations will always go towards the creature, because of his relentless hate for the being, and he will always believe the creature to be a criminal. In the same way that Victor changes his mind to suit his convenience, he can believe at once that a person has wronged him, at least when it is a person he detests, such as his creation. Such are the qualities of a man who, though monstrous, is not a monster in nature, unlike his

“I thought of pursuing the devil; but it would have been in vain, for another flash discovered him to me hanging among the rocks of the nearby perpendicular ascent… He soon reached the summit, and disappeared,”(50). The creature is made of human parts, yet beholds a power that no human could rival. Is super strength all it takes to make him a monster? No, but a combination of not only what the creature is able to achieve physically, but also how he achieves it leads to the conclusion that he is not human, as Frankenstein is, because we do not know where the creature’s power comes from. Furthermore, Victor is not able to physically compete with the creature and he fails to act in that moment when both the violent elements of the storm and the crippling rage he feels for his brother’s murderer affect him, making him the more human of the two - the more susceptible to emotion and weakness. I would argue that the creature’s lack of weaknesses as well as his unaccountable strength leads to his inevitable condemnation as the monster of the story, because he is the least relatable, and the most