Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tells the tale of Dr. Victor Frankenstein and the aftermath of a scientific experiment gone awry. The novel follows Dr. Frankenstein on his quest for knowledge and his desire to conquer death by reanimating a corpse. Along the way, the reader is forced to contemplate the creature within themselves, just as much as the creature on the page. We are faced with many questions, including: “Are people born evil?” and “How can good and evil exist in the same person?” Victor and the Creature can be viewed as two halves of the same person. Frankenstein sees the Creature as his own personal demon, the ever-present evil lurking just on the edges of his life. The Creature, however, thinks of Dr. Frankenstein as the father that abandoned him, casting him aside for no reason other than his grotesque appearance. This begs the question of who is real villain of the novel. …show more content…
We must remember, however, that the Creature is nothing more than the product of his environment and upbringing. He wants nothing more than anyone else in the world wants—to love and to be loved. Shelley draws an interesting comparison between the Creature and the Biblical story of Adam. However, while Adam was banished from the Garden of Eden for his sins, the Creature is banished and shunned from Victor’s life without having committed any kind of sin. Many people can relate to this feeling, the feeling of being slighted when you’ve done nothing wrong or the feeling of trying your hardest to find love and acceptance only to be