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How Does Victor Create Sympathy In Frankenstein

2090 Words9 Pages
Sympathy, or Lack Thereof, for Frankenstein’s Monster Frankenstein’s monster is possibly one of the most well known literary characters that doesn’t have a name. The monster’s cliché image has found a home in the minds of millions, if not billions of people regardless of whether or not they have ever read Mary Shelley’s classic novel or seen its countless film adaptations. We all may think of the monster as just that- a monster; but was he really? Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, like many works of literature, raises countless moral questions. These questions range from the relatively basic- such as whether or not the relationship between Victor and Elizabeth is incestuous, to the more complex- such as whether or not Victor is trying to be God-like. The main question that this essay will focus on, however, is neither of those. In this essay I will delve into the readers’ perception of the monster and whether Victor Frankenstein’s creation should be viewed with sympathy or if relating to the creature’s struggles and reactions to such is reasonable. To start the discussion, It is important to focus on certain parts of Victor and his creation’s backstory. Victor was born into an aristocratic family and had massive amounts of money, as did the rest of the Frankensteins, from generations of business owners and government officials. Along with being financially well-off, Victor’s family cared about him personally. From the beginning of his life, and the beginning of the
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