Victor Frankenstein Monster Analysis

Who is the monster in Frankenstein? The name of the novel makes it clear: Victor Frankenstein is the true monster, not his wretched creation.

For the first clue towards the true villain of this story, we must look to when the creature came to life. Victor Frankenstein has spent months, if not years working on creating life. The creature he creates is his son and Victor owes his son a debt for bringing him into the world. However, Victor’s recollection of the night of his son’s birth states that “How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form?” (CH. 5) His son has done nothing, not even taken his first step, & yet Victor immediately denounces his

He is creating life. That is an unspeakably powerful feat and it merits serious discussion over the possible ramifications of what this technology can bring. Not only does he fail to consider the feelings of the man he will create and the obligations he will be bringing upon himself to care for his creation, he neglects the effect it will have on the rest of the world. Artificial human technology could easily lead to armies of artificial humans who would be quicker to cultivate, easier to train towards ideologies from birth, and stronger than ‘natural ’humans. Victor brazenly ignores all of this and forges forward without ever understanding the true consequences his research will bring. Before the invention & deployment of the atom bomb, there were serious discussions over the concern over it’s destructive radioactive capacity. It took weeks of debate before the final decision. Victor barely spares a moment of thought. After discovering the secret to the generation of life, he says “I doubted at first whether I should attempt the creation of a being like myself, or one of simpler organization; but my imagination was too much exalted by my first success to permit me to doubt of my ability to give life to an animal as complete and wonderful as man.”(CH 4) He doesn't consider any of the long term implications only his own ability to acquire the materials necessary. Not a single ounce of moral perspective is applied & Victor leaps headlong into what he, himself, calls the “the study and desire of the wisest men since the creation of the world”(CH 4). This reckless charge leads to every single problem in the entirety of the rest of the novel. This was not the act of a Villain or a tragic hero. It was reckless action that cost lives and could have been much