“Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be they Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel. Whom thou drive from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded…” (87)
Victor had two loving parents that gave him everything he ever needed or wanted to fulfill his physiological and emotional needs. Since Victor did not do this for his monster, the monster would kill all of Victor’s family and friends that he loved which would bring destruction to Victor’s life. For the rest of his days, Victor would go on a search for his monster to destroy it or die trying. Unlike Victor, the monster was never loved because of the way he looked. He was left alone, even by his creator, and lived a miserable life always escaping people that would “attacked [him], until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons” (Shelley). This caused a lot of anger for the monster, and he would then release this anger onto Victor to make him pay for abandonment. In the end Victor’s death was “caused by his creature” or really by “his own vengeful pursuit of it” (Lowe-Evans). The monsters death was through “self-immolation” because of the murders he committed to get back at Victor (Lowe- Evans). Both man and monster life was ended in cruel
As a child, Victor was emotionally neglected by his father. He was never taught how to be a father because he did not have a good role model to look after. Consequently, when Victor’s creation came to life, he did not know how to act. He was scared and tried to run away from his problems. Since his creation has no parental figure to support and teach him, he develops behavioral problems and is very confused. He grows angry at Victor for creating him, leaving him, and refusing to make him a female companion. Victor’s creation murders his friend Henry Clerval, his brother William, and even his wife Elizabeth. Once Victor’s creation comes to life, his life is ruined. If he would have accepted him from the beginning and taken on the rule of a father, his life may not have been so miserable. Victor and his creation ultimately needed each other’s love, because their separation ultimately destroyed them
Parents are everyone 's first role models. Regardless of biological relation, those who raise us have a profound influence on the way we perceive and interpret life. Parents lay the foundation of our first sense of morality and empathy, and usher us to the path of our development of social skills. No matter how consciously one may attempt to have no resemblance to their parents, it is an inevitability of life that we will harness aspects of their influence and carry them through our lifetime. In Mary Shelley’s, “Frankenstein”, the influence of parental figures is displayed by the morals and values instilled in the monster.
People are not born with the mentality to kill—or are they? Human ambition and desires vary from one another, but for the most part, humans do not seek to commit atrocities. If they do, then who is to blame, the murderer or the ones who raised the murderer? In Mary Shelley’s novel, the main character, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, stitched body parts together to create a beyond hideous, vile-looking creature which caused Frankenstein to abandon him at sight. When the monster ends up killing Frankenstein’s beloved brother due to resentment, one can argue that the creature’s actions are justified (55). The murders and immoral actions of Frankenstein’s monster are justified because he did not have a parental figure, was neglected by the general public,
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the tale of a mad scientist is told who surpasses the limits of science and what is typically considered to be possible for man to achieve. One of the many underlying stories, though, can be seen in the monster who is created and then brought to life at the beginning of the novel. The monster’s development throughout the novel begins with initially being rejected and neglected by his creator Victor Frankenstein. The monster turns aggressive soon after and seeks revenge on Frankenstein’s family, killing off each one, one at a time. These actions are obviously very unlike that of an average human child, but when you look at his horrendous acts as being in response to negligence by a parental figure, they can
Change is the one thing that nothing is immune to. This is clearly shown throughout Mary Shelley’s, Frankenstein. The novel tells of a scientist, Victor, who just wanted to make something with his life. Victor spends many years of his life in college where he figures out he has the ability to give life to an inanimate object and sets off on a path of creation. A few years later, Victor completes his task and gives life to his grand creation. Victor’s first look at his “masterpiece” horrifies him and he proceeds to run away; leaving his “child” all alone. The paths both Victor and the monster will lead will be obvious as the story progresses. Through indirect characterizations, it is obvious that, both characters undergo changes as the story furthers.
What gives humans the right to create life? Moreover, what responsibilities does a parent have to his child. Multiple philosophies have been formulated that address this question; communism and Christianity being two of the most prominent in the western modern world. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses Frankenstein’s monster to convey her belief that a parent's most basic duty to their child is to be present in their live while caring and nurture them. She does this through a multitude of literary devices. By using a metaphorical child, foreshadowing torment that will result from abandonment, and telling a story within a story to show the importance of parenting Mary Shelley presents
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein examines how the presence of a mother, negatively or positively, affects the development of a child. Victor’s mother, Caroline Frankenstein, dies while Victor is still a young man (he is about 17 years old), breaking their relationship between mother and son. Because Victor loses his bond with his mother, he is unable to act as a mother would when he creates his creature. Caroline Frankenstein’s absence in Victor’s life creates a disunion between the mother and child bond, which is evident in Victor’s creation and his fragmented relationship with the creature.
‘Frankenstein’ is an award winning novel by Mary Shelley that was published in 1818. It tells the story of a committed young science student, Victor Frankenstein, who performs an unorthodox science experiment, consequently creating a malformed but sentient creature. In his attempt to satiate his hunger for success and acceptance, he brought forth the story of the monster, who similarly sought to belong and be understood by those around him, coming across Felix and Agathe in his pursuit, who were excluded from society and lived in segregation, also wanting acceptance. The importance of understanding
Shelley’s novel strongly connects with the act of parenting. It is clear that Victor Frankenstein did not complete his role as a parent. Due to this, it further led the monster to misbehave and feel as if he does not have a purpose in life. Parents should be there to express love and care towards their newborn. Within the novel, Frankenstein disregards the monster, which brings out the violence and turmoil within the monster. If Frankenstein were to give proper parenting to the monster, which he created, the monster would have not acted the same.
Since the monster looked up towards both Victor and the De Laceys, they can both assume a parental role. The monster describes the De Lacey family as “‘perfect forms’” and is entranced by “‘their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions!” (Shelley 121). The monster becomes more civil and empathetic by studying the De Laceys. He reflects on the kindness that the family members show to one-another and applies that to his own actions. During his time studying the family, the monster becomes more “open to love and compassion, valuing education, language, and communication as he develops the ability to comprehend and share with others,” (Brackett). At first, the monster routinely stole food from the cottagers, however, when he discovered that this action brought hardship upon them he satisfied himself “‘with berries, nuts, and roots...gathered from a neighboring wood,” (Shelley 118). This improvement in character strengthens the idea that a natural education is superior. Conversely, when the monster imagines his creator, Victor, he curses “‘his crimes & malice”’ thoughts of hatred and revenge consume him (Shelley 96). This dichotomy highlights the incompetence of Victor as a parent. This helps to reassert that the monster’s “wickedness originates not with his soul but his treatment,” (Ferguson). Victor’s negligence as a parent, a trait caused by his poor upbringing, caused the corruption of his
Often in a novel, an author will make the relationship between a parental figure and a child be one of conflict to emphasize their relationship to each other. However, in the 1818 Gothic Romantic novel Frankenstein, author Mary Shelley uses the father and son relationship between scientist Victor Frankenstein and the creature as a tool to demonstrate that one must take responsibility for their actions and that monsters are not born monsters visualized through Victor’s abandonment of the creature, the monsters reaction to being shunned and Victor’s failure to comply with the creatures request to create a partner.
If you thought that you had daddy issues, then you haven’t read Frankenstein. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, is about a man named Victor Frankenstein, who defies the laws of nature by creating a freaky being made from science. This being, The Creature, grows up around and observes humanity. It’s education consists only from what it encounters, given by nature. Ultimately, The Creature is rejected by humanity, and he reacts by seeking revenge upon Victor, killing his friends, family, and finally Victor. The chronicles of The Creature and Victor are used by Shelly to express various aspects of her life and the time period she lived in. In Frankenstein, Shelley highlights the issues of: miscarriages, nature vs. nurture, and the roles of women
Former president John F. Kennedy once said “ A man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality”. Kennedy spoke these words to explain how he sees morality within the world and these words hold extreme relevance within Frankenstein as the two main character’s grapple with their morality throughout the story. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein constantly pursues the search for higher knowledge and that leads him to creating life. His decision to abandon the creature sets him on the path that leads to the creature killing everyone that Victor loved. We see how the Creature developed his own morality based on how society treated him, the cottagers he viewed, and the literature he viewed. In Frankenstein readers see Mary Shelley develop the concept of morality throughout the story within the characters by displaying the relationship between Victor and the Creature.