Franken-Similarities: A Compare and Contrast of a Creature and a Monster and Who Ending up Being What In the 1818 novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley developed the creature to act as a foil for Victor Frankenstein, highlighting both redeemable and toxic qualities of the failed father figure: obsessed curiosity, ambition for greatness, and unfailing arrogance. Frankenstein’s failings reveal that his real ‘destiny’ was inevitable isolation and utter self destruction. He could have lived a good, long life with his family with all of these qualities at a normal, healthy level, but Frankenstein’s degree of these qualities were way past sustainable—way past endurable. Shelley related him to the creature, because his unsatisfied heart could only be …show more content…
Unlike Victor Frankenstein’s birth, the creature searched for glory from a beginning of loneliness and a craving for love from the humans he wished to be. Even though he was unfamiliar with the typical childhood when he was first ‘awakened’, the monster knew he had “no money, no friends, no kind of property”, and he wished to change that (128). He wanted what everyone else got freely, and even with this unfairness, he tried desperately to earn these ‘normal’ assurances he didn’t already own—like acceptance. When the creature was furiously denied these privileges, he turned away from humanity and their prejudice and looked to his own race, demanding a similar undead wife from Frankenstein. “‘You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do, and I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede’” (156). The monster did not end up receiving this gift, as well, and the same can be said about Frankenstein’s pursuit for glory. Though Victor had a loving childhood that never rang with solitude, he still coveted respect and admiration from humanity, only not for his similarities with them—like the monster tried for—but with his superiority. This contrast perfectly displays to the audience that Victor …show more content…
The creature does not share the same measure of egotism, but he does hold himself deserving of things he should not be. “‘Shall each man,’ cried he, ‘find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by detestation and scorn’” (182). Though it is sad that the monster is forever alone, he doesn’t seem to understand that throwing a tantrum over it and killing people does not end with compensation, especially with such a ‘gift’ as this. He holds himself above humanity at this point, like Victor, and this gall is completely unwarranted. The creature later is so filled with prideful rage at Frankenstein to the point where he did not even consider the consequences of his revenge. “I may die, but first you, my tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery. Beware, for I am fearless and therefore powerful” (182). The abomination succeeded in ruining Victor’s live, but in doing so committed multiple accounts of murder. His only thought was getting what he deserved and he did not see his wrongdoing, or feel remorse, until the very end of the novel when he still had nothing even after all his vengeance. “But it is true that I am a wretch. I have murdered the
After conversing with William Frankenstein, Victor's younger brother, the creature lashes out in anger and exclaims, “Frankenstein!”(Grimly 113). From this, some may conclude that murdering William makes him a monster; however, the only reason the creature felt the need to murder William is because of how Victor treated him so horribly. If Victor had cared for and tended to his own creation, then the creature would not have hate in its heart and would instead be peaceful. Similarly, following the murder of Elizabeth, Victor falls into a deep state of despair and recalls, “I was answered through the stillness of night by a loud and fiendish laugh”(Grimly 171). The opposing side would argue that the creature cruelly sought out revenge and made Victor’s life miserable, showing his deplorable behavior, making him a monster.
Over the past century, Frankenstein has been analyzed and interpreted in seemingly infinite different forms of literature, film, and television shows. Once solely recognized as the story about a brilliant scientist who creates a creature in whom he regrets making after the creature turns out ugly, Frankenstein now represents an internationally recognized and commercialized pop culture symbol for Halloween decorations and costumes. When analyzing and appreciating the true literary essence behind Mary Shelley’s original Frankenstein, one of the most important comparisons to consider remains the underlying influences behind the Creature’s immoral actions and whether or not the blame for these actions belong to Victor or the Creature. When exploring the dichotomy of the Creature versus Victor Frankenstein, one of the biggest and most widely debated questions remains whether Victor should be blamed for the Creature’s destructive actions or if the Creature should be considered guilty for his actions based off of his own free will. Many consider Victor Frankenstein the villain of the story due to his repetitive decisions to abandon and avoid his own “mistake,” the irresponsible choice of creating the monster in the first place, and his obvious negligence of the Creature’s feelings.
The Creature in Frankenstein Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” is an inspirational work of horror and science fiction; it is the narrative of an unorthodox act of creation, of a monster which torments his miserable creator. The author puts forth ideas, and reinforces it through the development of the plot, that mankind is capable of both good and evil. Shelly demonstrates the ‘humanity’ of the creature; his actions and his inclination are like those of mankind. Indeed, even the negative aspect of his character, demonstrated through his quest for revenge, has a parallel in the actions of his human creator. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” the creature is represented as being vicious and murderous but he is not inherently evil or malicious.
The novel Frankenstein brings to light many problems and situations that shed light on the faults of mankind. Cruelty was a huge factor in the novel; throughout Frankenstein is cruel to his body and to his creation. When he first makes the creature he runs from it, leaving the creature to fend for himself; even when reuniting with the creature he continues displays cruelty. The creature, in turn exhibits Victor cruelty right back. Within Frankenstein cruelty can be attributed, often affecting both Victor and the creature; serving as a crucial motivator and revealing their anger, pain, frustration till eventually both die.
In Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the creature 's acquisition of knowledge leads to his diversion from benevolence to pure hatred towards mankind. The works of Victor Frankenstein, the monster was created by old body parts and strange chemicals, animated by a spark making him come to life. The Creature enters life as an eight-foot giant only to have been created with the intellect of a newborn. Abandoned by his creator and confused, the Creature attempts to integrate himself into society only to be shunned away in disgust by humanity. The Creature then makes his way and lives next to a human family which is essentially the start for the creatures detestation towards humanity.
In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, written in 1816, the monster is more human than his creator, Victor Frankenstein, because it exhibits stronger human qualities than Victor including: a desire for companionship and personal interaction, an ability to show compassion and grace to others, and has an imagination and intelligence. Throughout the novel, the Monster shows a human characteristic of longing for companionship and love. He even says that “Satan has his companions, fellow-devils, to admire and encourage him; but [he is] solitary and detested” (Shelley 93). Once the Monster realizes this, he flees into the woods, and begins observing a family that lives in a cottage out there.
Victor does not handle his monster, or his fears, well. When Frankenstein first sees his monster, he immediately “escaped, [from the room the monster was in] and rushed down stairs. p50” As the monster is an externalization of Frankenstein’s fears, this escape, this inability to so much as look at the monster, can be interpreted as Frankenstein’s inability to acknowledge his fears and anxieties. Like with anxiety, denying the monster’s existence only causes him to grow more destructive.
The creature wishes to live in peace, but because he does not look like a normal human, he can not live in peace. Additionally, Frankenstein does not help the creature or nurture him with love, thus, he causes the creature to develop a deep resentment towards Frankenstein. The creature, whom is optimistic until now, says, “ Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live?” (161).
In life there are many evils that will try to defeat a person but the key to living a happy, fulfilling life is learning to have empathy for others who are facing their own evils. Empathy is hard to have if a person has not endured any real struggles in their life. Being able to know firsthand how it feels to go through difficulties helps create a level of empathy that leads to compassion for one another. Victor Frankenstein is a prime example of someone who has faced evils in their own life but in the end did not find compassion for others, instead he found his own hell. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor’s lack of empathy opens the door into his world of selfishness, cruelty, and unhappiness.
Such passion is seen in Victor’s ‘noble intent’ to design a being that could contribute to society, but he had overextended himself, falling under the spell of playing ‘God,’ further digging his grave as he is blinded by glory. His creation – aptly called monstrous being due to its stature, appearance, and strength – proved to be more of a pure and intellectually disposed ‘child’ that moves throughout the novel as a mere oddity, given the short end of the stick in relation to a lack of familial figures within his life, especially that of parents. Clearly, Victor Frankenstein had sealed his fate: by playing God he was losing his humanity, ultimately becoming the manifestation of Mary Shelley’s hidden desires, deteriorating into The Lucifer Principle by which the author Howard Bloom notes social groups, not individuals, as the primary “unit of selection” in human psychological
He starts his own plan to for revenge against the creature, but this makes him just as beastly as the monster. Victor makes it his life goal, to make the monster pay in any way he can. He wants him to feel lonely and isolated forever. The beast takes a lot out on Victor and makes him feel exactly the way he feels
Victor Frankenstein turns away from his responsibilities by ignoring the existence of his creation. Throughout the novel, Victor is constantly running away from the monster and not giving him attention, which resulted in the monsters change of personalities. For example, in page 71 the creation said, “All men hate the wretched; how must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us.” This quote suggests that because of the ignorance of Victor the monster began to become evil and have the urge to seek
In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein's scientific mind helped him to create a living creature by sewing together and reanimating parts of previously dead human, But because of how the creature looked he rejected it when he succeeded at bringing it to life. The creature grew up without any parental affection or guidance. Growing up like this can cause major emotional complications later in life. Through the actions of murdering Victor’s family and loved ones the creature shows his desire for revenge against Victor for abandoning him. At the end of the book the creature has come face to face the death of his creator, instead of feeling rejoice for the death of the man he tortured and hunted down, he feels sorrow and
Beginning with Victor abandoning the creature at birth, the series of revenge and hatred-filled events begin to occur as both attempt to find justice and retribution. The creature stole the lives of everyone beloved by Victor, and Victor stole the monster’s chance at happiness by abandoning him. As the characters continuously harm each other, their isolation increases as well as their sanity. In the end, numerous family members perish, Victor Frankenstein dies of physical exhaustion, and the creature conveys his desire to
The monster continues by reassuring the creator of his independent intelligence and power over the creature by telling Frankenstein, “This you alone can do”. Here, the creature assumes a role of submissiveness and reliance on Frankenstein. Frankenstein’s monster gains the sympathy of the reader who, despite condemning the murder of innocent people, commiserate with the lonely creature who is in search of an acquaintance, which he will likely never find. The monster also displays power and aggressiveness over Frankenstein; “You are my creator; but I am your master; obey!” The monster wants to desolate Victor’s heart, not by killing him directly,