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Theme Of Greed In Frankenstein

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Victor Frankenstein, the narrator and main character in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, animated a horrific being from lifeless matter. Throughout the novel, he discussed the impact of the creature’s actions on his wellbeing, as well as the lives of those around him. However, he focused little on how he affected the creature. Frankenstein’s greed led to the consequences of the creature’s animation. While he, too, was emotionally neglected by his parents, he left the creature to a similar fate by choosing to abandon it. His desire for God-like abilities only served to increase the extreme effects of his actions. The central motivation for Frankenstein’s efforts in the novel Frankenstein was greed. He desires were focused solely upon bettering himself in many facets of his life. The first example of this presented in the piece was improving his status in society. Victor wanted to accomplish something that was believed to be an impossible feat: creating life. He stated this desire while discussing his childhood: “what glory would attend the discovery, if I could banish death from the human frame, and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death” (Shelley 69). He began by studying pieces of scientific literature that, unknowingly to him, had been disproven years before. This should have been corrected during his childhood; however, there was no individual present in his life who could guide him towards modern research. Due to this, his dangerous …show more content…

His desire for improving his status at the expense of others quickly led to his downfall. The neglect he experienced prevented him from considering the effects of abandonment ahead of time, resulting in the rash decision to leave the creature immediately after its animation. His progress towards obtaining God-like abilities only worsened the outcome of his actions, as he did not understand the risks he was taking when attempting

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