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Victor Frankenstein: The Real Monster
Who is the real monster? In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein is a scientist who?s goal is to give life to an inanimate body. During and after the creation of his monster, Victor?s ambition, selfishness and secrecy alienated him from human society. So who is the real monster? Contrary to initial perceptions, the creator, Victor is the monster.
Victor?s ambition to create life caused him to become a monster. He was determined to go to Ingolstadt University to study philosophy and science and to discover the secret of life. In doing so, he spent years away from his friends and family. ?I passed through the scenes familiar to my youth but which I had not seen for nearly six years? (Shelley 58). Victor?s over-ambition to be famous clouded his view of determining the potential consequences of his goal to generate life. His only thought was how to generate life, not what the consequences were. ?I had worked hard for nearly two years for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body? (Shelley 42). Victor?s ambition also caused him to become a monster because he never considered what he should do if he was to succeed in creating life. ?Nor could I consider the magnitude and complexity of my plan as any argument of its impracticability? (Shelley 39). This caused him to react irrationally when he saw product of his creation. Not only did Victor display acts of over-ambition, he also showed that he was selfish.
Victor displayed many acts of selfishness in the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. These acts also caused him to be a monster. When Victor said that he was ?Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room? (Shelley 42), he displayed selfishness.This was because he was not happy with the outcome of the monster and abandoned it. Another incident of selfishness that contributed to Victor being a monster occurred after the death of his younger brother William. Victor returned home after years of being away, to spend time with his family. Soon after he arrived in Geneva, he left for the Alpine valleys by himself hoping to ease his grief. in doing this, he left his family and Elizabeth behind once again. ?It was during an access of this kind that I suddenly left home, and being my step towards the near Alpine valleys, to forget myself and my ephemeral because human, sorrows? (Shelley 78). The largest act of selfishness that Victor showed was when the monster threatened Victor that he would be with him on his wedding-night. Even though Victor knew that the chances of death occurring were high for that night, he married Elizabeth. ?...i should almost regard him as invincible, and that when he had pronounced the words ? I shall be with you on your wedding-night,? I should regard the fate as unavoidable? (Shelley 174). In addition to Victor being selfish, [next page]