Victor Frankenstein Monster Essay Example

“We stopped looking for monsters under our bed when we realized that they were inside us” 

(Charles Darwin). According to this quote by Charles Darwin, he reveals that humans are monsters themselves if look hard enough. For example, In the movie The Dark Knight the Joker portrays himself as the monster in the film with his crimes against Gotham City, but he does all this to send a message. Victor Frankenstein in the novel Frankenstein displays this persona of this great scientist and how he was able to create life, but it is definitely the opposite. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley conveys that Victor Frankenstein himself is the real monster instead of the creature he created through his isolation from his family, his yearning for god-like status, and his hostility toward the creature. 

To begin, Mary Shelley conveys Victor Frankenstein himself is the real monster instead of the creature he created through his isolation from his family. For example, when Victor is creating the monster, he isolates himself from his family and “Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree, the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime” (Shelley 35). The process of creating life has damaged Victor greatly and through that damage he isolates himself and not asking for help. Victor is the real monster because he makes very poor decisions and rejecting his own family. Furthermore, Victor retreats into himself, “Solitude was my only consolation – deep, dark, deathlike solitude” (Shelley 61). In this quote he regrets his creation of life because of all the deaths he has caused with the monster. This connects to theme because Victor again proves that he is a cause of these terrible killings that are happening and should have accepted the monster when it needs Victor. To add on, Victor feels unable to tell Henry about his secrets, “I loved him with a mixture of affection and reverence that knew no bounds, yet I could never persuade myself to confide to him that event, which was so often present to my recollection, but which I feared the detail to another would only impress more deeply” (Shelley 44). This quote important because it shows that Victor feels like no one can relate to him and the blame that he has. This proves that Victor is the real monster and not the creature because he did this to himself and now, he is isolating himself because of that. Overall, Victor is the real monster because of his isolation and not looking for help and just blocking out his family. 

In addition to Victor Frankenstein himself is the real monster instead of the creature he created through his isolation from his family, Mary Shelley also conveys that Victor Frankenstein is real monster through his yearning for god-like status. For instance, Victor is blocking the monster from the one thing he wants, “Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good – misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous” (Mary Shelley 68). In quote it says. “I was benevolent and good – misery made me a fiend.” So, the monster, who longs for love, blames Victor for his evil actions of failing to provide him with a loving, nurturing environment. He compares Victor to God and rebukes him for casting him as the fallen angel instead of Adam. Essentially, Victor took this god-like status too far and created life but did not actually provide it anything to try and live. Moreover, Victor and the monster confront each other, and monster says, “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred” (Mary Shelley 91). In the quotes it says “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?” this part of the quote the monster rages against his creator Victor Frankenstein for having played God. Victor paying this god-like character but is irresponsible with it by making him into a hideous version of man. Finally, Victor realizing he had made a mistake and all the “The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Mary Shelley 35). When the monster at last is completed, he awakens and the result of his attempt to create life turns out to be monstrous and horrendous. Victor realizes that he made a mistake and his dream to be god-like should have remained a dream, but it is now a reality and Victor makes poor decisions to help the monster. Overall, Victor is the real monster because his goals and how he aims to be god-like and when he would inevitably fail, he does not know what to do. 

Finally, to add on to Victor Frankenstein’s egotistic decisions, Mary Shelley also conveys that Victor Frankenstein is the real monster because of his hostility toward the creature. For example, When Victor reunites with his creation the creature asked, “Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust” (Mary Shelley 91). This quote explains how Victor made a mistake with making life even though he has no responsibility taking care of it. This relates to theme because it shows that Victor has no care for the monster because he made the creature this hideous thing, he will never find love.  Furthermore, Victor sees the creature through his window, “As I looked on him, his countenance expressed the utmost of malice and treachery” (Mary Shelley 119). Victor describes the appearance of the Monster in his window. Throughout the novel people see the monster and agrees that he looks terrifying. victor indicates that the monster’s terrifying appearance is evident of his evil character or his “malice and treachery.” Basically, Victor thinks he is justified for his actions upon the monster because Victor thinks he is not in the wrong. The last example, When Victor is accusing the monster of killing William he says, “I expected this reception,” said the daemon. “All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things!” (Mary Shelley 67). Frankenstein’s hatred of the monster is because the monster is “wretched” and “miserable.” But Victor is merely deflecting the blame of William death onto others like the monster because he knows he is the one who caused it. Overall, according to the book Victor is the real monster because of his demeanor and how every time he sees the monster, he only shows hatred and hostility towards him. 

In conclusion, the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley conveys that Victor Frankenstein himself is the real monster instead of the creature he created through his isolation from his family, his yearning for god-like status, and his hostility toward the creature. All the example all relate back to the main theme of that Victor Frankenstein is the real monster throughout the book. Even though both Victor and the monster made poor decisions in the book Victor’s were more drastic and caused the death of everyone he loved. Also, Victor’s overall personality plays a factor in his crudeness and how he treats the creature and how he thinks he has power but when the monster created the monster proves he has more power in the end. Overall, Frankenstein conveys many themes but analyzing Victor and his motive shows a deeper look into the book.