Victor's Negative View Of The Creature In Frankenstein By Mary Shelley

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor’s world is in a continuous state of change, from his family to his environment. However, the one thing that never deviates in the novel is Victor’s negative perspective of the Creature. Victor cannot change his perspective because he sees himself in the Creature, he has grown to despise himself due to his various actions in the novel, and because of this he hates the monster.
Elizabeth, the most important member of Victor’s family, appears to be one of the constants in Victor’s life, however, even she experiences change. At her deathbed, Victor’s mother expressed her want for Victor and Elizabeth become married. “‘My children,’ she said, ‘my firmest hopes of future happiness were placed on the prospect …show more content…
This movement begins during chapter 9 when Victor and his family visit their house at Belrive. “Sometimes, with my sails set, I was carried by the wind; and sometimes, after rowing into the middle of the lake, I left the boat to pursue its own course…” (Shelley,95) The use of a lake shows the beautiful aspect of nature. It represents Victors mind, which as the time is open and blank. His mind is this way because Victor is attempting to flee from his problems by forgetting about them. He allows himself to be carried by the wind into the middle of the lake in order to help replicate his mental state. The nature surrounding Victor then slowly progresses to the sublime. Victor realizes that he cannot run from his problems and to cope with his anguish he leaves in search for some comfort. “Sometimes I could cope […] suddenly left my home […] Alpine valleys, sought in the magnificence, the eternity of such scenes, to forget myself and my ephemeral, because human, sorrows.” (Shelley,98) At this moment, Victor’s mind has become more tormented and nature again is where he finds relief. However, as he says himself, it is ephemeral, and he relapses to his previous state of mind. As his journey continues Victor’s environment becomes more and more sublime until finally once it reached its peak. “The abrupt sides of vast mountains […] along the mountains of accumulated ice.” …show more content…
Victor 's inability to change his perspective stems from the reasoning that Victor sees a part of himself reflected in the Creature. Ever since creating the Creature, Victor has despised himself and all of his actions. This constant hatred of himself equates to a constant hatred towards the Creature. Victor sees himself in the Creature due to the many similarities between them, both start innocent, both are abandoned, and both are isolated from society. Victor starts out with good intentions in his heart, he is going to a university for the soul purpose of gaining knowledge. However, as he studies progress his greed for power grows and overpowers him. “The summer months passed while I was thus engaged heart and soul, in one pursuit.” (Shelley, 55) The creature also starts his life the innocence of a child, but the constant rejection when he comes in contact with humans plagued his mind with hatred. When he encounters Victor he tells him, “Believe me, Frankenstein: I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity […]” (Shelley, 105) After the death of his mother Victor is removed of a parental figure from his life. This abandonment of his creator at a young age can also be seen with the Creature. From the very beginning, the Creature was abandoned by Victor. The Creature and Victor are also similar in that they are both isolated from