In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, readers are immersed with a story that follows one character, Victor’s, misguided quest leading him to create a monster that ultimately alters his life forever. The text presents to readers Victor’s internal conflict-highlighting his struggle to find the culprit of his misfortunes. On the other hand, the text presents the Monster, who wholly contradicts Victor. The monster is able to place responsibility for his fate as a non-human character, although still suffers misfortunes due to his impossible situation. The parallel of Victor’s misfortune and the Monster’s misfortune both stem from their quest and possession of knowledge, yet strongly emphasize a difference in their behaviors towards their individual choices. The text uses this character contrasts, a human vs a human product of design, to affirm a belief of human’s self- imposed destiny- no matter one’s acceptance of their personal responsibility.
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In this scenario, Victor exemplifies his hubris attitude as he strives to proudly defy nature and crown himself a god like status. The texts links Victor’s extreme ambition and thirst for knowledge to his actions of creating a monster, suggesting him to be the opposite of heroic. “No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and dead appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellence nature would owe their being to me… Pursuing these reflections, I thought, that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption” (Shelley
In this scenario, Victor exemplifies his hubris attitude as he strives to proudly defy nature and crown himself a god like status. The texts links Victor’s extreme ambition and thirst for knowledge to his actions of creating a monster, suggesting him to be the opposite of heroic. “No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and dead appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellence nature would owe their being to me… Pursuing these reflections, I thought, that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter, I might in process of time (although I now found it impossible) renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption” (Shelley