Is Victor Frankenstein A Villain

More often than not, when reading a novel or watching a movie it is easy to pick out the villain. There is usually that character that gives one an immediate feeling of distaste, deceit, or antipathy. The villain should show signs of his bad character and give the audience strong negative emotions. However, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein one doesn’t acquire that immediate feeling of antagonism towards any character. The obvious supposed villain should be the monster, but the audience finds themselves sympathizing with his depressing life. Throughout the story, one constantly justifies what the monster is doing by remembering his horrific circumstances. The monster commits some very heinous crimes, but the audience still understands the reasoning …show more content…
He spends his days studying with his professors and trying to uncover the secret of how to create life. Frankenstein becomes very arrogant about his apparent intelligence concerning modern science and creates a being by using old body parts and unknown chemicals. However, after he watches his creation come to life, he is appalled by the hideous appearance of the monster and rushes out of his home. Frankenstein was obsessed with completing his vision, and he did not think of how the final product would affect him. When he saw the subject of his work come to life, he thought, “…but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 55). Frankenstein neglects the monster he created and is constantly afraid that the monster will appear and confront him. He never tells his professors or friends of his accomplishment, because he is embarrassed by the monster and his ugly exterior. The monster watches how humans interact with each other, and all he wants is to have a companion to confide in. Now the monster has faced rejection from his creator and every human being that he has come in contact with. He finds that his creator has a family and friends of his own, and the monster rages with …show more content…
The monster is the cause of the deaths of almost every family member and friend that Frankenstein cares about. Frankenstein blames himself for the death of his loved ones and goes mad with guilt. He cannot tell anybody of the monster he created, because people would think he’s insane, or he might be found guilty for all the deaths the monster has caused. It is at this point in the story when one finds himself able to empathize with Victor Frankenstein. One can understand why he is so afraid, and why he is constantly trying to protect himself and his loved ones from the monster. Frankenstein blames himself for the deaths of all the people the monster killed, and he soon becomes disgusted with himself. Somehow, the audience still finds a way to sympathize with the monster. Everywhere he went people would flee at the sight of him. For this reason, the monster has no sense of belonging or camaraderie with anyone. The monster is very confused by what he is supposed to do to be accepted into the culture that he has admired from the outside. He helps a family in poverty, but the family is terrified at the sight of him. He saves a drowning girl, but is given beatings and disgust. The monster tries so hard to commit acts of goodness, but the human beings around him can’t look past his unpleasant exterior. The monster expressed his depression by crying out to his