The Destruction Of Innocence In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Mary Shelley purposely has the female characters portray innocence throughout the novel Frankenstein, while the male, Victor has a large ego that conflicts with the females lives. It leads to the destruction of Justine first, by having his ego block him from setting the innocent women free from the crime that he committed. His worry of his ego being lowered, caused him to not stand up for Justine. Due to his worry of his ego being faltered he tries to boast it up by leaving Elizabeth alone to die while he goes out to hunt the monster. This ego hinders allows the signs of what has happened in the past by making him oblivious to what will, and does happen. Victor is oblivious to what the consequences are when he creates the monster after he …show more content…
Victor has always thought of Elizabeth as a thing that belonged to him. That leaves him to own the responsibility of protecting her and watching over her. He thinks of her no different than a boy with a new puppy: “I looked upon Elizabeth as mine - mine to protect, love and cherish. All praises bestowed on her I received as made to a possession of my own” ( Shelley 21). His ego makes his one priority to love and protect her, but ironically his ego is what destroys her. On their wedding night, instead of protecting Elizabeth, Victor leaves her alone as he goes and hunts for the monster. Elizabeth is subject to another downfall of this male mayhem: “She left me, and I continued some time walking up and down the passages of the house and inspecting every corner that might afford a retreat to my adversary…when suddenly I heard a shrill and dreadful scream” (Shelley 186). Victors is blinded by ego by not being able to comprehend how every person who dies is because Victor still believes he is better and smarter than the monster. This tragic event and all the other murders in the novel would not have occurred if Victors ego would of caused the desire to create