The Theme Of Monstrosity In Frankenstein

Improved Essays
Frankenstein’s Creature is a true exhibit of monstrosity but the real monster is actually Victor himself. The main theme in this novel revolves around monstrosity, but the question lies in who is the real monster the creation or the creator? First we have Victor’s creation, the Creature who has killed innocent people. On one hand this alone can create an argument that he is a monster but if you think about it he is only around the age of two. If you were this strong eight foot two year old, you would be able to cause some major damage. As the novel progresses, the reader realizes the true monster is Victor, the man who created this creature and then rejected him. Victor finally realizes the trouble he has caused when he is confronted about

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Both Frankenstein and the creature have character flaws that lead them into a downward spiral to ultimate demise. It is during this spiral that the reader can see how the creature's flaws mirror those of Frankenstein and how they both give in to revenge, hatred and evil, and eventually death. The doppelganger connection is produced very quickly when Frankenstein’s creature comes alive and the first emotion the two share is misery. With the death of his little brother, Frankenstein describes that, "Anguish and despair had penetrated into the core of my heart; I bore a hell within me which nothing could extinguish” (85). And then later, the creature also exclaims a similar statement, "I, like the archfiend, bore a hell within me” (132).…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    By the halfway point of the novel, Victor has become the antagonist and the monster the victim- which then, reverses. As Victor makes the monster, he abandons it- calling it on page 59, “the demoniacal corpse to which I had so miserably given life.” Victor’s abandonment of the creature reflects his mother’s death early in his childhood, and the cruelty displayed by life there reflects in his own actions of abandonment- his shift from victim to perpetrator complete. After the abandonment of the creature, Victor shows other cruelties to him as well, such as refusing to reason with him, or make him a mate of any sort. By his cruel actions, Victor pushes the creature to commit his own atrocities, such as the murder of WIlliam, which the creature describes as, “... I grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet.…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The monster had been abandoned by Victor and had tried to integrate himself into the society for many years but had been rejected universally. On the inside, he is a humanlike creature with a kind heart searching for acceptance, but because of his grotesque appearance, the creature is rejected by society. Thinking that revenge was going to make him feel better, the creature kills Victor’s younger brother. Instead of helping, his creator discontinues work on the female monster meant to ease the monsters depression caused by extreme seclusion. Right after this when the monster is trying to persuade Victor into continuing work on the monster, he says to Victor, “I’ll be with you on your wedding night” (123).…

    • 792 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    By the end of the novel, Victor is perceived as a father who abandons his own child and shares divergent characteristics with those of the creature. The two drastic backgrounds of each allow for clarification to the reader that a person’s past does not define exactly who they are. The horrid appearance of the monster directly compares to that of Victor’s own true personality. As the novel unfolds, the creature’s being allows for comparison to that of Victor’s. Their drastic characteristics assist the reader in fully understanding Victor’s true qualities.…

    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    As the monster becomes more and more educated, he comes to the realization that he should have a father or creator, such as Adam had God in the Bible. Once the monster finally confronts Victor, the monster's creator,…

    • 920 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Victor only wanted to contribute to science and the Creature only wanted to be accepted and loved. But these two innocent souls became lost in the battles of life, fighting for understanding. It can only be said that these characters developed into monstrous beings through hate and revengeful actions. Due to Victors lack of responsibility, he allowed a lost man to become a hellish ghoul, which ultimately resulted in the death of several innocent people who were close to Victor, therefor dissolving any chance for Victor to be happy. His own creation became a his every destruction - a terrible…

    • 1104 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Frankenstein is a novel written by Mary Shelley that focuses on the immoral scientific discoveries of Victor Frankenstein. Victor is a character that holds a great fascination and curiosity for the sciences. This curiosity may be categorized as simple human nature, constantly questioning the unknown, but Victor takes it a step too far when he manufactures his own life form. Victor concocts a creature who possesses such a physically vile appearance that it is not accepted into human society. This creature, being disowned by the human race, unleashes acts of hatred and revenge upon the species that refuses to accept it.…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ranking of Monstrosity in Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley in 1818 is a Romantic novel recounting Victor Frankenstein’s creation of a grotesque monster and the unintended consequences that follow. While The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde is a Victorian novel recounting the creation of Dorian Gray’s portrait. Although Shelley’s Frankenstein and Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray were were written during different literary eras, both share an uncertainty in defining what characteristics make a man a monster. Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde create ambiguity in the texts by constructing multiple characters, who could be interpreted as monsters. Although multiple characters could be considered…

    • 1872 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Victor and the creature inflicted suffering onto each other in an endless cycle; never discovering compassion until it is too late. Acts of cruelty form parallels between the creator and the creature including their transformation into monsters, descent into madness and mutual self-destruction. A true monster is not merely one with an appearance that evokes fear; rather, one that lacks humanity. A monster reverts the natural order of nature; this is clearly displayed with the obsession Victor had to create life for his own selfish gains.…

    • 1996 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The story of Frankenstein is a novel written by Mary Shelly, which was published in 1818. This novel uses various types of themes. Some of the most popular themes are revenge and appearance. Frankenstein is also famous for its use of the genre gothic fiction. Another unique thing about the story is the narration, which also sets it apart from many other stories.…

    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dr. Victor Frankenstein is the real Monster in Mary Shelley 's Gothic Novel Frankenstein? At first glance, the answer to this question seems quite simple but in fact; it is not. Like an onion, Frankenstein has many layers. This essay will peel away the many layers to determine who the real monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Some of the points this piece will touch upon will be Victor’s desire for admiration by his colleagues, his quest to animate a deceased human being that would allow him to find the answer to immortality, and how his self-imposed isolation causes his family and friends great sadness and worry.…

    • 896 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Through the creation of the creature, Victor realizes the wrong he has done in his life, and has regret for not realizing it…

    • 794 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In Volume 1 of Mary Shelley‘s ‘Frankenstein’, horror and terror are themes that evidently run strongly throughout, for example the horror of the creation and the awakening of the Creature, and Victor Frankenstein’s fearful response. According to James. B. Twitchell – “Horror – horrére means to stand on end or bristle”, which most definitely applies to Frankenstein. Written in the early 19th century, Shelley took inspiration from society at the time – particularly science – with the use of Galvanism, electricity, and scientific theories – which fascinated her. This was seen as something completely horrifying at the time of the novel – which emphasizes the horrific nature of the novel itself, as it challenged and fascinated readers with the idea of turning something completely terrifying into a reality.…

    • 1204 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    He no longer studied under M. Krempe and M. Waldman, as he was skeptical that he would not receive all the credit for his new project. Victor rummaged through graveyards to find body parts of the new life he was creating. He soon realized that his judgment is a blunder and he has created a monster. The creature is promptly abandoned when he is brought to life, searching for some sort of assistance. He is left alone, with many questions, but no answers.…

    • 1489 Words
    • 6 Pages
    • 5 Works Cited
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The initial response to the word monster often seems to be along the lines of evil, devil, or villain. However, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the word monster has a different meaning, the only consistency apparent in the accustomed definition is the often giant and ugly aspect. The creature created from death, with the face of horror, and the physique of a beast, surely the victim of his creator Victor Frankenstein. Treading through life with no true identity, dealing with societies constant rejection and being deprived of a single friend, this forsaken creature proves to be living as a pathetic victim of Victors stale judgement. Dealing with the complications of life without a single companion makes living almost unbearable.…

    • 1357 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays