Theme Of Being Selfish In Frankenstein

Being selfish and not worrying about the consequences of your actions can negatively affect yourself and others around you. In the book, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, this couldn’t be more true. Throughout the book, Victor blames his fate on his wild ambition and curiosity. Ambition alone did not hurt Victor but it was his selfish trait that he possesses. From not listening to his father, to isolating himself away from his loved ones for months, Victor continually shows his selfish characteristic.
Victor’s self-centered decisions resulted in the downfall of his life because the choices indirectly caused the murders and sufferings of his friends and family that he dearly loved. Victor’s lack of parenting for the monster, his refusal to create …show more content…
By keeping the creation of the monster a secret, Victor continually puts many of his family and friends at risk. By letting people know of his creation, Victor could have possibly killed the monster and ended both of their despairs forever. An example of selfish secrets is in Chapter 22 where Victor says, “I avoided explanation and maintained a continual silence concerning the wretch I had created. I had a persuasion that I should be supposed mad, and this in itself would forever have chained my tongue.” From the first glance of the monster Victor feels very disgusted and embarrassed of his creation and as a result he keeps the monster a secret. Victor blames the recurring murders on his “mad” ambition and overlooks the fact that he selfishly kept the secret from everyone. Not only does he blame his ambition for the murders but he also wrongfully accuses his ambition of chaining his tongue and keeping the creation a secret. His self-centeredness, lack of care for other people, and his embarassment of the monster are the main reasons why Victor keeps his creation a secret. Victor’s secrecy of the creation of the monster continues when he says, ”A thousand times rather would I confessed myself guilty of the crime ascribed to Justine but such ravings would accuse me of being a madman. (Chapter 8)” Being considered a ‘madman’ is insignificant compared to the death of a beloved family-friend. This quote shows that Victor cares more about himself and his self-image than his ever so supportive family. How could you be more selfish than that? Victor’s family raised Victor with kindness and compassion and Victor doesn’t have the decency to save a beloved innocent girl’s life. His selfishness that he portrays carries on throughout the story and continues to lead Victor to his downfall and soon ruins his relationship with the