Victor's Madness In Frankenstein

Humanity has always possessed a thirst for the knowledge of the unknown, but the consequences of this knowledge never crosses the minds of those who seek it. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus, shows this foolishness in perfect light, portraying the madness of Victor Frankenstein in his thirst for the creation of life. In his success, he becomes revolted by his Creature, leaving him on his own at the beginning of his new life and leading him to murderous tendencies towards the friends and family of Frankenstein. These circumstances never crossed the mind of Frankenstein, and he eventually came to pay for this. Victor’s lack of consideration for unforeseen consequences showcases this novel as a warning to humanity that the …show more content…
From an early age, Victor had a scientific mind that became curious to the powers of life. “As I stood at the door, on a sudden I beheld a stream of fire issue from an old and beautiful oak … I had never beheld anything so utterly destroyed. … excited by this catastrophe, he entered on the explanation of a theory which he had formed on the subject of electricity and galvanism, which was at once new and astonishing to me” (Shelley 23). His obsession with electricity began as a childish interest; seeing something with such remarkable power inspired Victor to learn as much as he could about its mystery and origin against any determent that he might have faced. His mind taken over by curiosity, Victor began to form an obsession with the powers of electric currents and how they may hold the secrets to life itself, causing him to seem deranged to those around him. He no longer had a sense of moral judgment when it came to his work, and this obsession began to control his life. “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world” (Shelley 34). Victor’s obsession with creating life against the forces of nature quickly came to cloud any judgment that he had previously possessed, causing him to see good in the accomplishment that he was seeking despite any warnings given to him. Victor continues his work regardless of right or wrong, which creates a dangerous situation when he attempts to harness such power as creating life from nothing. Possessing this great power drives Victor into madness, both before and after his success, creating yet another warning to deter humanity from making these same