The Theme Of Obsession In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Register to read the introduction… In an attempt to clear his mind, Victor goes alone to Montanvert. Momentarily he finds peace, but it is very short lived when he come face to face with the daemon her created. The monster tells him the trials and tribulations that he has endured in life. The monster says to Victor “Remember, that I am thy creature: I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel.” (ch.10) In this instance the monster is ultimately placing the burden of his actions onto Victor’s shoulders. Not only did Victor’s secret lead to the death of Justine, now the very creation of the monster lead to William’s death. After deciding to comply with the creature’s demand for a mate, Victor’s obsessive secrecy changes to an obsessive fear. Victor’s procrastination and avoidance of fulfilling his promise causes him great distress. “I had now neglected my promise for some time, and I feared the effects …show more content…
We see that even at a young age, Victor’s powerful and unwavering perseverance will lead to his downfall. Shelley uses all encompassing drives as extremes. Victor does not simply toil away diligently in his pursuit to create life. He does so without bounds, journeying deeper and deeper into his own isolation. Victor’s determination to maintain the secret of his accomplishment leads to the deaths of many friends and family. The obsessive fear that he begins to feel pushes the limits of his mental strength, taking its toll, leaving him incapacitated for months on end. The final compulsion to destroy his daemon takes him to the end of existence. Exhausted from his relentless pursuit, he dies without ever obtaining the closure that he was searching for. “Victor Frankenstein’s life was destroyed because of an obsession with the power to create life where none had been before”