While at university Victor became fascinated in biology: “One of the phenomena, which had peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human frame, and indeed any animal endued with life”. Victor was focused to stop death. He was grieving so much because he had lost someone so important and close to him: “ I thought that if I could bestow animation upon lifeless matter …renew life where death had apparently devoted the body to corruption”. His fascination with extending life overtook his studying; he became so committed to finding a way, he had set himself a challenge and he was so sure to achieve that challenge.
A time in the novel where we are shown that Victor is related as a monster is the time when he begins to dig up the dead and raid graveyards. “Who shall conceive the horrors of my secret toil as I dabbled among the unhallowed damps of the grave or tortured…I collected bones from charnel-houses…secrets of the human frame”. This is a sign of immoral, abnormal attitude and is offensive towards the bodies. The definition of a monster is a misshapen animal or plant; person of wickedness; huge animal or thing. The part of the definition where it says a person of wickedness is what should be used to describe Victor Frankenstein. No normal person would dig up the dead and use body parts to make a creation.
Another way, in which Victor could be considered as the monster is the way he treated the creature once he had brought it to life. Victor disowned the creature; he refused to acknowledge it and to accept that the creature was his own: “ For this I had deprived myself of rest ad health. I had desired it with an ardour…at length lassitude succeeded to the tumult…endeavouring to seek a few moments of forgetfulness but it was in vain”. Victor had no intention of caring for the creature, it was as if he was afraid of his own creation. He discards the Creature immediately after its creation, calling it a ‘wretch’ and leaving it to fend for itself. This shows how irresponsible he is. It is also another example of him neglecting his family, since the Creature sees him as its father.
The creature approaches Victor like a baby would to its father: “ He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me…while a grin wrinkled his cheeks”. How could Victor abandon the creature, he had no sympathy towards it. The way in which the creature is described when it approaches Victor is just like the way a baby would approach its parents, maybe at this part of the novel, we readers are to feel sympathy for the creature and to consider Victor as the monster for the way he treated the creature, it was his own creation he should of cared for it and been its companion.
Victor should of treated the creature like his own child, possibly if he did show care for the creature and not show fear, maybe the creature wouldn’t have been so vile because he knew no different. The creature didn’t know how to treat or care for other people. So really it wasn’t the creatures fault for the deaths caused and for the way in which he treated people because overall he didn’t know any different and wasn’t taught by Victor how to treat others.
Later on in the novel the Creature demands Victor for a female companion, the Creature was most likely feeling lonely and the only person who could help him overcome his loneliness was Victor. “My companion will be the same nature as myself…you to promise what I so ardently desire’. Victor promises to make a female for his creation, “ as soon as I shall deliver into your hands a female who will accompany you in your exile”. With the reassurance from Victor; knowing that he will create a companion for him the Creature may of seen Victor as a friend and could trust him. However Victor later destroys the half-built creature before the Monster's eyes, this was a vicious decision to make. Victor betrayed the creature and this shows he wasn’t a friend to him. At this time of the novel; Victor could be seen as the monster because of the way he treated the creature he shouldn’t of made a promise if he knew that he was going to break it.
In addition before Victor dies he says his actions are not ‘blameable’, and that he still believes that it was right to create the Creature. This lack of remorse, and his destructive pursuit of scientific knowledge for personal success show that he is foremost to be associated as the monster of the novel.
We have to realise there isn’t just one character which could be associated as the monster. The Creature is another candidate; throughout the novel we see the personality of the Creature and see different sides of both good and bad. The scary features of the Creature were its yellow skin, shrivelled complexion, black lips and its large broadness. Many people would call the Creature a monster just from taking a look at it. As soon as the Creature was created it was neglected by Victor; he was shown no care or attention, he was abandoned by Victor, as a reader I felt sorry for the Creature, it didn’t know how to behave towards people, it was Victors fault for the way the Creature acted.
A way in which the Creature could be considered as the monster is for the reason that he killed William. “ I grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet”. The Creature didn’t mean to kill William he only wanted to educate William as his companion and friend; the Creature was without a friend in the world. However with the Creatures horrid appearance William was afraid and screamed, this worried the Creature and didn’t like the sound of screaming, people would hear and discover him. The Creature only wanted to make the child stop screaming and on the whole all he wanted was a friend but it lead to a death.
Additionally he could be considered as a monster because he framed Justine for the murder of William. “ I bent over and placed the portrait securely in one of the folds in her dress”, the portrait belonged to William. Once the portrait was found in Justine’s dress she was blamed for the death and was given the death punishment, however it wasn’t the entire Creatures fault because Victor didn’t admit to knowing whom the murderer was. If Victor told the truth then Justine’s life would have been saved.
On the other hand the Creature is of a pleasant character, and does many thoughtful things. The Creature helped the De Lacey family to harvest their crops “ their food, as I afterwards found…sprang up in the garden”. Furthermore throughout the nights he would collect fuel for the cottage. “ I went into the woods and collected my own food and fuel for the cottage”. He surely couldn’t be considered as the monster when he helps the blind man and his children.
In addition the Creature saved the peasant girl from drowning,
From discussing which of the two characters who could potentially be considered as the Monster I have come to a conclusion. The definition of monster is ‘a misshapen animal or plant; person of great wickedness; huge animal or thing.’ From reading Mary Shelly’s novel I consider Victor Frankenstein to be the character that defines the definition of a Monster. Throughout the novel we see an egoistical side of Victor; he is self centred and selfish plus he is a person of immense wickedness. He created a Creature, brought it to life then deserted it; only a monster would do such a thing.
