I really enjoyed Frankenstein, probably because it’s one of our first books in which we have multiple encounters with a monster which becomes a very human character as we learn more about him. Part of me hates the monster for his rash and violent tendencies, but another part of me hates Victor for not accepting his creation.
I was really surprised at how emotional this book was. I was expecting a very simple and straightforward story, and instead what I found was an exciting and emotional tale. My favorite part of the novel was the final scene in which the monster returned to Frankenstein’s corpse. It’s here that we see how evolved and human the monster really is. His emotion and intelligence made his actions seem so out of place, perhaps he wasn’t a monster after all. This really ties in with the idea of lonely and misunderstood monsters, such as Grendel or even Medea, creatures which receive no sympathy and because of this become monsters.
Another aspect of the book I enjoyed was the changes of Victor as a character. Early on he’s young and passionate, locked in his quest for the “secret of life”, yet with time he begins to realize the consequences of his creation, and he is worn down from guilt and revenge. His goal changes from creating life to that of destroying life. The very life he created! I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Victor, his youthful ignorant self created a creature which haunted him for the rest of his life killing his family and friends. While some might argue that he is the monster of this story, I can’t help but disagree. While of course he could have showed a bit more compassion to the monster, I don’t believe he has the obligation to be its best friend and make sure its never lonely.
Regarding the monster, I felt like his character was a little strangely constructed (no pun intended), as he’s an incredibly enlightened individual, yet he commits multiple murders just out of rage. Putting that aside, the monster is a character which we are meant to feel bad for. The monster is that lonely kid that nobody talked to in elementary school, but was actually probably a really nice guy. Perhaps that’s what I dislike about the monster, the fact that we have to feel bad for him. He’s a character built to evoke that emotion from the reader, the emotion of pity and sadness. I enjoyed Frankenstein a lot more than I ever thought I would.
You raise an interesting opinion in saying that Victor doesn’t have an obligation to Frankenstein. Would you say, then, that a mother is not obligated to take care of her child and has the right to abandon it immediately upon birth despite actively pursuing the creation of said child…and on the sole basis of appearance? Victor decided and pursued for years the process of creating Frankenstein, and after his conscious and intentional labor, he decides that he doesn’t like what he sees and just abandons it. Does he have the moral right to do that?
Hey Niccolo, I really like your post for the most part. I definitely agree with you on the novel’s emotional aspect. It’s not often that one thinks of “Frankenstein,” and the heartwrenching aspects suddenly come to mind. I also agree with you about the monster’s construction. Although he is extremely well educated, we can emotionally compare him to a child, acting out in order to gain attention. I feel that the monster’s emotional nature definitely aids the idea of creation, as he demonstrates rather basic stages of development during his killing spree, and when he finally realizes what he has done when he looks over Victor’s corpse seems to represent an aging, or coming to knowledge.