The Creator and Creation: Who Is The Real Villain?

As we become engrossed in Dr. Frankenstein's tale, and in turn, the tale of the monster himself, our human sympathies are tested and evoked even in the twisted feelings/perceptions of the monster. Aesthetically, our monster is a living representation of all things terrible and supernatural.Created by man, he is the result of the imperfect, sometimes evil, endeavors of the human race to achieve that which we are not designed for-- the attainment of power over life and creation. We watch Victor Frankenstein achieve this goal, compromising his ideals and human virtues to create man in his own image: imperfect and inherently evil. From a religious standpoint and one that accurately coincides with the history of man, our image is one of the beauty and successes of nature, or God, but our accomplishments are those of destruction and vice, that some would attribute to the workings of the devil. We are created in God's image and tainted with the temptations of evil; Shelley uses her knowledge of religion and particularly the epic Paradise Lost as groundwork for her understanding of human nature.

If we consider humans as created in the image of perfection yet poisoned with the passions of evil, we can then begin to discover where Victor Frankenstein's creation of his own being went wrong. The power to create life was one bestowed on God and He alone, and by attempting to capture and master these powers, Frankenstein has stepped into the workings of the devil. For in biblical history, Lucifer is the only other character we can refer to as one who tried, and to some extent succeeded, in attaining Godly powers. Because of this we can equate Dr. Frankenstein to no other force but the devil himself. If we see man as an imperfect physical manifestation of God, then Frankenstein's monster is, in turn, an imperfect manifestation of man. Victor attempts to create a being in his own image and succeeds as completely as is humanly possible.

So what makes the monster so terrible? Aside from his physical repulsiveness, he seems to be a virtuous character as much as any mortal man can fulfill the dimensions of virtue. However he is still an image of terror, one that haunts our very nightmares and leaves us trembling in fear for our lives. He is a man, in the most imperfect sense of the word. Created by man, he cannot possess physical or natural beauty, for his very existence is unnatural and is a crime to the natural order of things. His creator was committing the ultimate sin by harnessing godly powers and making them humanly accessible. Because of this, Frankenstein's monster is created in the image of sin-- ugly, detestable, and presumptuously evil.

Created in man's image, the monster possesses all the same passion, desire for companionship, and thirst for knowledge as man himself. He is no different than you and I; he simply wishes to understand the world and how it works, and share meaningful relationships with those whose company would benefit his well-being. These people do not exist for our monster, unfortunately, and the lack of companionship in his life is what eventually leads to his own disorder and murderous tendencies. Don't we see this very isolation and hopelessness lead to human murders of other people? Whether it's a medieval aristocrat murdering his beloved's lover out of jealousy and misery, or a neglected student full of hatred and revenge shooting up his own institution, we see again and again the murderous capabilities of humans throughout history.

Frankenstein's monster is just another person, shunned by the world and his creator, doomed to walk the desolate forests and mountains of the earth alone, searching in vain for some positive connection to life. His intelligence allows him to identify and understand the origin of his miseries, and even in this light logic leads him to seek out his creator and resolve his problem through the creation of a bride, a single friend, of his own. How can someone be evil who seeks to protect others from his wrath and create happiness for himself?

His outstanding virtue is never clearer than when he saves the little girl from drowning, and is yet again condemned for his actions.When he is shot, he exhibits nothing more than human rage and passion; "The feelings of kindness and gentleness, which I had entertained but a few moments before, gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind," (Shelley 99). Even to the mildest of dispositions, the monster's reaction to being shot falls directly in the realm of a probable human reaction. If this had been an actual human being, I dare say in this moment he would have pursued and killed his attacker on the spot. Even here we see a higher level of virtue and respect for life than that displayed by humans.

Again and again we see the monster's overwhelming virtue give way to murderous rage. When he is detested by every living being, including his creator, how can we possibly make judgment of his actual character? It has been corrupted heavily, not only by the actions of mankind and how he is treated, but by the nature of his creation itself and his creator. Even the man he could rightly call a divine Father is unable to behold the disgusting being he has created, horrified by the idea of life created from death.

Above is a trailer for a modern rendition of Frankenstein, rather a sequel to the story borne from the pages of Mary Shelley. Here we see human curiosity and desire for discovery overcome the commonplace knowledge that the man-made monster is a force not to be reckoned with. This is just one more recent film portrayal of this inhuman, yet incredibly human, monster.

Discussion Questions

What attributes make Frankenstein's monster so vastly different than humankind? Arguably, is he better or worse (morally, physically, etc...) than humans themselves and why?

Why is the monster's creation considered a failure? Do you agree with Victor's opinion, or are there ways in which his creation can be considered a success? Explain.