To what extent do you agree that there is little to admire about
Victor Frankenstein?
“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he
seeks”. This quote from Mary Shelley, can be applied to the Protagonist of her 1818 gothic
novel, ‘Frankenstein’, or subtitled ‘The Modern Prometheus’. Frankenstein and Prometheus
share eternal punishment for bestowing fire, symbolising knowledge and power into
humanity that exceeds the laws of the natural world. Yet Prometheus ultimately aids
humanity whereas Victor plagues it with a creature who wreaks havoc for his rejection. This
essay aims to address the claim that there is little to admire about Victor Frankenstein.
Shelley implies that there is little to admire about Victor through his selfish intentions on his
quest to “penetrate into the recesses of nature and show how she works in her hiding
place”. The use of the metaphor indicates that similarly to the literary allusion of
Prometheus, Victor is overly ambitious. Shelley personifies nature as a woman “hiding”
suggesting that Victor is violating natural boundaries. The verb "penetrate" has aggressive
connotations, implying that Victor seeks to dominate nature rather than understand it
further highlighting a lack of admirability. His obsession and disregard for ethical
considerations corrupt his achievement. This foreshadows Victors destruction of the female
figures in the novel. Early interpretations often saw Victors primary transgression as
usurping the power of God in creating a being, portrayed through the dual meaning of
“painful labour”. However feminist readings began to claim that it is Victor unnaturally
nullifying the reproductive power of women. Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft was
celebrated as one of the first feminist philosophers, whose writings in her book “The
vindication of the rights of women” had a great influence upon her daughter. This implies
that through his erasure of the power of women, there is little to admire about Victor.
Shelley portrays Victor Frankenstein as having little to admire about him through his
desertion and lack of empathy toward his creature. The imperative “Begone! I will not hear
you.” reflects Victor’s selfishness, dismissing his own creation. Through epithets such as
'daemon' and 'devil,' Victor dehumanizes the creature, invoking biblical imagery that alludes
to Milton’s Paradise Lost. The novel’s epigraph, which quotes Paradise Lost, establishes a
parallel between the creature and Satan, emphasizing themes of rejection. However, from
the monsters narrative the audience are aware that he begins as John Locke described
‘tabula rasa’, a blank slate. Through Shelleys use of the framing narrative the audience
become aware that it is Victor’s unchecked ambition and rejection of the creature that leads
to its corruption, highlighting his hypocrisy. The creature’s tragic transformation parallels
Satan's fall in Paradise Lost, both representing victims of their creators who are vilified for
their suffering. Shelley uses these literary allusions to critique Victor’s blind ambition and
moral neglect, turning him from a tragic figure to a villain with little to admire. Furthermore,
the juxtaposition between his initial excitement and immediate revulsion towards his
creation reveals his moral weakness. Victor is clearly representative of 18th century society
Victor Frankenstein?
“No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he
seeks”. This quote from Mary Shelley, can be applied to the Protagonist of her 1818 gothic
novel, ‘Frankenstein’, or subtitled ‘The Modern Prometheus’. Frankenstein and Prometheus
share eternal punishment for bestowing fire, symbolising knowledge and power into
humanity that exceeds the laws of the natural world. Yet Prometheus ultimately aids
humanity whereas Victor plagues it with a creature who wreaks havoc for his rejection. This
essay aims to address the claim that there is little to admire about Victor Frankenstein.
Shelley implies that there is little to admire about Victor through his selfish intentions on his
quest to “penetrate into the recesses of nature and show how she works in her hiding
place”. The use of the metaphor indicates that similarly to the literary allusion of
Prometheus, Victor is overly ambitious. Shelley personifies nature as a woman “hiding”
suggesting that Victor is violating natural boundaries. The verb "penetrate" has aggressive
connotations, implying that Victor seeks to dominate nature rather than understand it
further highlighting a lack of admirability. His obsession and disregard for ethical
considerations corrupt his achievement. This foreshadows Victors destruction of the female
figures in the novel. Early interpretations often saw Victors primary transgression as
usurping the power of God in creating a being, portrayed through the dual meaning of
“painful labour”. However feminist readings began to claim that it is Victor unnaturally
nullifying the reproductive power of women. Shelley’s mother, Mary Wollstonecraft was
celebrated as one of the first feminist philosophers, whose writings in her book “The
vindication of the rights of women” had a great influence upon her daughter. This implies
that through his erasure of the power of women, there is little to admire about Victor.
Shelley portrays Victor Frankenstein as having little to admire about him through his
desertion and lack of empathy toward his creature. The imperative “Begone! I will not hear
you.” reflects Victor’s selfishness, dismissing his own creation. Through epithets such as
'daemon' and 'devil,' Victor dehumanizes the creature, invoking biblical imagery that alludes
to Milton’s Paradise Lost. The novel’s epigraph, which quotes Paradise Lost, establishes a
parallel between the creature and Satan, emphasizing themes of rejection. However, from
the monsters narrative the audience are aware that he begins as John Locke described
‘tabula rasa’, a blank slate. Through Shelleys use of the framing narrative the audience
become aware that it is Victor’s unchecked ambition and rejection of the creature that leads
to its corruption, highlighting his hypocrisy. The creature’s tragic transformation parallels
Satan's fall in Paradise Lost, both representing victims of their creators who are vilified for
their suffering. Shelley uses these literary allusions to critique Victor’s blind ambition and
moral neglect, turning him from a tragic figure to a villain with little to admire. Furthermore,
the juxtaposition between his initial excitement and immediate revulsion towards his
creation reveals his moral weakness. Victor is clearly representative of 18th century society
