Character Analysis Essay on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Introduction

Frankenstein literature work revolves around Victor Frankenstein; an individual who seems to be obsessed with science and the secrets of life. Victor had been the only child in his family for quite a while after which his parents adopted Elizabeth Lavenza, an orphan, to keep Victor company. Later on, the Frankenstein have two more children, and Victor is glad to have brothers and Elizabeth, whom he cherishes so much. Unfortunately, Victor Frankenstein's mother dies just before Victor leaves for university. It is at the university that Victor experiences a renewed interest in natural sciences. He goes ahead to create a monstrous creature and brings it life. Victor is, however, disgusted at the creature's appearance and decides to abandon it. In Frankenstein, artificiality is valued more than authenticity. A majority of the characters do not seem to care about inner goodness or character and only seem to notice outside appearances. The issue of artificiality begins to take root in the third chapter of the book. Victor Frankenstein himself did not take time to learn about his creature and abandoned it merely because of its disgusting appearance.

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Victor Frankenstein's Artificiality: Abandonment and Judgment

Victor's artificiality is illustrated when he states that "I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created" (Shelley 59). From Victor's statements, it is evident that he was repulsed by the creature which he had created. In the statements which follow, Victor states that the creature's hands were stretched out as if to detain him, but he managed to escape and went to sleep elsewhere. It beats logic that Victor had spent so much time creating the monster only to abandon it after it comes to life. He even describes it as a "demoniacal corpse" (Shelley 60). From the first day the creature came to life, it suffered alienation and rejection directly because it looked hideous. Nobody would take time to try to understand or empathise with it. Victor's first reactions illustrate society's artificiality. Many individuals in society today are quick to make judgments and do not take the time to understand an issue entirely. The creature which Victor had brought to life only longed for love and acceptance primarily from its creator and society but none of them was forthcoming. Every individual who set eyes on it assumed that since it looked hideous, its character was also horrible. The word wretch is usually used to describe something that is despicable. Therefore, by referring to the creature as a wretch, Victor illustrated his contempt and hatred towards the creature.

Society's Artificiality: Rejection and Prejudice in Frankenstein

Victor's creation struggled to fend for itself and also learned about several things such as how to keep warm and to look for food all by itself. However, it was confronted with rejection and disgust everywhere it went. Nobody would take time to try and understand its plight directly because it looked horrifying. The village people were just as artificial as Victor himself. The creature states that "I entered, but I had hardly placed my foot within the door before the children shrieked, and one of the women fainted. The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me" (Shelley 123). It is evident that the creature only wanted to have some of the food that was available in the peasant's house. If the same had happened in a society that values authenticity over artificiality, the villagers would have taken it upon themselves to try to understand the creature before making judgments and conclusions. In such a society, it would have been easy to determine the authenticity of Victor's creation, and it would not have to suffer further alienation and rejection. Due to the rejection suffered, Victor Frankenstein's creation was forced to spend a night in the open country, miserable and alone. The creation was always considered a monster simply because of its appearance. Even though he killed at least three people, we know for a fact that he saved a young child from drowning as well as practising restraint when the old man's children attack him violently. Its actions were not always monstrous. The villagers' actions, on the other hand, were barbaric and inhuman. They were the real monsters, but because they did not look hideous, they did consider themselves as such, which brings us the significance between the concepts of exterior vs interior of a person or a society. The villager's actions and their attitudes towards the monster show us that despite their interior values just because their exterior appearance was "normal". They had the right to treat the monster however they liked after all the villager's thought that they were superior.

Society's Preference for Artificiality: Consequences in Frankenstein

The people's preference for artificiality over authenticity is further illustrated by the fact that a blind unfortunate old man and his family had been condemned to live alone in a mostly inhabited region merely because they had been accused of a crime they did not commit. The people of the village did not care to get to the root of the matters but only chose to excommunicate the blind old man and his family. Victor's creation enters the blind man's cottage after his children leave because he understood that it would be easy for him to explain his case to the blind old man than his children. True to his expectations, the blind man listened to him and empathised with his plight. He even stated that "I also am unfortunate; my family and I have been condemned, although innocent; judge, therefore, if I do not feel for your misfortunes" (Shelley 160). The blind old man's statements are an illustration of society's artificiality. Victor's creation had also come to understand the superficial nature of society. It is illustrated by the fact that he only went to the old man's cottage after his children had left. It was a new experience for the creation because no one else had accorded him the chance to explain his situation. He had always harboured genuine intentions, yet no one would give him the time of day. When the old man's children arrived, they violently attacked the creature and did not care to listen to anything he had to say. The creature had the option to defeat its assailants, but it practised restraint. It is evidenced by the creature's statement, "I could have torn him limb from limb, as the lion rends the antelope" (Shelley 161). During those circumstances, the creature was once again not the monster, but ironically, it was the one that was regarded as such. Every good deed the Victor's creature performed was always met with hostility. He even saved a young child from drowning but was instead shot at with bows and arrows all because of his appearance.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is very unfortunate that society values artificiality more than authenticity. The misguided preferences illustrated by the characters in Frankenstein book caused a lot of pain and destruction. Both Frankenstein's creature and the Frankenstein suffered emotional and physical pain which could have been avoided if they had just valued authenticity. The damage which the creature caused had been influenced by the people's attitude towards it. It only longed for love and acceptance despite its ugly appearance. The events in Frankenstein work reflect what happens in real society. Many individuals do not take time to understand logic behind situations. Instead, they rush into making judgments and conclusions that are often inaccurate.

Work Cited

Shelley, Mary. "Frankenstein." Medicine and Literature, Volume Two. CRC Press, 2018. 35-52.