Comparison between Creator and Creature (Frankenstein)

Comparison between creator (victor) and creature (monster)

Victor Frankenstein

          Victor frankenstein‘s life story is at the heart of Frankenstein. A young Swiss boy, he grows up in Geneva reaching the works of the ancient and outdated alchemists, a background that serves him ill when he attends university at Ingolstadt. There he learns about modern n science and, within a few fascinated with the “secret of life”, discovers it, and brings a hideous best friend, and wife; he also indirectly causes the deaths of two other innocents, including victor’s father. Though torn by remorse, shame, and guilt, victor refuses to admit to anyone the horror of what he has created, even as he sees the ramifications of his creative act spiraling out of control.        

                   Victor changes over the course of the novel from an innocent youth fascinated by the prospects of science into a disillusioned, guilt ridden man determined to destroy the fruits of his arrogant scientific endeavor. Whether as a result of his desire to attain the godlike power of creating new life or his avoidance of the public arenas in which science is usually conduct, victor is doomed by a lack of humanness. He cuts himself off the world and eventually commits himself entirely to an animalistic obsession with revenging himself upon the monster.

                   At the end of the novel, having chased his creation ever northward. Victor relates his story to Robert Walton and then dies. With its multiple narrators and hence, multiple perspectives, the novel leaves the reader with contrasting interpretations of victor: classic mad scientist, transgressing all boundaries without concern, or brave adventurer into unknown scientific lands, not to be held responsible for the consequences of his explorations.  
        

The monster

                 The monster is victor frankenstein‘s creation, assembled led from old body parts and strange chemicals, animated by a mysterious spark. He enters life eight feet tall and enormously strong but with the newborn. Abandoned by his creator and confused, he tries to integrate himself into society, only to be shunned university. Looking in the mirror, he realizes his physical grate sequences, an aspect of his persona that blinds society to his initially gentle, kind nature. Seeking revenge on his creator, he kill’s victor’s younger brother. After victor destroys his work on the female monster murders victor’s best friend and then his new wife.

                   While victor feels unmitigated hatred for his creation, the monster shows that he is not a purely evil being. The monster’s eloquent narration of events reveals his remarkable sensitivity and benevolence. He assists a group of poor peasants and saves a girl from drowning, but because of his outward appearance, he is rewarded only with beatings and disgust. Torn between vengefulness and compassion, the monster ends up lonely and tormented by remorse. Even the death of his creator-turned-would be-destroyer offers only bittersweet relief: joy because victor has caused him so much suffering, sadness because victor is the only person with whom he any sort of relationship.

The relationship between Frankenstein and his creature 

                In Mary Shelley’s romanticism era novel Frankenstein, the title character and the monster, he creates are linked in a complex, multidimensional relationship. On one hand the Frankenstein monster is subservient to his creator, who is the only man with enough knowledge to create another of his kind. On the other hand, however, Frankenstein is subservient to his creation because it is physically stronger than he and able to murder his whole circle of family and friends without putting forth much effort.  In addition, their relationship is not marked by a simple “hero-villain” pattern. Neither of these men are exactly heroes, but neither of them are anti-heroes. The author sympathizes with both while condemning them both simultaneously.

                   After relating his tragic story of being rejected by Felix’s family, the Frankenstein creatures becomes his creator to have mercy on him and to do him a favor. “He continued, ‘you must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do”. In this instance, Frankenstein’s creature is putting himself in a submissive position. By saying,

         “This you alone can do”.

The creature is admitting victor’s intelligence and ability. Victor is the only man who can create him a female companion, which he believes is absolutely necessary to his being, and so the monster must assume a role of submission and reliance upon victor’s graciousness.

                   Yet readers can also see how, at the same time Frankenstein creature is submissive to his creator, the creator’s fate is in the hand of his creature. Thus, the creature forewarns him moments later what could happen if victor does not complete with his demands:”have a care; I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your heart, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth”. The creature knows that he is in a powerful position at the stringer of the two, and can threaten victor Frankenstein because of it, so much so that victor will wish he had never been born.

                   The creature method of desolating victor’s heart is not to kill him directly, but to kill those victor loves. The monsters “domination-via-threats” approach is emphasized later in the novel, when victor decides not to create another monster. The monster confronts him, saying “remember, I shall be with you on your wedding night”. This implies that on Frankenstein’s first night of being married to his adopted sister, the creature plans to be there to kill her. The monster also restates his dominance over victor in this scene. “You are my creator; but I am your master; obey:”. Here the Frankenstein monster reasserts this belief that, although victor created him, he is under no obligation to obey him. He believes that his physical powers makes him victor’s master, despite the fact that no master who he kills to spite his creator, he can never be happy, for he will never find companionship.

                   Further, both victor Frankenstein and his creation are worthy of reader’s sympathy and contempt. Frankenstein deserves ridicule for assembling a living being that he instantly neglects for the simple fact that he looks unsightly. His neglect causes Frankenstein to roam Europe in search of guidance and friendship, neither of which does he ever receive. Nevertheless, it is difficult not to feel sorry for Frankenstein when all of his loved ones die at the hands of his creature. His reason for not creating another monster is valid: he does not creating a race of beasts to terrorize the world forever. He does not want to be responsible for the death of humanity, so his refusal to create a female monster makes sense.

                   Frankenstein’s creature also deserves ridicule. His response to receiving mistreatment is to murder innocent people, and this is also unacceptable. If everyone in the world who ever mistreated and misunderstood went on killing sprees, Homo sapiens would cease to exist. And yet, much his like creator, it is hard not to have sympathy for the poor creature will. Like anyone else, the Frankenstein monster craves companionship from another, if not from his creator, then from another being created with his same proportions. Victor’s refusal, although logical, is saddening.

                   As such, neither character can be classified into black –and white categories of hero or anti-hero. They both have perpetrated many evils against each other, and they both have suffered so much that readers cannot help but offer their sympathies to both. The real enemy as victor Frankenstein declares at the end is ambition; “seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent, one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries”. Ambition drives Frankenstein to create the monster in the first place and without it the it the tragic ending of the story could have been avoided completely. Had he contented himself with ordinary scientific pursuits like the rest his colleagues, none of his family would have been murdered. As Frankenstein has learned by the time he lies on his death bed, even a purely innocent intention can blossom into a full-blown disaster.

According to chap-10

                   The chapter again focuses on the landscape and proves to be good diversion for him after all that he has been through. The next morning it is raining in torrents and the mood is rather melancholic. The weather is again symbolic of victor’s circumstances. The fact that he chooses to ascend to the summit shows his courage and determination to overcome the difficulties which may later come his way.

                   Victor is not allowed any peace of mind. Just as he is beginning to enjoy himself, the monster approaches him. His first reaction is to fight with the monster. This is a strong indication of his rage. The monster, having expected this reaction, is quite calm. He is now in control of the situation. He manages to convince victor to think about his duty to him and threaten him with dire consequences if he does not complete with his wishes.

                   The monster has every reason to hate victor. He claims how he was “benevolent” and “good” but it is forced to hate because they despise him. It may be noted that the monster is quite human as he reflects and interprets his circumstances. The comparison he drowses with Milton’s Satan is interesting. However, the monster was not guilty of a transgression when victor rejected him. Indeed, victor had tried to play god in creating a superhuman creature. And the fact he abandon oned him gave that creature the liberty to despite his creator and to cause him harm.

                   The monster plea to be heard is quite genuine. He is in a desperate condition because his creator rejects him. Like victor, he has been isolated and lonely. He, too, is entitled to some kind of justice. Victor realizes that, as his creator, he “ought” to make him happy before complaining of his “wickedness’.

What is the different between creator and creature?

                  Victor grew up with a loving family Who cared for him while the monster was deserted by victor to fight for himself, victor acts as more of monster than the creation, the monster is self educated from watching the Delacey’s and victor was taught in school, victor loved and was loved but the monster never experienced anything but societies hatred toward him. Victor created the monster, so the monster is reflecting man made things, also the monster is more kind, considerate and an all round great human being, where as victor is selfish, self centered and totally the opposite of the monster, the monster doesn’t deserve the title he has, unlike victor. Victor is kind of compared to god, and the creature to Adam. The creature is shunned by his own creator, even though he means well. Victor denied the creature the happiness and love necessary for growth, thus the creature turned “evil”. Victor did not take responsibility for his creation, and thus the crimes of the creature can be blamed on victor.

Compare and contrast

Analyzing the creature. The creature, or” frankenstein’s monster “, is a lonely, sympathetic and largely misunderstood character. Abandoned by his creator-the closest thing to a father figure that the creature has-the creature, shocked by the horrified reaction of society to its physical appearance with evilness. “As I fixed my eyes on the child, I saw…..divine benignity to one expressive of disgust and affright”.

Analyzing Frankenstein. Frankenstein is ambitious, preoccupied with his work, and obsessive. It is this drive to succed that eventually pushes his experimentation too far. While it is often thought that the creature is the villain of the piece, in fact, upon reading Shelley’s novel it becomes clear that victor Frankenstein himself must take some degree of responsibility for the monster’s crime. Victor shows a selfish self-interest in his experimentation; he does not shoulder the monumental responsibility of his action because he is driven only by ambition and not by a regard for others:”I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart”.

Compare the two characters. Despite their obvious difference, there are certain distinct parallels between Dr. Frankenstein and his creation. Both creator and creation share a love of nature, a thirst for knowledge, and a desire for revenge. “The nearer I approached to your habitation, the more deeply did I feel the spirit of revenge enkindled in my heart”.

Look for similarities. Both Frankenstein and his monster see themselves as wronged. Both have the desire and the indignation to love, but their loving intention is swiftly transformed by hate and isolation. The novel focuses upon the redemptive power of love. Both admire beauty (Elizabeth’s), and are required by the physical appearance of Frankenstein’s monster. “How can I describe my emotion at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and are I had endeavored to form?

Focus upon notion of isolation. Both become isolated from main society: victor is isolated by his obsession with work, and because the creature kills off those he loves. The creature is isolated because of his appearances. Both start out with good intention: victor’s love of nature encourages him to study natural science but his ambition soon leads him astray. The creatures instinct is to love and be loved, but the reaction to his appearance is one of hatred and repulsion, so it reaction in kind. “This was then the reward of my benevolence! I had saved a human being from destruction, and as recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound which shattered the flesh and bone vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind”.

Contrast the two. While victor Frankenstein grew up in a loving family environment, surround by the love of Elizabeth and the friendship of Henry Clerval, the creature is abandoned almost immediately. Dr. Frankenstein fails to show his creation the same love and support that he himself experience in his own upbringing. “No human being could have passed a happies childhood than myself”.

Consider the character’s upbringing. The story of Frankenstein plays with the themes of human nature, nature and human needs. Essentially, victor has a parental duty to nature his creation, which he fails to do.

Ironment, surround by the love of Elizabeth and the friendship of Henry Clerval, the creature is abandoned almost immediately. Dr. Frankenstein fails to show his creation the same love and support that he himself experience in his own upbringing. “No human being could have passed a happies childhood than myself”.

Consider the character’s upbringing. The story of Frankenstein plays with the themes of human nature, nature and human needs. Essentially, victor has a parental duty to nature his creation, which he fails to do.