Frankenstein, written in a popular 19th-century form of an epistolary novel, explores human attempts to reveal the secrets of life and whether they are prepared to acquire them. The story revolves around Victor Frankenstein, a passionate and dedicated scientist, and his obsession to become God. The readers can learn about his experience from his confession to Robert Walton just before his end. In the name of science or, to be honest, his ambition, Victor reanimates stolen disjoint bodies to unravel the mysteries hiding behind human existence.
Reckless, arrogant, and boastful he attempts to create his personal “Adam”, a living creature of whom he would be a proud creator. But his horrendous experiments have an unexpected result – a grotesque monster whose body strikes terror into its creator. Judging from monster’s “ugly, abhorred, and disgusting” appearance, the scientist doesn’t even try to get to know his creation labeling him a demon. After his “child” wakes up, Victor finally realizes what consequences his secret work may have. He decides to leave monster on his own fleeing away from the biggest mistake of his life.
Rejected by his own creator and society, the monster finds himself isolated in a hostile world. He feels miserable as there is no one who can explain his true nature or why he has been created in the first place. There is no evil in his heart, just a desire to find a place in a world where is a unique act of creation. Trying to find some answers and adapt to the society, the unnamed creature learns to read. He finds out from Victor’s journal about the unnatural way of his creation. He also reads Paradise Lost by John Milton and one of the characters seems to have a very similar situation to his – Satan.
He identifies himself with the fallen angel not because they are both evil, but because they are both outcasts rejected by those who created them. He emphasizes that “even Satan had his companions” while the monster is completely lonely and ostracized. This gentle monster longs for the man who brought him to life but receives nothing except cruelty and violence. Moreover, Victor destroys his only chance to have a friend, a lady monster the scientist has been planning to revive after. “Producing a race of devils” isn’t what Victor intends to do and he ruins his laboratory taking away his last hope for a friend.
Miserable existence turns this creature into a revengeful beast ready to take everything Victor cherishes in his life – his family. However, Victor is also guilty of what happened to his family. Reluctant to look deeper, he turns the innocent creature into a malicious devil with his ignorance and lack of sympathy. If he reacted in a different way and accepted what he has created, this experiment wouldn’t turn into a tragedy. During his confession to Walton, he begs him to eliminate the monster and fix his mistake.
Author: Jared Russell