Victor and the Monster: Struggling with Identity
Victor and the monster are the main characters in Shelley's work who fight with their identities in an attempt to discover their places in society. One of the key themes of this novel is the search for self-definition. Victor creates the monster, and discovering that he has the potential to create life sparks enthusiasm in his life. He grows more driven to achieve his objectives. "Life and death were to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark planet," Victor explains. (Shelley 52). Victor stipulates that the life he has created will bless him. Before he creates the monster, Victor gives himself the duty of using his knowledge to make notable discoveries. He defines himself to be elite in the human society and a protector of all human beings due to his capability to keep death away (Shelley 52).
Regret and Despair: Victor's Changing Identity
However, after making the monster, Victor ends up developing regretful thoughts for having given the creature life. He even thinks that creation of another monster will be “joint wickedness” (Shelley 205). This is attribute to the destruction that the monster brings to the society. The monster vows to bring havoc because he is discriminated. At this point, Victor is not happy with his success, and his mood changes his identity. He does not derive glory and satisfaction from his scientific discovery, and this denotes to be a contradiction to his expectations. Victor even becomes sick of the creature and says that “Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance” (Shelley 56). The situation worsens when the monster kills his brother, wife and best friend together with causing an indirect death of his father. He is driven into a deep abyss that is full of despair as well as remorse. It is revealed to the reader that victor no longer thinks of himself as being an important and a successful person. In fact, he says that he is a poor sinner and hence betraying his identity. Despite his brilliant nature and ability to create life, “Victor still takes the identity of a human being” (McMahon 5). From the scientific point of view, humans are a product of natural evolution, and on religion, God is the creator. Humans cannot be able to create other humans. Victor wants to take the identity of God which does not fit him. He abandons the rules of the society, and this ends up creating a conflict between personal pursuit and the social and moral values.
The Monster: Struggling with Acceptance
The Monster also struggles with identity. Everyone thinks that it is a destructive monstrous creature, but he considers that he is a human. The monster wants to be a member of the society just like the humans. He knows that the only thing that makes the difference between him and the other humans is his face which he does not have. His face is ugly, and it scares people away and even himself. The appearance makes people avoid him, and this makes the monster to “feel despair and thus vows to revenge the pain he feels on his creator” (Backes 10). He is an outcast in the society because of his identity and is seen to be a horror. All the people he meets are cruel and torment him. They beat him with sticks and stones, and the reader cannot help but develop pity and sympathy towards the monster. He hates himself and becomes sure that he will never be happy. The reflection makes him see his face as being monstrous which only inspires disgust and fear (Shelley 34).
Identity: A Critical Theme in the Novel
The quest for identity in the two characters denotes to be critical in giving the novel its meaning. Undeniably, the entire novel revolves around the Victor and the Monster. The actions and moves that they do for the gist of the novel and give it meaning. The reader is able to understand the entire storyline and the characters identity develop the plot making it an enchanting read. Their identity is chronicled on “issues of individual and cultural identity” (Cottom 19). Indeed, the fact that the monster is considered as an outcast by the human beings has made him feel lonely and friendliness. He has problems in developing relationships with human beings due to his monster looks. However, when the book comes to an end, the monster realizes that he has sinned and he regrets having killed people.
Conclusion
Victor heavily relied on his scientific power and technology to define his identity. He even at times thinks that he is a God of the world. He decides to pursue his goal of making a human, and he becomes thrilled by his achievement. However, victor later realizes that his creation is destructive and says that he is a sinner. On the other hand, the monster thinks that he is a human, but the society treats him as an outcast and views him to be a horrific creature. Due to this, he wants to revenge. Notably, the identity of the two creatures has significantly propelled the story and made it captivating.
Works Cited
Backes, Anthony. "Revisiting "Frankenstein": A Study in Reading and Education." The English Journal, vol 83, no. 4, 1994, p. 33. JSTOR, doi: 10.2307/821081.
Cottom, Daniel. "Frankenstein and the Monster of Representation." Substance, vol 9, no. 3, 1980, p. 60. University Of Wisconsin Press, JSTOR, doi: 10.2307/3683905.
McMahon, A. Philip. "Frankenstein." Parnassus, vol 7, no. 3, 1935, p. 26. JSTOR, doi: 10.2307/771222.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. St. Martins, 2000.
