Thursday, April 14, 2011

Frankenstein: Victor's Realization

"How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!" pg 35

I thought it was strange how Victor's opinion of the monster changes so drastically within a few short pages. In the previous chapter Victor expresses how excited he was to finally discover the secret to life. On page 32 he says, "No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world". To me, it seems as if Victor believes he will be credited with some great and wonderful discovery. He goes as far to say that he will be viewed as the creator of a new race in which people will thank him. Victor is so overwhelmed with his creation due to all of the hours of research in the graveyards and labs that he did looking at decaying bodies. He completely shuts out his family and best friend Clerval in order to fulfill his experiment. However, the minute he finally succeeds, he seems terrified of his creation. He rushes down the stairs and goes outside. He sleeps outside all night out of fear. I think Victor tells Walton this story to warn him that the consequences of the action are often forgot due to all of the excitement and work put into the experiment itself. Victor truly wants to help Walton avoid making the same mistake he did. Victor wanted so desperately to create the living creature that he didn't think about anything else. Partly, I don't think that he realized it could actually be done. Therefore he not only surprised himself, but he also scared himself with his creation.

No comments:

Post a Comment