Who’s the Real Monster

For a vast majority of people, there seems to be no question about who the monster is in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The creature that Victor Frankenstein has created, that has already murdered an innocent kid. However, looking beyond the hideous outer appearance and actions of the creature, it becomes clear that what he becomes was not a monster. Instead, it was the extreme misconceptions of humans, resulting in extreme isolation of the creature, which caused him to become a ‘monster’. The creature had no “relation or friend upon earth,” (Shelley, 100). Similar to the health and survival of a human baby is dependent on social interactions, the creature that Frankenstein created lives a torturous and bleak existence without companionship. He strives for friends, yet his disturbing appearance causes him to fail and be shunned by everyone, including his creator. 

In contrast to the creature, Victor Frankenstein seems to be content in isolation. His passion for sciences and his work causes him to revert to isolation. Frankenstein mentions that “no youth could have passed more happily than mine” (Shelley, 21). Furthermore, his parents emphasize to him that it will cause them great distress if he doesn’t stay in touch with them. Despite the pleading of his loved ones and their past kindness towards him, Victor selfishly remains isolated, despite the great pain he brings upon the ones who love him. His choice to remain isolated contributes to his monster-like attributes. In addition, Frankenstein even pictures himself similarities of a monster. He thinks, “can you wonder, that sometimes a kind of insanity possessed me, or that I saw continually about me a multitude of filthy animals inflicting on me incessant torture, that often extorted screams and bitter groans” (Shelley, 82). It seems that in this reflection, Frankenstein is truly seeing himself from the perspective of an isolated monster.

Frankenstein’s extreme ignorance towards fixing the issue he created also contributes to his monster-like side. Demonstrated by his actions and his thoughts, Frankenstein is a hypocrite. For example, Frankenstein asks himself  “why does the man boast of sensibilities superior to those apparent in the brute”(Shelley, 84). Through this statement, Frankenstein recognizes that humans are in fact equal to beasts, yet despite his breakthrough, his interactions with the creature seem to show little to no respect for the creature, rather a great amount of regret and contempt.

Victor’s Frankenstein’s chosen isolation and ignorance for those who care for him as well as his own creation makes him the real monster.