ENG 121-C27 Rebecca R.

Schwarz
Unit 4 - Literary Analysis - Frankenstein

Arrogance to Irresponsibility

Human dreams of achievement, recognition, wealth and the pursuit of happiness often bring
misery, rejection, irresponsibility, unethical choices and sometimes death. Attempting to fulfill
those dreams can bring arrogance that blinds our vision to reality and the choices made
eliminate right and wrong from our hearts or minds. In Frankenstein, the monster learns to be
human by reading, The Sorrows of Young Werther, written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
“Must it ever be thus, -- that the source of our happiness must also be the fountain of our
misery?” (von Goethe, Book I, August 18). Frankenstein went beyond the boundaries of
science when he believed he had the power to replace God as the creator.

Frankenstein’s monster, like a baby reaching out to his mother for the first time reaches out
to Victor as he is transformed from a lifeless body to a breathing human. Imagine being
sewn together from patchwork body parts and brought into this world because a brilliant
man’s arrogance to achieve beyond what any other scientist or doctor had, then rejected by
that creator. “The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human
nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an
inanimate body. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I
had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my
heart.” (Frankenstein, p. 74). Victor, horrified by the creature’s revolting appearance,
attempts to save his reputation by abandoning the monster. Victor thought to himself, “I
had gazed on him unfinished, he was ugly then, but when those muscles and joints were
rendered capable of motion, it became such a thing as even Dante could not have
conceived.” (Frankenstein, p. 75).

Not only does Victor reject the monster, but society also rejects him. Remember, the
monster came to life as an adult and did not benefit by a childhood full of mistakes, support,
and years of learning experiences, like the society around him. His desire to fit into this
world means he must gain knowledge, but from whom can he get this knowledge? The
monster stumbles upon a shack attached to the De Lacey cottage; Mr. De Lacey, shares the
cottage with his son, Felix; his daughter, Agatha; and, Felix’s fiancée, Safie, who fled Turkey
and joined Felix and his family. He discovered a family relationship based on mutual respect
and benevolent love, he learned how to speak and to read as the result of Safie's efforts to
learn English. Mr. De Lacy is blind, serves as a surrogate father to the monster and is the
only person that does not judge him.

Emphasizing Victor’s duties as a creator, the monster uses a rational and emotional plea to
convince Victor that he deserves and needs another being like himself who he can share his
life. He vows revenge against Victor and takes his youngest brother, William, who is found
dead. He then frames Justine for the murder. Clerval, Victor’s best friend and Elizabeth,
Victor’s fiancée are later murdered because Victor reneges on his promise to create a mate
for the monster. This leaves the monster lonely and abandoned again by his creator. The
monster explains. "Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I
was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall be virtuous
again.” (Frankenstein, p. 94).

Frankenstein, felt responsible for William, Justine, Elizabeth and his father's deaths. He
vowed vengeance. The only way to absolve his responsibility for the monster's actions was
to kill him, which is what Frankenstein set out to do. He was responsible for the monster's
ENG 121-C27 Rebecca R. Schwarz
Unit 4 - Literary Analysis - Frankenstein
creation and its actions, and he planned to be responsible for the monster's destruction as
well.

According to Jason Putnam, the conflict between morality and science began when
Frankenstein abandoned the monster. He gave no thought to the consequences of his
actions. “He usurped the power of God by creating life, and then compounded his error by
recklessly abandoning his creature. Without love and guidance, the creature was forced to
become evil.” (The Literary Magazine, June 1996) There is a moral obligation that
Frankenstein ignored because he no longer wanted the responsibility after the monster came
to life. With the ever-evolving advancements in technology, what boundaries should exist
that prevent moving from the good of society to the evil put on society? When the
boundaries are compromised society as a whole must accept responsibility.

Putnam further states, “People who are rejected as worthless by our society because they
are ugly, clumsy, mentally retarded, or too different from their peers frequently use extreme
actions to force acknowledgment of their existence. These acts might include arson, murder,
theft, vandalism, and other senseless acts of destruction of violence. Like Frankenstein’s
monster, constant rejection breeds not compassion and understanding, but anger and
hatred.” (The Literary Magazine, June 1996). Society does questions why there is so much
violence in our world today, but the reality is, too much value is placed on beauty and the
empowerment it gives. The violence perpetrated on others, by victims of rejection and
humiliation can only lie at the feet of society. Society, like Frankenstein, did nothing to
prevent the anger and alienation of other human beings.

Joyce Carol Oates states, “Frankenstein's behavior is preposterous, even idiotic, for he
seems blind to the fact that is apparent to any reader—that he has loosed a fearful power
into the world, whether it strikes his eye as aesthetically pleasing or not, and he must take
responsibility for it. Except, of course, he does not. For, as he keeps telling himself, he is
blameless of any wrongdoing apart from the act of creation itself.” (Critical Inquiry, 1994).
Human beings lack the ability to take responsibility for their actions; we need look no further
than in the thousands of unfounded lawsuits filed annually in the United States. Many of
these lawsuits are filed as a message that somebody needs to pay. There must be a society
built on honesty, morality and truthfulness, not people who remain blameless no matter what
they do.

Society can only learn when the inhabitants are willing to grow, accept responsibility, and end
the misery that irresponsibility and ignorance create for everyone. Stop the Frankenstein’s of
the world, stop the misery they bring about. This is accomplished when everyone shows
respect, concern, love and kindness to those they meet in their lifetime. These
characteristics can be admired by humanity. The superficial scale that determines a person’s
value to society, such as what they look like, how intelligent they are, or how much money
they have shows the arrogance of man. Frankenstein played God because of his arrogance
and his need to be glorified, but instead, he brought misery to himself and those he loved.
No one benefited by his scientific knowledge, and that is irresponsibility and the waste of a
great mind.
ENG 121-C27 Rebecca R. Schwarz
Unit 4 - Literary Analysis - Frankenstein

Works Cited

Oates, Joyce Carol. (March 1984), "Frankenstein's Fallen Angel," in Critical Inquiry, Vol.
10, No.3, pp. 543-54. http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-frankenstein/essay2.html

Putnam, Jason. (June 1996). Thematic Analysis of Frankenstein. The Literary Magazine.
http://www.northstar.k12.ak.us/schools/nph/student/litmag/lm25.htm

Shelley, Mary. (1831). Frankenstein. G.K. Hall & Co., USA and by Chivers Press, England.

Von Goethe, Johann Wolfgang. (1989). The Sorrows of Young Werther. Penquin Books
Ltd; London, England.