Skip to main content

Did Victor do the right thing in Chapter 20 of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein?

When, during Victor Frankenstein's very lengthy encounter with his creation, the "wretch," the monster proposes an arrangement whereby, if Victor will agree to create a female companion for him, he will disappear forever from Victor's life, the young scientist is forced to ponder the possible ramifications of this agreement. In Chapter 20 of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Victor does indeed proceed to consider the potential consequences of bringing into the world another creature the destructive nature of which could bring about more problems. Early in this chapter, Shelley depicts her protagonist as a tortured soul, struggling desperately for the right answer to the question of whether to abide the creature's proposition:


"I was now about to form another being of whose dispositions I was alike ignorant; she might become ten thousand times more malignant than her mate and delight, for its own sake, in murder and wretchedness. He had sworn to quit the neighbourhood of man and hide himself in deserts, but she had not . . ."



Readers of Frankenstein will recall that it took Victor but the briefest of moments to regret his efforts at reanimating dead tissue while away at university. Readers will also, however, recall Victor's determination to pervert nature with insufficient consideration of the consequences of those actions ahead of time. His pursuit of scientific discovery is so single-minded that he gives little thought to the practical implications of his actions. He does, in fact, question himself in this regard, but any reservations about tinkering with nature are subordinated to his quest for discovery. Now, with the creature's proposal in hand, Victor is equally determined to prevent himself from making the same mistake twice, and herein lies the question of his decision to deny the creature the female companion he had promised. The creature's reaction to Victor's decision to destroy the female companion on which he had already made substantial progress is described in the following passage from Chapter 20:



"The wretch saw me destroy the creature on whose future existence he depended for happiness, and with a howl of devilish despair and revenge, withdrew."



The creature's reaction, of course, is to continue to murder everybody close to Victor, including his new bride, Elizabeth, and his closest friend, Henry Clerval. So, when considering whether Victor made the right decision when he tore apart the female creature on which he had labored for the benefit of the male creature to which he had given life, it is advisable to consider the immediate ramifications of that decision: the brutal murders of the two people left in his life to whom he was especially close.


The creature had promised that he would disappear from the company of man forever if Victor created a female companion for him. Victor initially relented, and then, in front of the creature, went back on his word, violently tearing apart the female. Assuming the creature was a "monster of honor," in effect, that he would enter into the arrangement with Victor with honorable intentions, and would depart for some remote location for the remainder of his days, then Victor could not have made a worse decision. Victor was correct that he could not foresee the possible implications of bringing into the world a second monster, but he knew beyond doubt that, failing to follow through on his end of the bargain, he guaranteed that the living creature would continue his reign of terror. Personally, I would have built the female creature. The entire point of the creature's exceptionally long monologue regarding his experiences with the blind man and his family was that he wanted nothing more than to live peaceably alongside normal beings. Only when rejected, as with Victor's initial reaction upon observing his creation, did the monster destroy. Complying with the terms of the agreement, then, would have been the safest approach to take.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

What are some external and internal conflicts that Montag has in Fahrenheit 451?

 Montag, the protagonist of Fahrenheit 451, faces both external and internal conflicts throughout the novel. Some examples of these conflicts are: External Conflicts: Conflict with the society: Montag lives in a society that prohibits books and critical thinking. He faces opposition from the government and the people who enforce this law. Montag struggles to come to terms with the fact that his society is based on censorship and control. Conflict with his wife: Montag's wife, Mildred, is completely absorbed in the shallow and meaningless entertainment provided by the government. Montag's growing dissatisfaction with his marriage adds to his external conflict. Conflict with the fire captain: Montag's superior, Captain Beatty, is the personification of the oppressive regime that Montag is fighting against. Montag's struggle against Beatty represents his external conflict with the government. Internal Conflicts: Conflict with his own beliefs: Montag, at the beginning of th...

In A People's History of the United States, why does Howard Zinn feel that Wilson made a flimsy argument for entering World War I?

"War is the health of the state," the radical writer Randolph Bourne said, in the midst of the First World War. Indeed, as the nations of Europe went to war in 1914, the governments flourished, patriotism bloomed, class struggle was stilled, and young men died in frightful numbers on the battlefields-often for a hundred yards of land, a line of trenches. -- Chapter 14, Page 350, A People's History of the United States Howard Zinn outlines his arguments for why World War I was fought in the opening paragraph of Chapter 14 (referenced above). The nationalism that was created by the Great War benefited the elite political and financial leadership of the various countries involved. Socialism, which was gaining momentum in Europe, as was class struggle, took a backseat to mobilizing for war. Zinn believes that World War I was fought for the gain of the industrial capitalists of Europe in a competition for capital and resources. He states that humanity itself was punished by t...

Where did Atticus take the light and extension cord in To Kill a Mockingbird?

Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with... Atticus brings the light to the courthouse jail so that he can protect Tom Robinson.  Atticus learns that Tom Robinson, his client, is in danger.  A group of white men want to prevent the trial and lynch Robinson. He is warned by a small group of men that appear at his house.  He refuses to back down.  Atticus knows that the Cunninghams will target his client, so he plans to sit up all night with Jim if that’s what it takes to protect him.  Atticus tells the men that he will make sure his client gets his fair shake at the law.  “Link, that boy might go to the chair, but he’s not going till ...