Frankenstein’s Hypocrisy

Frankenstein’s adult life is haunted by regret that he ever brought his monster to life. He says this repeatedly throughout Frankenstein: his “abhorrence of this fiend cannot be conceived” (chapter 9). The reader is led to the conclusion that he not only regrets his action but has learned from it; after all, the whole point of Frankenstein telling his tale to Captain Walton is to “dash the cup,” so that Walton can avoid making the same mistakes Frankenstein made (letter 4, 2nd entry). Given that the story has led us to believe that Frankenstein has grown wiser, I was extremely taken aback by his remarks to the would-be mutineers. He rallies the men to find their courage, calling the expedition “glorious” and promising the men that they “were hereafter to be hailed as the benefactors of your species” (chapter 24, 4th letter). Why does he say this? It is clear he hasn’t had a change of heart. Just a few paragraphs later he advises Walton to “Seek happiness in tranquility and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discoveries” (chapter 24). Perhaps Frankenstein is just being a good friend and trusting Captain Walton to ultimately make the right decision. Or maybe Mary Shelley is trying to make a pessimistic statement on the human condition; namely that, when push comes to shove, humans are bound to repeat their mistakes.