While cases can be made for Frankenstein and his creation both serving antagonistic roles in this novel, I believe there to be a more definitive villain. Both of these characters commit acts which may be viewed by some as disdainful, Frankenstein for creating sentient life and the creation for his multiple homicides. The creations actions, however, can be excused by the simple fact that everything he learned from the moment he was first brought to life came from Frankenstein himself. Would you blame the naive student or the knowledgable teacher? Upon bringing his creation to life, Frankenstein exclaims “I beheld the wretch—the miserable monster whom I had created” referring to him with scorn. He proceeds to sprint out of the room in a frenzied attempt to escape him. Emotions of hatred and disgust are the first that the creature experiences, and as my peers have already exclaimed, humans are emotional and sensual beings. In the context of the novel, the creation is every bit human. He is then forced to wander the world alone for the very first time, expectedly despised by other humans encountered. It should then come as no surprise that the creation would act in such a vile manner, as these feelings are all that he has come to know. Acting on ones emotions, while not necessarily excusable, is something that every human can relate to. While these actions were high on the side of extreme, does the creation not get a pass? I cannot say for certain whether the creation would have been completely fulfilled had Frankenstein stayed and cared for him, showing emotions of love and compassion rather than hate, but a claim can be made that many of the despicable crimes committed by Frankensteins creation would not have occurred. The entire time, he is only looking for acceptance. His lone request upon encountering Frankenstein for the first time is that “You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being.” Would Frankenstein showing these same emotions of love and acceptance have been enough to satisfy the creations sense of hopelessness? It would have been a start. It is therefore why I put Frankenstein at fault regardless of whether one believes in the morality of creating sentient life to begin with. I will end with one last comparison. Think of Frankensteins creation as any newborn child. Would the responsibility not be on the parents to ensure a healthy upbringing? Or would one blame the child when everything it has learned has been viewed with bias?
I think this post brings up a very interesting point about who the “true” antagonist of the novel is, and I think the topic of responsibility is a fundamental theme of this work. Certainly, Frankenstein’s creature bears some culpability in the murder of Henry, Elizabeth, and William, as well as the resulting deaths of Justine, Victor Frankenstein, and his father. And I agree with you Andrew, when you argue that if Victor Frankenstein had stayed and cared for his creation, all of these deaths could have been avoided. However, I also believe the responsibility for all of these deaths and the creature’s misery goes beyond Frankenstein and his creation. Although Frankenstein was responsible for bringing the creature to life, there were plenty of people along the way who could have been more kind to the creature, preventing him from the miserable wreck that he is at the end of the novel. Had someone in society or society in general been more accepting of the creature, the creature would have no reason for misery and no reason for revenge, and I think this is illustrated by the creature’s desire for companionship—for someone like him who understands him. Thus, I think Shelley’s use of society as an “antagonistic character,” is part of her desire for a more accepting and equal society.
Great post! I think you’re definitely right about not placing all of the blame on the monster, and Frankenstein definitely had a responsibility to care for his creation. I also think that Frankenstein’s culpability goes beyond his failure to raise the monster- he fails to take responsibility for the monster’s actions once they are committed. Does this make Frankenstein a villain or does it make him human? What drives Frankenstein’s irresponsibility is fear, perhaps not something commonly associated with the brazenly rash villains usually portrayed in literature. Yes, Frankenstein acted wrongly – but his intentions were good. Does that count for anything?