The True Evil - Frankenstein

A detailed Summary of The True Evil - Frankenstein

The ability of committing evil is within every human being on earth. It is how we overcome these urges to use this evil that defines who we are. In Mary Shelley's gothic novel, Frankenstein, evil is portrayed in many ways through Victor Frankenstein's actions. Victor's irresponsible actions and selfish nature are the true evil in the novel. He shows his irresponsibility and selfishness towards the monster, his family and the knowledge he gains.

Throughout the novel Frankenstein, the monster is depicted as being wretched and evil, whereas Victor is looked upon as being brilliant and creative. When looked upon more carefully, it is revealed that it is really Victor's actions that are evil. Victor creates a monster knowing that it will be different from other people. When the monster comes to life, Victor does not give it a chance to prove himself worthy and this is his first sign of irresponsibility:

"For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. 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. Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the r

M. Krempe, like Victor's father, was only trying to help Victor. He should have taken the advice of his elders, of which he was lucky to have, and considered their point of view. Victor shows great disrespect when he blatantly disregards what these people tell him. Victor should have considered that these people know about life and that they only want the best for him. If he had listened to what they had to say and realized that they are right, then maybe he would have had a peaceful life instead of suffering the consequences.

At the beginning of the novel, Victor's family is very important to him. As the story develops, Victor forgets about his responsibilities towards them. He is extremely negligent when it comes to dealing with his duties. His obsession with his work and creation consumes him to the point, that he does not even bother to write to his family about how he is doing:

At the beginning of Victor's story he is very interested in many kinds of studies. Natural Philosophy becomes his drive and passion that leads him to create the monster. At such a young age, Victor is being led and directed by many different people. These people give Victor advice, but Victor only listens to the advice that he wants to hear. Victor begins his quest for knowledge by reading the theories of Cornelius Agrippa. His father advises that he should not waste his time reading these books. Victor does not listen, which in turn shows great disrespect and inconsiderateness towards his father:

From the beginning of the novel Victor evolves as someone who cares about his friends and family to someone who becomes extremely self involved. He does not consider how other people are feeling and what they might be going through. All that matters to him is, his pain, his guilt and his problems. He does not even think twice that a girl is going to be punished for a crime that he had a hand in committing.

The New Merriam Webster Dictionary defines responsibility as, "able to fulfill one's obligations" and "involving accountability or important duties". Throughout the novel Frankenstein, Victor does not show responsibility towards his creation, family and his knowledge. By creating such a monster, Victor unleashed a beast that the world was not ready for and that he was responsible for. Many of the tragedies that occurred could have been prevented if Victor had shown better judgment and thought of other people in his life besides himself. All through the novel Victor broke promises, disrespected his elders and hurt the ones that were closest to him. This is the result of irresponsibility and selfishness on Victor's part, the true evil by which he was consumed.

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Approximate Word count = 1974
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English