Frankenstein Critical Analysis - Essay Example

However, one obvious reading of the character of Victor is viewing Victor as a neglectful parent who abandons his progeny the moment it's born. The many apparent examples in the novel point to the same fact and it is the poor “parenting” of his progeny which lead to his creation’s thirst for the vindication of his unjust life resulting in the most tragic events in the novel. It is also notable that the novelist’s personal child-nurturing experiences, about the practice of parenting, have been a significant contributor to the relationship between Victor and the creature.

The birth of the monster, the “prestigious” child of Frankenstein does not bring any kind of joy to him, but he is very much thwarted and incredibly repulsed by the disgusting and abnormal physical appearance of his creation. Therefore, the description of the much expected and cherished-for birth of the child, i.e. the monster, reflects the attitude of the parent in Victor. “I saw the full yellow eye of the creature open: it breathed hard and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs” (Shelley, 1961). Victor escapes from the newborn when it follows him and he admits that the child was a mistake or an accident, abandoning the child completely along with his parental responsibility. Victor neglects and abuses his creation and even expresses his wish that it died. “I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed, and I ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed” (Shelley, 1961). The hatred that the monster develops toward the ‘parent’ is the result of the parenthood of Victor who as a neglectful parent abandons his progeny the moment it is born.

The classic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is particularly noted for the treatment of the advancements in the scientific field and the consequences of a man trying to become God. Science and life are very much related and the overemphasis of science in life will be manifested in the physical condition of the person involved in such scientific methods. Victor is the prime example of men who is very much affected by the unnecessary priority given to science. He is the Faustian hero of the novel who undergoes a symbolic birth when secluded in his science lab. The entire novel rotates around the events that take place in the laboratory of Victor and it is the same place he recognizes his potential to become God by creating life. When cloistered in the lab, Victor undergoes a symbolic birth which central to his life and the entire novel as such.

The new spirit and the symbolic birth that the protagonist enjoys in the novel are very much reflected in the physical condition of the character. The changes that take place to the scientist protagonist of the novel had a great effect on his body as “2 years of work has deprived his body of health and rest” and these physical conditions are manifested in the nightmarish experience that Victor experiences following the symbolic birth he undergoes in the lab (Shelley. 1961). There was a truly happy and enjoyable life for Victor following his symbolic birth in the lab, as he had been working earnestly for the fulfilment of his great dream, which came to an end when it was fulfilled. “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. For this, I 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” (Shelley, 1961). The novel is particularly important for the symbolic birth that Frankenstein experienced as he is cloistered in his lab the physical manifestations of which are visible in the novel.