Frankenstein: God or Child?

Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley in 1818, is a

compelling horror story both for its boldness in to new literary

territory and its prominent warning on the danger of man's

efforts to control nature. Literature dealing with the

possibilities of science, now coined "science fiction", is

extremely rare for early nineteenth century writings. Opening on

a fresh topic, Shelley creates a story of a monster who

represents the embodiment of one man's ambition in which he

"pursue[s] nature to her hiding places." (pg. 39) She endows

this monster with a speaking voice that urgently pleads for the

very thing Frankenstein's dream of glory has rejected--genuine

human compassion. In his quest for fame Frankenstein fails to

realize the responsibilities creating a new entity entails.

Frankenstein lacks basic God-like qualities necessary to foster a

new life, including love and support. In addition to lacking

God-like qualities, Frankenstein is only human, therefore he is

an imperfect being himself yet he tries to control nature which

is unflawed. It is a combination of these two factors that causes

the tragedy that befalls Frankenstein.

Frankenstein wants to create a life that "would bless [him]

as its creator and source." (pg. 39) He wants to be God to

another being. In other words, he not only wishes to control

nature but he wants to create his own division of nature. What

he does not realize is that he does not have the ability, wisdom

or the maturity to become God. He simply knows the "formula", if

you will, to spark life. He is well versed in the scientific

means of creating life but he is deficient in emotional and

psychological knowledge of life. He offers no love, sympathy,

understanding, hope, or inspiration for his creation.

Frankenstein cannot love the monster, for he creates it so

grotesquely that even he cannot not even bear to look at it.

Later he buries the only chance of ever establishing any kind of

relationship with his creation when he brakes his promise to

create a mate for it. "Begone! I do break my promise; never will

I create another like yourself, equal in deformity and

wickedness" (pg. 152) These are truly ironic words for it is

Frankenstein's lack of compassion that drives his creation to the

"wickedness" he describes. And with these words he seals the

fate of any peaceful coexistence between the two.

Humanity, in general, often looks up towards God (or some

higher power) for support and hope in times of despair. This is

the foundation of many of the religions that exist today.

Frankenstein is not able, nor does he even attempt to fill this

position for his creation. It is definitely an obligation that

he neglects as he abandons his creation the same day he gives

life to it.

The porter opened the gates of the court,

 which had that night been my asylum, and
I issued into the streets, pacing them
with quick steps, as if I sought to avoid
the wretch whom I feared every turning of
the street would present to my view.
(pg. 44)

He offers no support to his being from the very day of its birth.

For that matter, he does not even acknowledge its existence.

Shelley's warning is clearly evident in Frankenstein's

blind struggle to become God. Frankenstein's attempt to control

nature fails because of his lack of knowledge. In more general

sense, one of the greatest flaws of mankind is ignorance.

Shelley's warning is further emphasized by this fact, using

science in order to control nature will subject man to the same

fate Frankenstein met.

It is Frankenstein's obsessive desire to control nature

that leads him to his death. He, being the imperfect human being

he is, tries to control a flawless nature. He is imperfect in

the sense the he is mortal, he has no former experience in the

creation of life, and he demonstrates many personality flaws

throughout the novel.

Victor Frankenstein is a brilliant student who excels

Natural Philosophy and made many new discoveries in the fields of

chemistry and physiology. Even, Mr. Krempe, who once looked down

upon Frankenstein for the younger years of his life later

realizes the greatness of Victor Frankenstein. "Why, M. Clerval,

I assure you he has outstripped us all. A youngster...but a few

years ago...now has set himself at the head of the university."

(pg. 53) The other professors at the university consider him an

icon of the recent achievements of science at the university.

But even in his greatness he was not perfect. Victor

Frankenstein was only human. Nature on the other hand is

perfect. This fact is demonstrated in the symmetrics of plants,

the existence of a prey-predator food cycle, the change of

seasons in which plant life dies and then regenerates, and other

examples along the same order. Considering all the imperfections

of man (or in Shelley's argument, scientists) it seems quite

unreasonable for man to be able to control nature.

In addition to the flaws Frankenstein's creation inherits

from him, the haste in which Frankenstein creates his being

yields even more flaws. "As the minuteness of the parts formed a

great hindrance to my speed, I resolved, contrary to my first

intention, to make the being of a gigantic stature...after having

formed this determination...I began." (pg. 39) Frankenstein's

impatience causes him to overlook critical details which he

should realize will only grow into major flaws. A excellent

example of this is his creation's appearance:

...and I had selected his features as

beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His
yellow skin scarcely covered the work of
muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was
of a lustrous black and flowing; his teeth
 of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances
only formed a more horrid contrast with his
watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same
coulor as the dun-white sockets in which
they were set, his shriveled complexion and
straight black lips. (pg 42.)

A great portion of its body parts have come from slaughterhouses

and dissection rooms, just slopping together into the entity

known as his creation. This demonstrates another example of why

man should not try to control nature. Frankenstein rushes to

finish his project and give it live because he wants to see it

exist and grow during his lifetime. Frankenstein rushes because

he is mortal, his time in existence is finite. Nature, on the

other hand, has an infinite amount of time and therefore has no

rush in its creations. Nature can make a creation and then

continually refine it until it reaches perfection. In relation

to Shelley's warning, scientists only have a finite amount of

time to glorify themselves and will often do so without taking

into account all the implications of their actions.

If the newborn's appearance even appalls its own creator,

how is it ever going to withstand the ridicule of society?

Frankenstein should have reconsidered his initial thoughts and

improved upon his dependent's appearance, but it is in his rage

of mad enthusiasm and haste that he does not. Later in the

novel, his creation ridicules him for his hasty decision

contrasting him with God. "God, in pity, made man beautiful and

alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of

yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance." (pg. 115)
This contrast is even clearer when one considers that nature

(God) had created many beings before the creation of man.

Nature developed experience in creations since the beginning of

time while, in contrast, Frankenstein has no experience in the

creation of beings before his monster. With experience one can

approach perfection.

Frankenstein has many personality flaws such as

irrationality and obsessiveness. Frankenstein acts irrational

when he leaves his creation and, later, when he pursues its

extinction even to his death. Frankenstein is also obsessed with

his work, so much so, that he often neglects his friends and

family and even his health. Personality flaws are only minor

points but they serve to emphasize Shelley's argument. In his

obsessiveness with his monster he almost loses his life and in

his irrationality with his monster he does, rather than trying to

co-exist and enjoy nature he tries to control it and pays the

ultimate penalty for it.

In his quest for fame Frankenstein fails to realize the

responsibilities creating a new entity entails. For the most part

Frankenstein acts far from God-like in his dealings with his

creation. It is Frankenstein's ignorance to the perfectness of

nature that causes him to unleash his monster onto society

without second thought. Although highly criticized for this

work, I believe Shelley has created an valid argument that should

not be overlooked.

11-01-96
Hist 211 AA