Victor Frankenstein’s Selfish Motives of Dabbling with Nature

Justification is given to someone when their actions are proven to have logical explanation behind it. Driven and arrogant, Victor Frankenstein’s selfish motives of dabbling with nature results in a disastrous outcome of a creation which endangered not only himself, but the world. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the story focuses on the disastrous outcome of one man’s idealistic desires of playing the role of God, resulting in the creation of a monster.

The creature may have killed innocent people and done crimes unspeakable, but behind it all is Victor Frankenstein, the creator. Frankenstein claimed that he only wanted to “give back loved ones,” but he clearly did it for the greed of fame and power, seeing how he didnt think through the consequences or challenges it will bring. Unable to control the massive power of giving life and handle the hideous face of death, he abandons his creation. As fate would have it, later his younger brother, William is found dead. The creature after killing William, cleverly framed Justine, ending her life with an execution. Victor blames the creature for these murders, but it is indirectly his fault. Afterall, he is the creator, and William was killed because the creature’s hatred for him.

In any time of crisis, Victor Frankenstein seems to suffer from decision paralysis. He might have been justified for his crimes if only his flaw of excusing himself from any wrong deeds didn’t overwhelmingly make him less trustworthy. While valiant and heroic when he struggled to create life, he immediately turns into a coward, assuming his creation to be a menace and running from it in terror: “one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs” (51). Due to his constant excuses and cowardliness, it’s hard to trust Victor to be a reliable narrator, when he claims helplessness with such vigor. For example, when he meets with the creature again, he recounts, “I thought of