Character Analysis of Victor Frankenstein

Reading Frankenstein has always given me mixed feelings. The first time I read Frankenstein was in Grade 8, where I found a much more simple version of the novel and out of curiosity, read it. Back then, the novel had been much more straightforward for me. It was just another story of the consequences of meddling with things that are beyond our ability to control.  Fast forward a few years to this summer, and my feelings for this novel has been greatly complicated, and not as straightforward as I initially thought it was. I can now appreciate the amount of effort and complexity that Mary Shelley put into her novel, transforming it into one that would be remembered for years.

For me, Frankenstein is a brilliant piece of work that I enjoyed reading. It showed me how a person could be lead so astray by the lure of fame. The prime example of this is prominently displayed the main character himself, Victor Frankenstein. However, here is where my main criticism with the book lies. To me, Frankenstein was self-centered and whiny for someone you would call an exceptionally talented scientist, given that he discovered the ‘formula of life’. He only seemed to care for himself, and did not consider the full impact of what he had done, only after it was too late, resulting in the cleverly executed murders of his family and friends. Aside from all this, Frankenstein also demonstrated a braver side to him, which was prominently showed when he decided to destroy the Monster’s mate, even though he knew would result in more killings of his family. Frankenstein is also shown to be shallow-minded, which is shown after the destruction of the Monster’s partner, where he promises to be with Frankenstein on his wedding night. When the Monster said this I immediately knew that he would murder Elizabeth; however, Frankenstein, as self-centered as he was, immediately thought that the monster would target him instead, and on his wedding night, left Elizabeth alone and unarmed, promptly resulting in her death.

Aside from this one criticism I still find Frankenstein to be a beautiful novel, and remains to be one of my favorite books.

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3 thoughts on “Character Analysis of Victor Frankenstein

  1. Dear Maheen,

    I know we haven’t talked much, so hello!

    I felt the same way about Frankenstein before I read the novel properly. It’s really strange how simple this book appears to be – that is, until you dive into an analysis of the characters. Writing about such a topic can be challenging, and I can see that you definitey have the skill for it.

    I found your academic voice to be consistently strong throughout this post.

  2. Oops, a glitch. Anyways, I’ll continue.

    This aspect really added to the ideas that you were trying to convey. It made them very clear and easy to follow, even during transitions.

    One thing that you could look at are the occasional GUMPS in the writing, but these are almost unnoticeable.

    Frankenstein is a very complex character, but I think you did a good job of giving a voice to the feelings that you have for him. (I still can’t get over how he didn’t realize that the monster was going to go after Elizabeth.)

    Honestly, this was a very interesting read. Thank you.

    Sincerely,
    Tarannum

  3. Dear Maheen,
    I was able to relate to this post from the very first paragraph. I too was not able to fully appreciate the novel the first time around, however, once I re-read it this summer, I found it much more engaging and thought provoking.

    You and I also see eye-to-eye on the characterization of Victor. He was indeed gifted with knowledge and passion, but was deprived of courage or responsibility, thus leading to the demise of all who he loved. Personally, my favourite character in the novel was, instead, the monster for he displayed a full range of human emotion beyond the confines of power and its accomplice -guilt. I believe that it is very important that, as young people, we are able to learn the dangers of cowardice and the importance of regulation through the means of literature, instead of inflicting suffering of our own.

    This piece was wonderfully constructed and your voice was consistent throughout – a very difficult aspect of style to accomplish at your age. Your insight to the human fallacies mentioned above demonstrate your elevated thinking and, in addition, your concise diction worked as a tool in advancing your piece from good to great.

    I cannot wait to see what your produce next, and I will be eagerly waiting to read whatever it may be.

    From

    Emily ( aka. Your Favourite Family Group Member)

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