Frankenstein Analysis (character)

Character

1. Describe each of the main characters and categorise their role in the novel. For each:
   • Describe their most significant personality traits
   • Determine their strengths and weaknesses
   • Comment on what each character helps the reader to understand throughout the novel.

Victor Frankenstein begins his path of success at a young age. His ambition and intelligence shine through the novel leading him to be a hard, dedicated worker (strengths). However, his weakness are just as effective as his strengths and are consequences of his strengths. Victor is also a careless isolated man who is also very close-minded. He finds it hard to think of others’ feelings and emotions however he can still feel emotions himself just not show it. Emotions such as guilt and grief for the people he lost along the way. His lack of humanness results in him being cut off from the rest of the world. He is in his own separate bubble with everyone else outside it. He also gets so caught up on things, such as getting revenge on the creature, which consumes him from anything else important. Victor helps the readers to understand how obsessing overpraise, achievement and glory can actually get you further away from it. Victor obsessed over these and he ended up dead. Frankenstein shows us how giving up human connection for self success can result in dying alone.

Robert Walton is a narrator however not significantly included in the story. He is still very important as he is just like us, he readers, as Frankenstein is telling him his story and ultimately us. He shares similar traits to Victor of the need for knowledge and thriving for success however unlike him, Walton knows when to stop. Due to meeting Victor, he was able to learn from other people’s mistakes. Robert Walton knew that carrying his voyage on anymore could result in sacrificing people’s life so he turned around and left his dangerous journey behind, beating his ambition. This is a trait that Victor needs, if he knew when to stop then things would’ve turned out differently. By listening to Victor’s mistakes, Robert understood that ambition can lead to loss of relationships and he wasn’t ready to sacrifice that, especially Margret his sister. We understand from Robert that learning from other people’s mistakes can most definitely lead to our own success and a better outcome. There are just some things that are too big to sacrifice. Robert Walton values human connections over scientific findings by turning around.

Since the Creature is immortal, he has gained strengths such as awareness of his surroundings and the ability to learn from other people. The creature can pick up on things quickly, resulting in him being mentally and emotionally strong. Just like with any strength comes weaknesses, he is sensitive and can get easily affected. When he feels sad or angry, this is heightened due to his abnormal features. So whenever he feels lonely, this feeling absorbs him and ultimately consume him. This prevents any other thoughts to overrule and he gets caught up on his hatred for the human race. He is left out due to his appearances and has no one to go to, as his own father abandoned him at first sight. With the creature comes awareness of perspective. When we hear the creature narrate and tell his side of the story, we have to change our perspective of him as we have now finally got both sides. This tells us to not be so quick to judge.

1. The three main characters form a triangle of key relationships. Comment on how significant the relationships between Walton-Frankenstein, Frankenstein- Creature and Creature-Walton are to the development of the texts core themes.

Walton and Frankenstein share similar traits however once Walton has litended to Frankenstiens story he realises that he needs to turn around. This is whats seprates them from being the same. Robert Walton meeting Victor Frankesnein was like a warning, it was a sign and fortunately, he took it. Without Frankenstein’s sight into his story, Robert would’ve still been blinded by his ambition and not been able to realize how dangerous his journey truly was. This is Robert learning from other peoples mistakes (Frankensteins).

Frankenstein and the Creature have a love-hate relationship. As in the Creature just seeks love however Victor wants nothing to do with him. Before Victor saw and completed his creation, he was obsessed with it, but as soon as he lay eyes on the Creature the was horrified and abounded him. Their relationship develops the theme of perception and how being too quick to judge can lead to worse consequences. Despite their toxic and opposite feelings for each other, both were left with nobody at the end. They were both isolated from the rest of the world and both ended up dead. A father and son connection is all that the creature wanted however due to his appearances, he missed out on his forever wanted life.

Robert Walton and the Creatures encounter was living truth that the story the readers read from the creature was, in fact, true and he is just an overly sensitive creature wanting a sense of connection. His strong thirst for the company was all he wanted and when his creator, Victor, agreed to do make him a friend but then destroyed the plans, this diverted the story. Since Robert Walton already knows what Frankenstein’s opinion is on his creation, this opportunity of them meeting allows him to make his own thoughts of the creature without any interference.

1. Reflect on the characters’ connections to society- what experiences do they have that possibly shape them? How much a part does society play in influencing the characters decisions in the text?

Frankenstein creating another form of life is an experience that shaped him into who he is. After disrespecting nature by creating a new human species, he then abounded his creation, leaving the rest of the world to pay for his mistakes. Then when he had the chance to make things right and save an innocent person, he disregarded this chance and thus resulting in Justine’s death. Due to his choices, the consequences of isolation and guilt lived with him for the rest of his life. Every person he lost was due to his doing, his grief and guilt that fed of him were due to his own creation and actions from this experience. Despite his love and affectionate childhood, he still failed to look and care for his very own son. He had family, friends, and people that looked out for him but due to his ego forcing himself to keep his creation a secret, he was soon left with no one. After learning how fortunate his childhood was and how his family cared for him, the readers would expect a mirrored childhood to his own creation, however, this is not what is seen.

The creature shows society what it is like to be judged for something you cannot handle. Your appearances do not define you but his very own father cannot seem to see past this. After taking on life by himself and getting rejected despite saving someone’s life, the creature learns that the universe is against him. He is feared and not counted as a living person. This forces anger and self hate upon him. Due to this harsh upbringing and neglect from everyone including his own father, the creature starts to portray a monster (by killing innocent people) just like how the rest of society sees him. When the creature meets Delacy’s father, the blind man, he accepts him as an individual but as soon as the rest of the family comes home and lays eyes on the creature, all respect is gone and they fear this ‘monster’ in their house. This quick judgment from the DeLaceys proves to society how appearances overrule personality despite how much we try to not.

Walton listens to Frankensteins and the Creature’s story at the same time as the readers do, so he almost shadows us. Walton is capable of making his own right choices despite his strong love for knowledge. His action of terminating the exploration proves to the readers that Robert knows when to stop, which is very unlike Victor. Waltons actions (specifically turning the ship around) contrast with his traits. We learn that even though he is an ambitious explorer, he will not sacrifice other people, such as his crew on the boat. Robert Walton’s strong love for human connection overrules his ambitious which is something Victor needed.