preview

Similarities Between Victor Frankenstein And The Monster

Better Essays

The Major Similarities and Differences Between Victor Frankenstein and The Monster

Victor Frankenstein and his creation, known as “the monster” are easily the two most complex and interesting characters in the novel “Frankenstein”, by Mary Shelly. The manners in which they were brought up in the beginning of their lives are where most of their similarities as well as their differences derive from. Because the monster was not born naturally as Victor was, they both view nature as a whole differently and allows it to affect their lives in contrasting ways both positive and negative. The fact that Victor was brought up in a loving home and cared for all throughout his life, while the monster received no love at all, generated them both to have distinct differences in how they react to different people and situations around them, but also acts as a similarity because of them both having a strong desire for family. In the novelFrankenstein”, by Mary Shelly, the two characters of Victor Frankenstein and the monster have many similarities and differences especially in dealing with their relations to nature, desire for family, and how they react to the people and situations around them. Nature is one of the most significant underlying themes of the novel, “Frankenstein”. The different relations to nature by both Victor and the monster serves as a metaphorical representation of the core differences of the two main characters. While nature mainly serves as therapy for victor as you can repeatedly see as things in his life go wrong, he turns to nature to restore his health and mind. A good example is found after Victor finds out about the death of his younger brother, William, and his housekeeper, Justine, and he finds solace in nature on his way to Geneva. “I remained two days at Lausanne, in this painful state of mind, I contemplated the lake: the waters were placid; all around was calm, and the snowy mountains, ‘the places of nature’, were not changed. By degree the calm and heavenly scene restored me, and I continued my journey towards Geneva.” (Shelly 47). This is also an example of how Victor is shown using nature for his own benefit, much like he does when he is creating the monster. At the time the novel was

Get Access