Real Monster

Marissa Mendoza
January 17, 2013
Humanities 8th
Real Monster

What is a monster? Is it a horrible creature or human that goes out for the kill and doesn’t own up to their crime? Or is it a disfigured living thing that does not look human? Who is the real monster here? Is it Victor or his creation or both? Some would say “Victor’s creation” because it does not look human and looks scary and ugly. Others would say “Victor” because of what he did in his past. I think Victor is the real monster throughout the entire book. Yes, Victor’s creation seems to sound like the monster but really if you look at it more closely, the real monster would be Victor Frankenstein.
The reason why I said “Victor Frankenstein” is the monster is because after several years of tireless work, he masters all that his professors have to teach him, and he goes one step further: discovering the secret of life. Privately, hidden away in his apartment where no one can see him work, he decides to begin the construction of an animate creature, envisioning the creation of a new race of wonderful beings. Full of himself to this labor, he neglects everything else—family, friends, studies, and social life—and grows increasingly obsessed. In chapter 4 pages 39 explains how he had gotten the body parts. He collected bones from charnel-houses. He disturbed the dead bodies by cutting parts of their body to create his creature. In chapter 5 pages 42 explains how he felt about his creation. Once he was done and satisfied, he took a step back to view his wonderful creation. Once he saw how it looked, horror and disgust was written all over his face. He abandoned his creation and then chooses to flee from his past. Not knowing what he has created, will have consequences in the future.
The second reason is he becomes guilty for the deaths that have come upon his loved ones and did not do much to help save them. In chapter 7-8 explain two deaths. Victor was on his way back to Geneva when he finds a letter from his father telling him that his youngest brother, William, has been murdered. He spends the evening walking in the woods around town. As he walks near the spot where his brother’s body was found, he seems to have spotted the monster lurking near and becomes convinced that his creation is responsible for killing William. When he returns home, Victor hears that Justine has been accused of the murder. Victor, knowing Justine’s innocence, refuses to explain himself for fear that he will be labeled insane and be blamed for his brother’s death. Justine is soon executed. Later on in chapter 16 the creation explains how he killed William and had everyone believe Justine was the killer. At the end of chapter 20 and through chapter 21, a group of townspeople were suspicious. Victor collects the remains of the female. He rows out onto the ocean and throws the remains into the water. He reaches shore near a town. When he lands, a group of townspeople greet him rudely, telling him that he is under suspicion for a murder discovered the previous night. After confronting Victor, the townspeople take him to Mr. Kirwin. Victor, there listening to the witnesses testifying against him, claimed that they found the body of a man along the beach the previous night and that, just before finding the body, they saw a boat in the water that resembled Victor’s. So, Mr. Kirwin decides to bring Victor to glance at the body to see what effect it has on him. When Victor saw the body, his face grew with horror once again. There lying cold and lifeless, was Victor’s best friend Henry. Knowing, with the black hand marks around his neck, it was the monster that had done this once more. Victor was not convicted of his friend’s death and is now on his way home. In chapter 23, Victor is now married to Elizabeth and the fourth death appears once again. Victor sits remembering what the creation had told him, trying to get the meaning out of what the creation said, was still buzzing through his mind, and driving him crazy and agitated. He begins to search for the monster in the house, when suddenly he hears Elizabeth scream and realizes that it was never his death that the monster had been intending this night. In chapter 24, Victor then searches for the monster but never does. Soon he dies naturally. Victor’s creation sobs over Victor’s death. He begins to tell Walton how he has deeply regretted ever becoming so evil and that, with his creator dead, he is ready to die. After all that the monster has done to Victor and made him suffer for so long, at the end when Victor was on his death bed, he said that he “regretted ever becoming so evil”. He wishes to be dead to. He knew what he had done was wrong. After all that Victor had done to him like, abandoning him in the first place, and threatening to kill him, and not making him a female friend, he looked passed that and still felt guilty and sorry. So, that is why I think the monster is not a monster, that Victor is the real monster here.