In the novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelly draws parallels between Victor Frankenstein and the monster and aptly portrays how the two characters are linked to each other depending on several common traits which thy share. Victor admires the nature saying, “Happy, happy earth! Fit habitation for gods” (Shelly 127). In times of desolation, bereaved of his loved ones, Victor seeks the solace to his solace from nature. He wishes to strengthen his shattered spirits imbibing the sustenance from nature and it becomes his personal therapy. Even the monster’s love for nature is evident in the course of the novel as he makes references to it. The creature pleads to Victor for a female companion to compensate for his loneliness. The creature swears saying “by the sun, and by the blue sky of heaven” if his prayer was granted, Victor would never see him again (Shelly 168). The creature describes the beauty of nature quintessentially.
Victor is endowed with a loving family since his childhood, in stark contrast to the desolation and hatred which the creature faces from the inception of its life. In spite of these differences, their childhood experiences with family have enormous effects on their psyche which finally lead to their destruction. Victor is driven by the urge to counter death after his mother’s demise and in that pursuit he creates the monster. The creature in turn is affected by the desolation meted out to him by Victor. The creature opines, “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on” (Shelly 258).
Another similarity between the two characters is their thirst for knowledge. Victor leaves the large estate and his love to go to the university to learn. In his obsession of gaining knowledge he creates the monster. This creature also wishes to become more intelligent and even hides in the poor family’s house to learn about his surroundings. The creature evokes his knowledge of the Bible saying, “even the enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation” while lamenting about his loneliness (Shelly 256).
Thus, the author expresses the similarities between Victor and his creation through the pages of the novel. It seems that the creature has taken after its creator just like a child takes after his or her parents. In their paramount clash throughout the novel, the duo meets ultimate destruction in the form of demise.
Works Cited
Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. London: CRW Publishing Ltd, 1818. Print.
