Comments on Classic Literature - Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN

The main character of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is not the monster itself as one would think prior to reading the classic work, but it is the monster’s creator. Victor Frankenstein gives life to the monster that he then turns his back on. He is disgusted with the mere look of the creature. When Victor hears of his younger brother’s murder and witnesses the monsters presence near his family’s home, he is struck with terror that his own creation is the murder. Justine, a young woman who Victor’s mother had taken into their home as a child is accused of the murder. Victor is certain that the monster is the real culprit but doesn’t think anyone will believe his crazy story of his actually creating life. Following her trial, Justine is put to death for the murder of the child. Victor places blame on himself for not only creating the monster who murdered his brother, but also for the death of the innocent Justine.

     Should Victor have fought for Justine’s innocence instead of remaining quiet? If he had, given the time period for which the story takes place, would he himself have been locked away, thought to be crazy? I think that his true mistake was not in creating the monster since his main pursuit was to help man in general from the loss of life prematurely. His true mistake was in remaining silent and allowing an innocent person to perish at the hand of the state.