Victor Frankenstein Character Analysis example essay topic

Victor Frankenstein Throughout the years, there have been many infulential and controversial novels to come along in the world of literature and change the way millions upon millions of people read and look at books. Some of the novels had a much greater impact on society than others. Frankenstein just happens to be one of those special novels. The incredible novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, has become one of literature's classic horror and romance stories. Its greatness can not be measured as it combines many themes and elements of literature.

It defied all standards of its time and drew the world into the fascinating adventure of a man creating life in his scientific laboratory. You have the story of a man acting as God by bringing life to the dead, which was something that the world had never seen. The name "Frankenstein" has become one of the most well known names in the genre of horror in the world of literature and continues to stay that way in the world today. There have been many adaptations of the novel such as numerous books, movies and television programs, but none are able to capture the suspense and horror as Mary Shelley did so easily back in 1818.

When taking a closer look at this novel, you start to develop a much better understanding of who Victor Frankenstein really is and what is going on in his mind. Although many readers will tend to believe that Victor Frankenstein is a man who is obsessed with life and bringing life to the deceased, there are many signs and signals found within the novel which show Victor Frankenstein as being a man who is obsessed with death in many more ways rather then life. Throughout the entire novel Victor Frankenstein mentions death several times, which leads the reader to the clear and true realization that Victor Frankenstein is truly a man obsessed with death, wether it be he is afraid of it at times or likes to see it happen. Death is something which tends to follow Victor where ever he goes. Everyone he seems to love and care about most, falls victim to his strange and odd obsession. Within the first chapter of the novel we are introduced to the first sign of Victor's strange obsession with death.

When Victor is the telling the reader about his adopted sister Elizabeth Lavenza, he claims that she was "my more than sister, since till death she was to be mine only" (Shelley 21). This may not seem all that important, but it is the mere fact that Victor brings up the word death and continues to do it so casually throughout the novel. If he truly was not obsessed with death, then why would he keep bringing it up? There is no reason for him to bring it in conversation or his thoughts, it is like he is doing it on purpose for his own satisfaction and enjoyment.

Victor then tells the reader about his long search for knowledge and how the search took over his entire life. He tells us "I entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life; but the latter soon obtained my undivided attention. Wealth was an inferior object; but what glory would attend the discovery, if I could banish disease from the human frame, and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death" (26). This shows us his fierce quest for life, but at the same time he mentions a violent death. Victor's search for life, is not really a search for life, but more of an escape from the dark world of death. After the death of his mother, Caroline Beaufort, Victor becomes more infatuated with his studies and his obsession of death becomes even more intense.

"To examine the causes of life, we must first have recourse to death. I became acquainted with the science of anatomy, but this was not sufficient; I must also observe the natural decay and corruption of the human body", (36) is the way Victor justifies his immense and great desire to examine death. Even as Victor is discovering how to create life, he is still running from the unescapable reality of death. This is also seen when Victor's brother, William, is murdered by his hideous creation. "Nothing in human shape could have destroyed that fair child. He was the murderer!

I could not doubt it. The mere presence of the idea was irresistible proof of the fact" (60). Victor yet again can not escape death as death is all around him. It seems that everything Victor comes in contact with he brings death to.

This time it is Justine Moritz, who is the next to experience death as she is blamed for the death of William and executed as a result. Victor's best friend, Henry Clerval, who we are introduced to earlier in the novel, is the next one to fall victim to Victor's fear and obsession, death. .".. He had murdered Clerval immediately after the enunciation of his threats" (173). When looking this from that perspective of Victor being obsessed with death, it seems that Victor in some sick way, actually enjoys the fact that death is happening, even though he never really admits it and never shows it.

When looking at Victor Frankenstein from a psychological point of view, we find a man who is terribly troubled by the thoughts of death. He is at the same time, repulsed and obsessed with death, and his quest for the secret of life is more often than not, the fleeing from the dark world of death he so greatly fears. It almost seems that by giving life to the parts of the dead, he can now spare himself the pain and agony of death for himself and the people closest to him. When Victor's dream comes true about creating life, it is not the dream he had hoped for. He witnesses his creation of life turn into a killing machine, bringing death to those who stand in its way. When Victor realizes what he has created, he runs from it not knowing what to do and thinks "My abhorrence of this fiend cannot be conceived.

When I thought of him, I gnashed my teeth, my eyes became inflamed, and I ardently wished to extinguish that life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed" (76). His wish is now to have the life he created to be destroyed and demolished and his thoughts are now once again filled with thoughts of death rather than life, as his creation he has created has brought death. Victor finally comes to the realization that death was a fate he feared, but did not understand. "I wished sometimes to shake off all thought and feeling, but I learned that there was but one means to overcome the sensation of pain, and that was death -- a state which I feared yet did not understand" (105).

The monster he created from lifeless human body parts had brought death to many, which was something he never in his wildest dreams imagined happening. As much as Victor hates and fears the monster he has created, the fact that he has to kill it is his biggest heartbreak. To have spent a lifetime learning to create life and then seeing it successfully come to a completion, Victor should have been proud. Then to see the monster he created bring death is a mockery to his intelligence.

When Victor realizes that he must destroy his creation, which was the product of all he had worked for, it is with deep pain. For a man who fears his own death to have to bring death to someone else is a very painful experience. When Victor goes to destroy his creation, he becomes ill and can not finish which he set out to do and soon meets the fate he once so feared, his own death. In the end of the novel when the monster is leaning over the body of his creator we see the odd symbolism of Victor's obsession with death. The monster who Victor had brought life to, he now wanted dead. Death was more important to Victor than life was.

When he decides to destroy the monster, which had caused death and unhappiness to those closest to him, things in life take a an unexpected twist. Instead of the death of the so-called killing machine, we now see death take over the one man who had been obsessed with it from the very beginning Victor Frankenstein. There are many readers of Mary Shelley's great and classic novel Frankenstein who interpret it to be a story about a man named Victor Frankenstein who was obsessed with life and bringing life to the deceased, but is instead really the story of a man named Victor Frankenstein who was obsessed with death. Victor Frankenstein brought death more willingly and easily to those around him than he gave life to. There are many signs found all through the novel which show this strange fascination. Death is something that most people do not like and the fact that Victor always brings up death is simply not a coinseadence.

There is meaning behind his actions for doing this and the answer for that is because deep inside death was something he longed for. Everyone Victor holds closest and dearest to him all are sentenced to meet their make as a result of Victor's disturbed and hideous creation of death. Victor died in exactly the same he wished to avoid. He tried avoiding his own death my any means necessary, and in the end he wound up paying for it by any means necessary. As the years past by and the legendary story of Frankenstein grows older and older, Shelley's incredible story of Victor Frankenstein and his obsession with death will only conitnue to grow and become even more and more popular and will continue to strike fear and horror in the hearts of many.

Frankenstein will live on forever and never "die" so to speak..