Morality. It has been questioned by people, honored by people and revered since the beginning of time. Yet even today not one person can say what is morally right. It is a matter of opinion. It was Dr. Victor Frankenstein's opinion that it was alright to create a «monster». Frankenstein's creation needed a companion. Knowing that his first creation was evil should the doctor make a second? With the knowledge at hand, to Dr. Frankenstein, it is not at all morally correct to bring another monster into the world.
Looking at this probelm with his family in mind, the doctor begins his work on the second monster. The first monster threatened Frankenstein and even his family. The monster angrily said to Frankenstein, «I can make you so wretched.» (pg. 162) Trying to scare Frankenstein for not creating his mate the monster resorted to threats. If the good doctor does create a companion for his first creation he may be endangering others. «The miserable monster whom I had created,» (pg.152) says Victor upon looking back at his work. If there is another monster there will be twice the power and possibly twice the evil, which could hurt or kill his family. When and if Frankenstein commits the moral sin of creating another monster he may be rid of both monsters forever. «With the companion you bestow I will quit the neighbourhood of man,»(pg 142) promises the morally corrupt monster to the doctor upon the completion of his partner. When the doctor, if and when he, finished his first creation's mate there is a chance
That the monsters will not keep their promise and stay in Europe envoking fear into townfolk.
The good doctor, trying to act morally, destroys the monster for the good of the world. The monsters can potentially take over whatever they please. «A race of devils would be propegated,»(pg. 163) thinks Frankenstein to himself in his study. The monsters, if powerful enough, could possibly take over Europe. Frankenstein realizes that he can not possibly doom the world to benefit himself. «Shall I, in coold blood, set loose upon the earth a daemon..»(pg. 162) argues Frankenstein with his creation. It is not morally right for one person to unleash such a terror on the world to benefit only himself and his family. Frankenstein will not let any example change his mind on the point that the monster is and will always be morally corupt. Continuing on his point that the monster was too evil to duplicate, Frankenstein says, «Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness; but they confirm me in determination of not creating you a companion in vice.»( pg. 163) Frankenstein will not sacrifice his m
Orallity because of persuation from a monster. Although beholding the threat of death and misery Frankenstein held his ground and did not sacrifice his moral.
When and if Frankenstein creates another monster he can not feel as if he has done the morally right thing. From creating the monster Frankenstein will some how be making people other than himself unhappy. « I consent to your demand, on your solem oath to quite Europe forever, and every other place in the neighbourhood of man,»(pg. 143) says Frankenstein as he sees the power that the two could possibly possess. The good doctor sees that with his own hands he could possibly scar the world forever. The doctor wants, if anyone, himself to be unhappy instead of all of man kind. «Begone! I do break my promise,» (pg. 162) states the doctor angrily. Not thinking about himself but the world unselfishly breaks his promise to the monster. Possessing such a great mind the doctor is able to realize that a greater evil will be realesed upon the earth then upon himself. «Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness,»(pg. 162) says the doctor as he argues his point with his creation. The doctor sees that
A greater and more horrible result can come from him making the second monster than not.
With the knowledge at hand, to Dr. Frankenstein, it is not at all morally correct to bring another monster into the world. On the one hand if the second monster was created Frankenstein's family would be saved. By the same token the rest of the world could be forced to bow before two hideous monsters. The problem, making or not making the second monster, played heavily on Frankenstein's mind, possibly caused his brief lapse into the realm of the insane. Even though Frankenstein began his work for the good of man his experiment ended up hurting himself and his family.
In Marry Shelley’s Frankenstein, the powerful creature represents the physical manifestation of the ugliness and selfishness of Victor’s desires as well as being the solution for his need to escape from the elements that threaten his way of life. Victor chose to embark on the arduous task of creating what he perceived as perfection. To him, this creation was intended to be both intelligent and powerful, immortal and beautiful. He was seeking the perfect humanoid entity that he thought would be the physical materialization of the godliness he saw in himself. Instead the resulting pseudo-human that awoke before him, was repulsive, ogre like and a far cry from the angelic radiance he had so desired it to possess. He had succeeded in molding the creature as an image of himself, but was bewildered by it’s almost inconceivable wretchedness, he was unable to accept that his soul was nothing less than beautiful. So he fled as he always had when adversity arose. This act of irresponsible cowardice is a turning point in the story as Victor dooms the creature to the solitude and despair that will later dictate it’s vengeful endeavor. But the creature which remains nameless throughout the book, also retained many of the qualities Victor lacked. It was capable of tenderness, selflessness, compassion and love, but at the same time it proved itself to be capable a unspeakable wickedness. Again it mirrored Victor in that it was destined for good but was corrupted and became wickedly evil. Shelley’s depicted Victor and the creature as being one in the same, when one feel he invariably dragged down the other. This is one of the parallels between Frankenstein and Paradise lost. Shelley showed that what was to be the most beautiful and perfect, Victor or the creature, turned into wretchedness and evil. Similar to the fall of Lucifer. Throughout the book, the nature of the creature in never really clear, the science used to bring about the creature was Alchemy, this was a strange form of chemistry that spawned many wild tales of sudden riches and sorcery. Victor was one such Alchemist, some of these where said to have discovered a complicated formula that enabled one to conjure up a humanoid creature. This creature, a Golem, had to be molded from clay using images of the molder reflected by mirrors back on to the clay. To animate the Golem, the Alchemist wrote the word Aemeath meaning “truth”, on it’s forehead. Once the Golem had served enough or became too powerful, the Alchemist would destroy it by erasing the Ae witch would only leave meath meaning “death”. But for the time it was alive it would learn from it’s creator and serve him as best it could. One could interpret the creature as something of a forsaken Golem that began serving but without the proper guidance of it master, grew aware of it’s true power and seeked revenge on the man it had been molded to resembled and serve. Also, Marry Shelley made us of the Dopganger. The creature was a part of Victor Victor had the appearance of humanity and the ugly spirit of a wretch, the creature had the appearance of a wretch but in it’s soul lied the seeds of humanity that Victor lacked. This need for social interaction and the loving reciprocity of others the creature sought made it more human than Victor would ever be, in the end Victor was the evil wretch. Having never understood this, his redemption never came.
Frankenstein
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