Frankenstein - Close-Analysis

“The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.” (Shelley, 1831, p. 74 (Chapter V – Paragraph 3).

Victor is the protagonist in Frankenstein. He created the “monster,” and then realizes he has gone too far in the quest for knowledge. The rejection that Victor has for the monster is instantaneous; this rejection stirs a hatred for humankind from the monster. Victor gave up a normal life, a productive life because of the obsession to bring life to a non-functioning body, much like cloning today. Alone, lonely and horrified at his creation, he runs away from reality and wanders aimlessly in the streets of Ingolstadt.

Victor conflicted, knowing that society will not accept what he has done, no more than he can accept it, fears for what he has brought to the people of Ingolstadt. His rejection of the monster is a reflection of the rejection that he anticipates will befall him when people discover what he has done. He realizes that he has spent so much time involved in what he now knows is wrong by most human standards.

There is a comparison between accidents of life that do not change like feelings of human nature. Creating the monster was not an accident, although, Victor realizes it was a mistake. Mistakes cannot be changed or eliminated, but as humans, we can learn from our mistakes, Victor may not be able to learn from his mistakes. Feelings of human nature do change depending on what is happening in one’s life.

The description in the passage of Victor’s desire to inject life into a motionless, nonliving body as an “ardour that far exceeded moderation,” vividly tells the reader that he had a passion, intense devotion, eagerness, or enthusiasm; zeal without regard to the consequences of his actions. There was no moderation; Victor shows no restraint, but excessive behavior in creating this monster. In human nature when one does not give thought to the reality of the situation, there usually are regrets. His dream has turned into a nightmare that he will have to