" The figure passed me quickly, and I lost it in the gloom. Nothing in human shape could have destroyed that child. He was the murderer!"
Here Victor realizes that his creation, Frankenstein, could have possibly killed his relative. He does not voice his suspicions.
Was Victor protecting Frankenstein or himself?
Frankenstein's actions were to protect himself because he did not want to bring attention to the abomination he created. The truth was concealed because "[he] felt as if he were walking on the edge of a precipice, towards which thousands are crowding, and endeavoring to plunge [him] into the abyss"(Shelley 91). Victor did not want to receive the blame for the death of his younger brother despite Elizabeth's coax for him to do the right thing. He would have not only been dubbed as a murder but as a failure.
ReplyDeleteI agree Kayla!!! The fact that Frankenstein did not voice his suspicions as soon as he had the thought was the fact that it was not the appropriate time. It was neither the time nor place to report the suspect of a murder as “the rain still continued, and the scene was enveloped in an impenetrable darkness” (69). Though, the lack of conviction in Frankenstein to reveal who the murderer truly is in later conversations express his guilt and shame of creating a monster that wreaks havoc and sorrow. He especially feels the pressure of his actions while in court, “the result of my curiosity and lawless devices would cause the death of two of my fellow-beings” (73). His guilt renders him silent and unable to bring justice to an unfair situation.
ReplyDeleteVery in-depth thought. I agree with Kayla and Christiana in the stand that Frankenstein was trying to protect himself. If Frankenstein had proceeded to reveal his suspicion that the monster killed his brother,he would have, in a way, confessed that he committed the murder. Another fact is that only Victor "illuminated the object, and discovered it's shape plainly to [to creature]" (68). This gave him the courage he needed to conceal his crime. No one other than him knew who created the monster and that the monster had killed his brother therefore he saw no reason to reveal the truth.
ReplyDeleteNot only did Frankenstein want to protect himself, he wanted to protect the people." I remembered also the nervous fever with which I had been seized just at the time that I dated my creation, and which would give an air of delirium to a tale otherwise so utterly improbable. I well knew that if any other had communicated such a relation to me, I should have looked upon it as the ravings of insanity" (Shelley 213). Frankenstein did not want to be labeled crazy, so he could not tell he needed to protect himself. "who could attempt to pursue him? It is impossible;one might as well try to overtake the winds, or confine a mountain-stream with a straw" (Shelley 217). Frankenstein knew the people could not stop the monster, he was concerned. If he told the people about the monster, he knew no one could defeat it and he did not wan't the people harmed.
ReplyDeleteHe was trying to protect himself because he didnt want to be blamed in a way for the killings of multiple people cause in a way he was scared "i chattered my teeth , o was forced to lean against a tree for support" page 68 . The guilt really over came him even though he was looking out for him self
ReplyDeleteVictor was protecting himself and only himself. As stated in Frankenstein, " My tale was not one to announce publicly; its astounding horror would be looked upon as madness by the vulgar" (Shelley 72) he was worrying about how people would perceive him and also thought of the consequences of telling them his account of the story. Also there was a feeling of embarrassment as Victor says "did any one indeed exist, except I, the creator, who would believe... the existence of the living monument of presumption and rash ignorance which I had let loose upon the world?" (Shelley 72). He seems to feel guilty and ashamed of the creation he has made. All of these feelings he kept concealed and did not reveal his suspicions.
ReplyDeleteVictor Frankenstein was trying to protect himself. This was a time period where knowledge was power, but this implies the question how much knowledge does a person really need . Frankenstein's curiosity led to this monster which is a bitter-sweet thing. Frankenstein created life which is something that would be celebrated because n being has done that. It's something that leads to limitless respect. This thirst for power and knowledge led to destruction, it was too much. After the monster was created Frankenstein did not want it, especially when it started killing people, if people knew that he created such a species he would be shunned and abandoned just like the monster. This is a knowledge that anyone wants a person to have but at the same time it is.
ReplyDelete