I Can Change
In Frankenstein, many of the books characters try to become what they are unable to be. How, and why do they choose to undergo this transformation, is it a conscious decision, and even more importantly, is it possible?
Victor was brought up with a loving family, and a prosperous life, yet he abandoned all of those things in his pursuit for a different life. Why would he forsake everything and everyone he cared about, and attempt to achieve a more glorious life? This contrasts with his own creation, who instead, tried to become something indistinguishable, as to disappear completely into his surroundings. Despite the differences they both possess, they both had a similar motive for trying to transform into something they werent.
Both Victor and his creation were affected by their past experiences. When Frankensteins mother died calmly (46) a deep void was created in him, and the desire for power and control consumed Frankenstein. He saw the creation of life as, essentially, the most awesome power a person could wield. Similarly, when the monsters creator rejected him, the monster was driven to find companionship. It seems they both changed themselves to compensate for the thing missing in their life. Frankensteins dear friend, too, in fact, chose to uproot his entire life, to be free from the confinement imposed upon him by his father. Clerval was not motivated by money or by the notion of greatness, nor fame when he chose to uproot his life. He did so because he too, was missing something important in his life. He was missing freedom, and chose to gain his freedom by joining up with Victor.
Victors past influenced him in a much different way than his monster, and Henry. Victors past imbued into him the insatiable desire for power and knowledge. However, it was also a great inspiration. When he witnesses a tree reduced to thin ribbons of wood (52), after a malicious thunderstorm, he is inspired to surpass the power of nature. This event , along with the death of his mother motivated him to create life, and devote countless hours to this pursuit.
The monsters past seemed to yield much different results. His past was not determined by isolated events, as Frankensteins was, but instead it was a repeated series of events that made this change in the Monster occur. Frankensteins monster was always alone, his whole life. Any notion of accompaniment or friendship in his life was an illusion. Even after devoting countless hours to helping the De Laceys , when he confronts them he is violently attacked (139) and forced to flee. The monsters past, does not foster in him inspiration, but rather desperation. When he is pleading with Frankenstein on the vast mountain range, he is pleading with Victor, saying Victor will never have to see him [me] again (113).
Prometheus, the Titan who gave fire to humans, also was influenced by his past, to become something he wasnt. When Prometheus witnesses the deplorable conditions that the humans lived in he decided that it was his duty to deliver fire to them. Prometheus realized that the inferno could help him become human in a way, in that he would grow to earn the acceptance and goodwill of the humans, and be treated as one of them. Prometheus also, was swayed in his decision making by his past encounters with the Gods. The Gods dont care that the humans are living in wretched and deplorable conditions and instead only care about preserving their own power. Their callousness inspired Prometheus to deliver fire to the humans. Ultimately, it seems Prometheus, Victor, and the Monster all seek to become something they cant to compensate for something in their pasts.
Victor, Henry, and the Monster all do try and become something they arent, but what are the steps they take to try and do so? Victor took a very methodical approach to try and bring about his change into a God of sorts. He wanted to become a herald of scientific ingenuity, and sought to do so by forsaking everything in his life, save science and research. Victor spent years assembling his monster, a monster he designed as beautiful (56), and ultimately it was through his monster that he had attempted his change. The monster was his conduit to immortality, so to speak. If his experiment was a success then, he would be able to become a God, not just in his own mind, but in the mind of the public.
The monsters attempts to become a completely different entity are more irrational than Victors. The monster doesnt fully take into account his physical deformity. When thinking of the De Laceys, he hopes that they will grow to love him (123), despite his appearance. In this aspect he gave little thought on how to become human. He hoped his humanity would be the key to his acceptance as human. However, he forgot the importance of the physical aspect of humans, being just as important as the mental and emotional. The monster views love and kindness as the best methods for achieving the approval of humans. Henry too used a more passionate approach to try and change who he was. He was not governed by the cold logic, and manic obsession Victor possessed, but instead allowed himself to be free of his father, and live how he wanted to.
Henry, Victor, and the Monster, all needed others to try and bring about their change. Victor needed his monster in is attempt to become God like. The monster needed the De Laceys to try and become human, become accepted. Henry, too, needed Victor, a friend for him to leave his father and begin his life free from him. It seems that people change for themselves, as much as they change for others.
An interesting idea to be pursued in this book was whether this change they all attempted to undergo was an unconscious decision, or whether it was self-imposed. Victor seemed to be subconsciously influence by the events that occurred to him in his past. The lightning, the death of his mother, all bred in him a desire for control. This however, did not force him to create the monster. He set off with the ambition of creating life. He consciously chose to do so.
His monster, also consciously chose to try and become human. When he saw his reflection (127), he was petrified and disgusted at his appearance. He sought to become human, and to find companionship, because as a monster, he would surely never have any. He made the decision to change who he was in an attempt to find acceptance, and not to universally loathed by humans.
Despite all the effort that Victor and the monster, put into to try and become something different, was their pursuit even possible? Victor, did, immediately achieve the power he was hoping to attain, but was horrified, at both the power he possessed, and the consequences of his newfound power. He could not handle the responsibility of his creation, because he realized that only man could create a being so wretched (134), and that it was not his place to create life, that theres a limit to human capability. Ultimately, Frankenstein had surmounted great power, but was not capable of becoming the God he intended to be. Victor had instead become paranoid, but ultimately wiser. He had changed for the better, but not in the way he had hoped.
The monster too, was unable in becoming what he had set out to be: human. The monster, despite the kindness and generosity he was born with, could never be human. He looked to unnatural, too inhuman, to ever be considered human. His change was impossible. Never would he find companionship, so long his repulsive appearance remain the same. The monster seemed to realize this, and he too, underwent a different transformation than the one he had set out to undergo. He had embraced his role as a monster, killing innocent people, and living under the sway of malice. He had become the polar opposite of what he wanted, ultimately regretting his violent change. It seems that the monster and his creator spending myriad days hoping to become something different, something theyll never be.
Victor, and the Monster, and to a lesser extent, Henry, dared to be something different from what they once were. They sought to do so, not only as means to compensate for the flaws in teir life, but because they had realized their life wasnt fulfilling. However, their notions of change were ultimately impossible. They were bound by their past, and as a result were unable to adopt a new future.
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