The novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley is a book about an eager scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who goes against all laws of human nature to create this creature that he soon learns there are consequences for. Thinking hi creation of man will be such a huge success, he immediately questions what he has done. As the novel is set up as a frame story, it goes on this adventure of Victor Frankenstein trying to hide his creation from everyone. But, when trouble strikes and the monster begins killing the ones closest to Victor, Victor begins to blame himself for it all.
Victor Frankenstein is the true monster in the novel. He continuously shows monster like characteristics by being selfish and unnatural. Victor, as some may not see it, is a very selfish person. One example would include when murders, like the one of his brother, takes place, Victor knows exactly who the actual murderer is but withholds this knowledge and in the end causes an innocent woman to be killed. “Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, a poor torrent of light into our dark world” (Shelley 51). This section from the book shows Victor’s motivation to find out everything possible to be able to bring this creature to life which is not living but immortal and not natural.
Not only was Victor selfish and unnatural but this also led into hostility and abandonment. Starting from the very instant his creation became alive and on throughout the book, Victor instantly became very hostile towards his creation. The biggest time this hostility shows is when the creature becomes “alive”, Victor is almost immediately horrified in the appearance and what he had done which then led to abandonment. Hostility also shows when Victor destroyed the female creation for the monster which killed any chance of companionship. And lastly, abandonment of not only the creature but also his family. Victor leaves behind his family, including Elizabeth for countless years to work on a project he was soon also going to try and leave behind. Instead of teaching the creature and helping him adjust to this new world has had just become a part of, Victor leaves him to fend for himself and detests him.
Though some may think the creature is the actual monster in the novel, Frankenstein, if anything, shows the exact characteristics a monster would have. If you ever noticed in the novel, all the real monster wanted was to have someone to love him and befriend him but not even his own creator could do so! Frankenstein did everything he could to pretend the creation never happened but of course with this, karma came back and the monster made known that he was still around and watching Victor. Altogether, the creation didn’t show any real harm until Frankenstein started showing these traits of selfishness, unnatural, hostility, and abandonment. This overall makes Victor be seen as the true monster in the novel.