Victor Frankenstein is a brilliant scientist who has mastered everything he has learned from his professors. When Mary Shelley wrote this book, scientific discovery was making great leaps, some of the discoveries regarding human anatomy came courtesy of corpses from dug up graves.
Victor was fascinated with the science of life as well as the nature of electricity. In his quest to understand death, Victor creates life, using his brilliant mind to actually bring a mosaic of corpses to life. He is certainly satisfied with his success, but is then repulsed by the creature, abandoning him like a newborn babe without a mother or father to show him the way of the world or to protect him.
Victor Frankenstein uses science to exercise his superior intelligence, and to satisfy his curiosity but he does go too far. In going too far with scientific discovery, Victor Frankenstein unleashes an evil force into the world.
So to analyze the character, it is necessary to consider not only his privileged background and education, but what he does with the tools that it provides. One question that often posed when analyzing Frankenstein is whether the creature is actually a better person than the great Dr. Frankenstein.
Examine Frankenstein's motives for creating the hideous monster, but also include the very important fact of how he leaves the poor creature alone, and what that means for his character.
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