Blog assignment #3 - Victor Frankenstein's complexities

In the passage where Victor Frankenstein describes his goals and work of assembling the creature, it seems as though Victor is attempting to play the role of God.  He makes his intentions clear in that he wants to create “a new species [that] would bless [him] as its creator and source.”  When he figures out how to create life, he also thinks that he can bring people back to life and therefore cheat death.  Mary Shelley creates this attitude in which Victor thinks he is worthy of praise and all-powerful.  Yet, Victor fails to think of the immediate future when his creation is immediately brought to life and what the consequences of that would be.

            Victor’s overall composure that Mary Shelley creates is tense, complex, and always changing.  The passage immediately begins with saying that “no one can conceive the variety of feelings” that Victor felt.  Victor becomes obsessed with the idea of having creatures look up to him as their creator.  His obsession is such that he “lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit.”  He clings to some hope that he can complete his project, yet also is somewhat disgusted.  He describes his work as being tremendous that can come with great outcomes, yet he calls his creation “filthy.”  Eagerness pushed him to finish his work, but he naturally loathed the inhuman aspects as well. 

            Victor narrates his own story, and so at this point he is telling of his past.  One can find hints of disgust can possibly regret in the tone in which Victory retells his story.  His original motives were to seek praise and to control life and death.  Upon retelling his past, there is a bit of remorse that Victor feels.  There is a little bit of a contrast between his original drive to create life and his gradual feelings of disgust that develop up to the monster’s animation.