The Failure To Overstep The Bounds Of Human Knowledge: An Analysis Of Victor Frankenstein

Many people set idealistic goals in order to better themselves, often the results can prove disastrous, even deadly. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein focuses on the life of one man, Victor Frankenstein, who tries to further the current knowledge of alchemy and science by creating life from death. "Shelley sought to explore not the opposition but the relationship between alchemy and science. That, in turn, was to be followed by an examination of the consequences of that relationship on and in human society." (Buchen) Victor conducts that exact experiment and relationship. His actions displayed the consequences in human society. Many people would argue that this experiment was doomed to failure from the beginning. However, Victor was not doomed to failure because of his initial desire to overstep the bounds of human knowledge, but because of his actions and mistakes he made along the way. Victor abandoned his creature and refused to communicate with him in any way. He also acted very selfishly, and kept many lies from his friends and family. The demise of Victor Frankenstein could have been avoided if certain actions and steps along the way had not taken place.

When the Creature woke up he was alone without a parent to teach him the ways of the human world. Unaided and confused, the Creature tried to communicate with his creator but he was incapable of speech. Frankenstein explained how he shunned the creature:

"I beheld the wretch---the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaw opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I

did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs." (Shelley, p.44)

As Frankenstein explains, he deliberately neglected to communicate with his creation, based on his grotesque appearance. If Victor took the time and effort to communicate with his creation, the Creature could have possibly never developed the sense of absolution and retaliation that led him to kill Victor's friends and family. Frankenstein's first of many poor decisions that led to his final failure relies very much upon the lack of responsibility for his creation.

Victor was so caught up in his creation and his attempts to overstep the bounds of science; he failed foresee the terrible outcome of his creation, creating something that will never be accepted into the world. Frankenstein admits to himself that he was so involved in his work that he was unable to see how his actions may end to be disastrous. He failed to neither see nor care that the Creature will be shunned from society, ultimately ending with his own failure. If Victor would have thought about creating a creature that would have been accepted in human society, things could have ended very different.

One of the biggest mistakes Victor made that ultimately resulted in his failure was only truly worrying about himself. Victor Frankenstein seemed to be a very self absorbed, selfish man. As Victor said in chapter four of Shelley's work Frankenstein, he wanted to create a man who would worship him as his god, and forever be grateful to his creator.

"A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs." (Shelley, pg.40)

If Victor conducted his experiments for the sake of furthering the knowledge of science, the outcome might have been different. Scientists could have learned from his experiments and many new advances could have been created or discovered from his work. However, Victor only created the Creature for personal gain. This is one of his biggest mistakes because his selfishness eventually led to destruction.

Victor's cruel treatment

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