A review by bluminth
Frankenstein (Collins Classics) by Mary Shelley

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"There is love in me the likes of which you've never seen. There is rage in me the likes of which should never escape. If I am not satisfied int he one, I will indulge the other.”

 

Victor's failure to recognize the consequences of his actions is the central theme of Frankenstein, in which he continues to wallow in self-pity and blame the Monster for everything that went wrong.

His irresponsibility was demonstrated the night he finally succeeded in creating the Monster, when he bolted from the room in disgust and horror. Victor was so consumed with his hunger for passion that he failed to consider anything else.

 

“I wished sometimes to shake off all thought and feeling, but I learned that there was, but one means to overcome the sensation of pain, and that was death - a state which I feared yet did not understand.”

Frankenstein's demise indicates that he has not drawn many conclusions from his own tale. By attempting to keep pursuing the Monster, he brings about his eventual downfall. 

The Monster, however, proves that he has gained a lot of knowledge throughout the course of the novel. He is past feeling resentment, envy, or vindictiveness. He feels bad about what he did. He's at peace with death; in fact, he plans to kill himself, unlike Frankenstein, who passes away feeling upset that the Monster is still alive.

“For a moment my soul was elevated from its debasing and miserable fears to which these sights were the monuments and the remembrances. For an instant I dared to shake off my chains and look around me with a free and lofty spirit; but the iron had eaten into my flesh, and I sank again, trembling and hopeless, into my miserable self.”

One thing I really loved is the parallel between the Monster and Victor's love for nature.
Victor headed to the mountains during winter to lift his spirits while the Monster feels his heart lighten when spring arrives.

All throughout the story, Victor focuses on the monstrosity of the product of his creation. As a result of his ambition, secrecy, and selfishness, one may contend that Victor is a type of monster. Although he appears normal on the surface, he may actually be the real "monster" on the inside since he eventually becomes overwhelmed by an obsessional loathing of his creation.