Frankenstein- Character Analysis

1. Describe each of the main characters and categorise their role in the novel. For each:

• Describe their most significant personality traits
• Determine their strengths and weaknesses
• Comment on what each character helps the reader to understand
• throughout the novel.

1. The three main characters form a triangle of key relationships. Comment on how significant the relationships between Walton-Frankenstein, Frankenstein- Creature and Creature-Walton are to the development of the texts core themes.
2. Reflect on the characters’ connections to society- what experiences do they have that possibly shape them? How much a part does society play in influencing the characters decisions in the text?

In the book Frankenstein there is three significant (main) characters, their views, their beliefs are key to the story and it drives the audience to wonder which character is in the right and which is in the wrong.

Victor Frankenstein the creator of the “Creature” is intelligent, hard working and really dedicated to his studies and ambitions. Ambition which leads Victor Frankenstein to create things that were unthinkable. But his character weakness lie deep within him. He’s extremely selfish, arrogant and is unable to see other people’s point of views are and how the world doesn’t just revolve around him. Victor Frankenstein is a very careless person he doesn’t think of the consequences to his actions would do any harm but in reality his decisions and wrong interpretations lead to the death of his family. Victor refuses to take responsibility of the creature and denies that it even exists, this characteristic of Victor labels him as a coward who is too ashamed to take responsibility of the “Creature” and the death of his family. He isolates himself from his family to figure out how to kill the creature before it kills anyone else but still he wouldn’t tell anyone about the horrific creation.

“The Creature”

The Creature’s characteristics allow him to learn or pickup something very quickly, his supernatural abilities carry him throughout the short life he was given by his creator Victor Frankenstein. His heightened senses, his ability to be stronger than man, he has the ability to learn things very quickly. Like learning a language in a few months. This characteristic of the creature has a lot in common with Victor Frankenstein, they both have the trait to be want to learn more, to gain more knowledge. He also has the same emotions that humans have, but with absence of human contact (socializing, interacting with people on a daily basis) the creature lacked a key trait in what it is like to be a human (he feels like an outsider, not of this world, lonely) but his gigantic body structure, his deformed face doesn’t help him get any closer to humans, because they would just be disgusted and terrified of the creature’s appearance. This makes the creature think for itself, it begins to form hatred and wants to seek revenge on his creator. His emotions lead him to act out on various occasions (for e.g, when he killed William Frankenstein after realizing he is related to Victor Frankenstein). The creature’s loneliness and neglect makes him want to draw attention from Victor, also blames the human race for not accepting who he is. In my understanding the creature has good intentions and really doesn’t want to hurt anyone, this changes the judgment in readers as they can’t help but feel sorry and sympathetic towards the creature.

Robert Walton, is third protagonist in the story. He was being told the story by Victor Frankenstein. Walton can’t help but praise Victor Frankenstein, his knowledge, his determination and his aura. Walton thought that this man was a great person, achieving many things in his life and if you had a question he would surely have a answer. But Walton’s interpretation of Victor Frankenstein was short lived, as Victor continued his story Walton could see his true colors, his ambitions and his crimes. Walton can reflect and understand the mistakes. He learned from the story which Victor had told and had realized that maybe its time to turn around and let go of this unnecessary ambition rather not risking the lives of the crewmen we should return in safe hands. He saw how bad decisions can lead to bigger problems and how this can affect the people around him. He decided that he did not want to be selfish so he made a return from the trip.

2.The three main characters form a triangle of key relationships. Comment on how significant the relationships between Walton-Frankenstein, Frankenstein- Creature and Creature-Walton are to the development of the texts core themes.

The relationship between Victor Frankenstein and the creature had a sense of abandonment, Victor Frankenstein who refused to take responsibility of the creature he had created, rejected the creature out of pure horror just because the creature was unattractive despite that the creature had no intention to harm Victor Frankenstein. But later on in the story you could see how the creature got hurt by this the most. (‘Victor pretty much just judged a book by its cover.’) The creature who had just been born into such a cruel and a judgmental world and expected Victor Frankenstein to be a father figure and to guide him, to nurture him and to believe in him. But Frankenstein wanted nothing to do with him, he just wanted to leave everything behind and act like it never happened. Their relationship is a very complicated one, their emotions consist of hatred, anger, sadness and betrayal.

Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton had a good friendship themed relationship, they both had similar characteristics and they both had something they wanted to work towards (their ambition). Walton had praised Frankenstein when they first met. Walton had great respect for Frankenstein and loved gaining more knowledge from him. Their love for knowledge had a chemistry or a (“bond”) between them. Walton is similar to the audience his characteristics allow himself to judge and understand Victor’s motives and his ambitions. Some aspects had changed Walton’s point of view on Frankenstein (e.g ‘Giving life to something and not taking responsibility for it’) I think he had lost a lot of respect for Frankenstein during the story as he could see his true colors. So I think Frankenstein helped Walton to understand that too much ambition can lead you astray from your path and lead you to make mistakes and how it can form problems in the future via family & friends, wealth, happiness and etc.

The creature and Walton’s relationship has similarities to Victor and Walton’s relationship. Walton is willing to listen to the creature, knowing its origin, knowing its backstory and can’t help but show sympathy for it. The creature lets Walton in on its emotions, hearing him out was proof that Frankenstein didn’t make the whole story up and hearing the story from both parties could allow Walton to make better decisions and learn from this experience. Allowing Walton to mature in a way.

3.Reflect on the characters’ connections to society- what experiences do they have that possibly shape them? How much a part does society play in influencing the characters decisions in the text?

The Creature

Society had a big influence on the creature, after being abandoned by Frankenstein it had no other choice to turn to other humans and their society. Society hadn’t helped the creature because of his looks. Physically society had not helped the creature but mentally it had made the creature experience heavy emotions, due to that the creature swore revenge on the Frankenstein family. But there was one person in the story who did not judge the creature by it’s looks, it was the blind, old man who was the only one who had listened and brought the creature to an equal level such as himself. He was the only one who hadn’t judged the creature by its looks right off the bat. I think this was a learning point for the creature for it had interacted with someone.

Frankenstein

Society had hardly any effect on Frankenstein as he was growing up but after creating the creature and experiencing how he created such a horrendous and a terrifying creature he was to ashamed to bring this up to anyone. This led Frankenstein to isolate himself from society so he could bask in shame and disappointment without the presence of others. The embarrassment and the fear of being judged and looked down towards restrained Frankenstein to ask for help from even his closest family members. This isolation from society led Frankenstein’s family to start being killed off by the creature. The lack of communicating with his family and telling them that their lives were in danger he would rather hide the fact there is such a monster he had created.

Robert Walton

Society had the least effect on Robert Walton, he wasn’t really ashamed of anything, nor people judged him on his looks nor he had any issues that society would stay clear of him. But Frankenstein had the biggest affect on Walton. Walton and Frankenstein are similar in many senses its almost like Frankenstein came from the future and helped and advised Walton to look for other goal rather than risking the lives of his crewmen and the people around him. Robert understands that blind ambition comes with many risks, leading from one to another. So if him and his comrades were to continue with this goal and decide that the mission to the North Pole is the best idea then he would be responsible for if anything that would happen to the crewmen. It relates to Frankenstein’s story because if Frankenstein had taken responsibility of the situation and hadn’t kept on isolating himself/ kept on hiding the fact that there is a monster trying to kill his family and friends then they might’ve lived longer. Robert Walton took responsibility of his role and thought it might be better to turn back rather than risking anything else.