The novel Frankenstein is Mary Shelley’s most famous novel. It is a story about a young scientist Victor Frankenstein who wants to learn how to animate lifeless matter and, as a result, an ugly monster. The novel touches on many fundamental themes and ideas of a philosophical nature, one of which is the theme of human responsibility for one’s actions. This theme is not new in literature, but Shelley offers a new interpretation: the scientist’s responsibility for his scientific discoveries and creations.
Shelley depicts how the lack of control over the situation and the unwillingness to admit one’s responsibility leads to catastrophic consequences. For example, one lie begets another lie, and impunity leads to the commission of new crimes. The monster created by Frankenstein leads to the death of the scientist’s entire family. However, the doctor cannot take responsibility even in such dire circumstances. He does not shift the responsibility to anyone, but he allows to accuse others of his actions. For example, when Justine is blamed for the death of Frankenstein’s younger brother, the scientist tries to find excuses to avoid admitting his guilt. He declares that if he tries to take responsibility, it will be “considered as the ravings of a madman and would not have exculpated her” (Frankenstein, 1818, p. 90). Subconsciously, Frankenstein puts himself on the same level as God and therefore believes that he has the right to control the destinies of others.
Furthermore, maybe Frankenstein is afraid to take any responsibility because it will turn him from a genius to a monster. He states that “nothing is more painful to the human mind than the dead calmness of inaction” (Frankenstein, 1818, p. 101). Nonetheless, Victor consciously chooses inaction and allows society to blame everything on the monster. Had his experiment been successful, he would have accepted rave reviews and praise unconditionally. However, being human means taking responsibility for all our creations, both the good and the monstrously bad.
Thus, the question of a person’s ability to take responsibility for their actions and cope with their consequences is not new in the literature. However, through the novel’s characters, Mary Shelley shows new possibilities for understanding this problem. After all, Frankenstein’s unwillingness to take responsibility for his creations makes the reader wonder who is the real monster in the book.
Reference
Shelley, M. (1818). Frankenstein [eBook edition]. Planet eBook. Web.