Who Is Victor Mature In Frankenstein

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The characters of Victor and his creation, in Mary Shelley's science fiction novel Frankenstein, grow throughout the story. Victor grows from a curious young boy with a proclivity for fantastical sciences into a grim man dead set on righting his own wrongs. The monster develops from a simple brute with an absentee father into an intelligent superhuman with an askew moral compass. Although the creature's growth is more sudden than Victor's, the young heir of Frankenstein matures more than his creation. When thinking of character growth it is important to define by what units are used to define the maturation of the analyzed character. Though a case can be made that growth be measured in lessons learned throughout the book, the importance …show more content…
Victor learns rather early in the novel how to create life “I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelley 50), though a scientific marvel, being able to animate what was once inanimate does very little for a person's own personal development. Frankenstein is clearly a very bright individual, however his vast knowledge of the natural sciences does not equate to a great deal of moral direction or maturity on his part, at least not early on in the novel. The reflecting Victor,aboard the ship venturing in the arctic does posses the knowledge of creating life, but also the judgment to withhold that knowledge from his peers “I will not lead you on, unguarded and ardent as I then was” (Shelley 51). Learning new truths and acquiring more skills does not directly lead to personal growth. Growth is determined by; applying skills and truths learned, in a manner that shows a conscious effort to better oneself, make up for ones past mistakes, or better the …show more content…
“unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created” (Shelley 55), Victor realizes that all of his studies and all of his skills now add up not to perfection but to a hideous monstrosity that he is unable to look at. At this point in time he matures, coming to terms with the fact that his knowledge is limited and that he cannot achieve perfection. This is the kind of growth that is superior to simply gaining raw information, he has learned a life lesson about the limits of humanity, albeit in a terrifying way. Frankenstein also learns of the responsibility of being a creator “I felt what the duties of a creator towards his creature were” (Shelley 99). Victor learns that he has a responsibility to the monster he has created, a responsibility to be a benevolent Maker. His initial reaction to seeing the daemon again was to attack it trying to destroy his creation, yet he realizes that he is accountable for its existence in the world and must at the very least give it a chance to speak. The burden of creation does not come to everyone, and though it can be claimed by some parents, it is difficult for a single person to be responsible for bringing life into the world. Victor did just that and learns how to deal with it, in this way he grows far more than anyone possibly could have, ascending himself to a near godlike
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