Who Is The Real Monster In Frankenstein
You know that feeling when someone starts a project — because they absolutely had to — and then completely abandons it? That's Frankenstein in a nutshell. But here's the thing...
You know that feeling when someone starts a project — because they absolutely had to — and then completely abandons it? That's Frankenstein in a nutshell. But here's the thing we rarely stop to consider: who is actually the monster here?
We've all seen the classic monster in the movies — the bolt-necked, lumbering giant with dead eyes. Yet the original story by Mary Shelley is way more interesting than what Hollywood showed us. It asks a question that still hits home today.
Meet Victor Frankenstein: The Original "I Fixed It Myself" Guy
Victor is the classic overachiever who decides to play God because apparently, med school wasn't enough adventure for him. He assembles a living being in his lab, takes one look at it, and immediately thinks, "Nah, I didn't sign up for this." You know that person who adopts a pet, realizes it's work, and nails the door shut?
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Mary Shelley wrote this character in 1818, but she might as well have been describing your coworker who started a side hustle and let it die on Facebook after two weeks. Victor had every opportunity to take responsibility, but instead he runs away. Unbelievable.
Just imagine building something — a child, a business, a soufflé — and walking out the door when it doesn't look perfect. That's Victor Frankenstein, the man who ghosted his own creation.
So Where Does the Creature Fit In?
The creature isn't born evil. Nobody in human history has ever come out of the womb with a villain monologue. He's rejected, mocked, and left to figure life out all by himself with zero guidance.
PPT - Frankenstein PowerPoint Presentation, free download - ID:1455995
Think about it: he learns to read by listening at a window, and his first real act of kindness is gathering firewood for a family. That's not a monster. That's a golden retriever with a PhD in loneliness.
He only turns violent after Victor slams the door on his face — literally and figuratively. We've all been there: you try so hard to belong, and someone keeps shutting you out. At some point, even the nicest person goes, "Okay, fine. I'll burn it down."
The Real Monster Is Bad Parenting
Here's the hot take: Frankenstein didn't need a lab to create a monster. He needed a mirror. Victor created a being with his own hands, gave it no name, no clothes, no love — and then blamed the result.
If that doesn't remind you of the parent who forgot their kid's class reunion record and then scolded the kid for "being difficult," then you haven't been paying attention. Responsibility doesn't end when the project gets uncomfortable.
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Victor ran from his creation like you run from the gym after signing up for a New Year's resolution. Zero accountability, maximum consequences.
What This Means for Us
Shelley's point still rattles through every generation: the real monsters aren't the ones who look the part. They're the ones who create damage and walk away.
Victor's tragedy isn't just his own — he drags down his entire family for his selfishness. And just like in real life, the people around us often pay the price for choices we refuse to own. Sound familiar?
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The creature asks Victor to build him a companion so he won't be alone anymore. You'd think a responsible adult would say, "Sure, I'll take five minutes to fix this." Instead, he destroys it again — like someone who cancels a subscription because they didn't feel like reading the terms.
So Who's the Monster?
Victor Frankenstein is the monster. Complete and shot. The creature is just a misunderstood soul who needed a hug and a job description. And honestly, Mary Shelley roasted us all by writing a story where the hoodie-wearing, lab-coat maniac is the real villain.
Next time someone tells you Frankenstein is a scary story about a monster, hit them with the truth: it's a cautionary tale about not ghosting your responsibilities. Or at least, not doing it with such excessive confidence that it destroys everyone you love — sounds fun, right?
Come on, we all know a Victor. Maybe we are Victor. Start something, bail on it, pretend it never happened — cycle repeat. Specialists call it a pattern; we call it "Tuesday."
