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Sofia Cruz

Mr. Price

AP Literature, Period 6

11 October 2016

The Effective Foil For Victor Frankenstein: Frankensteins Creature

The product of curiosity creature - made by Victor Frankenstein- is a high effective foil

for Victor Frankenstein himself. From Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, the protagonist, Victor

Frankenstein grows from his madness in science into creating a human-like creature based on his

own scientifically creative vision. The focus of the book shifts back and forth between Victor

and his creature, where readers are able to perceive and connect with each character throughout

the story. The overall story plot of each character establishes a set perception on the impact both

Victor and his creature have on each other. The creature is the effective foil for Victor

Frankenstein by his presence through the creatures self-learning, longings, and effects on

society.

The creatures self-learning has distinguishably been a factor as a product of Victor

Frankensteins character. As the creature has been created and wandered off into the land, he has

come to rest for the day, where he reflects, What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of

these people, and I longed to join them, but dared not (Shelley 68). By the creatures mind,

readers can understand and analyze the emotions and damage the creature has experienced,

which results in his cautious ways towards hesitation. By already wandering and first

experiencing his re-birth, he escapes where his features are revealed, to which they struck fear.

As a result of this, this shows how the reactions from society have driven the creatures thoughts

independently, reflecting solely on how Victor himself was terrified of his own creation.
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Progressively throughout the story, he observes the DeLacey family where the creature explains

of their actions, This trait of kindness moved me sensibly (Shelley 68). It is hard to fully

decipher the idea on how he had gain comprehension and affect so rapidly since his creation, but

in terms with the creature, this impact on him goes back to a sort of abandonment and affect in

cause of Victor. Victor did not express nurture and care towards a creation on his own, therefore

scattering the learnings for the creature on its own. It also drives the idea of importance towards

connection and companionship, to which this story later describes in result of alternativeness. As

the creature develops further into society learnings, he reports on his observance, I found that

these people possessed a method of communicating their experience and feelings (Shelley 69).

Victor Frankenstein had no taught his creation- it had been important if he did, especially

creating a replicate of a human- for thriving in society. The sad absence of Victor psychologically

affects the creature similarly to a child with no parent. It creates a mind of curiosity by which the

creature observes and has the motive to be like them. The self-learning of the creature greatly

foils more as the result of Victors absence, which later extends on the creatures longings.

The creature so intelligently studies what he thinks society as whole is through the

cottage family, from which he wishes to be. One example is claimed by him, This

[communication] was indeed a godlike science, and I ardently desired to become acquainted with

it (Shelley 69). In regards to the analyzing for the perception of Victor Frankensteins character,

this is an example of how Victor and the creature parallelize to each other. Both by curiosity, they

become so strongly driven in hope for themselves. The presence of this foil contributes to the

overall structure of the book because it relates the characters very strongly even though they are

relatively not fond of each other. Another example arises further on into the story where the

creature expresses when finding Victors notebook, My person was hideous and my stature
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gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my

destination? These questions continually recurred, but I was unable to solve them (Shelley 80).

In obvious concerns, this was the main result of Victors fault. It consequently builds and reveals

the character of Victor on how his actions of abandonment draw the longing of his creature. To

the reader, it shows the foil of how actions can create and be a result of a characters actions,

where one strongly impacts the other. As a understanding and wide knowledge of the creature, he

claims that as a creator, the creator must make his own creation happy, as explained in cause of

this, I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and

horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. My companion must be of the same species and

have the same defects. This being you must create (Shelley 91). In intense demands, it has

reached a climax of how Victor failed upon his creation as a responsibility. It negatively

strengthens the foil for his character because of his fail to do part and be an essential for the

growth and purpose of his creation as a human. Many of the creatures longing have resulted

greatly on the foil effect for the character of Victor Frankenstein, which lastly leads to how the

creatures effects on society plays.

Frankensteins creature exemplified Victors idea in terms of the effects on society. In one

situation near the climax of the story is the encounter of William (Victors brother) and the

creature, If, therefore, I could seize him and educate him as my companion and friend, I should

not be so desolate in this peopled earth to which the situation furthers, Let me go, he cried;

monster! Ugly wretch! You wish to eat me and tear me to pieces (Shelley 90). As a result that

went against the hope of the creature, it saddened -later furious- the creature because it came

about true of his presence towards the normal. Little did the creature know of this effect, which

he then blames his creator, Frankenstein of this. As a result of pure rage, the creature declares, I
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only wonder that at that moment, instead of venting my sensations and exclamations, and agony,

I did not rush among mankind and perish in the attempt to destroy them (Shelley 90). The

outcome of murder deteriorates the purpose of creation for the overall story and Victor. It has

caused an uprising, and shows that the effect of this mentality has traverse to an extent. As a last

result of the dispute of his own kind, the creature confronts Victor Frankenstein into demands,

You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies

necessary for my being I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede

(Shelley 92). The purpose of this quote towards effects on society shows how impactful it was

towards the creature as his thirst for true happiness. Though the deny does happen, readers see

that it is because of Victors fear in his own creation where the fear bases on the idea of

increasing the madness his creature has caused. This is an excellent example for the foil of the

creature for Victor because it levels the imbalance they both have on each other. The impacts

towards the foil for the character of Victor Frankenstein all demonstrate the effectiveness and

overall structure of the book.

The creatures self-learning, longings, and effects on society all contribute to the

effectiveness of the foil for Victor Frankenstein. The importance of the creatures actions and

thoughts delivers a correlation between the two characters, to which readers can really

understand and analyze differences and similarities, as well as the theme of the story. The

importance of this analysis and evidence can help really define and create a great plot for the

story and stylistic piece. The overall effectiveness of the foil between the creature and Victor

Frankenstein really distinguishes the influence and impact each character has towards each other.