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  • Essay / Downward Direction: The Descent of Frankenstein

    In Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein's behavior becomes increasingly grotesque in the lead-up to the monster's creation. When he left for the University of Ingolstadt, he was healthy, sane and optimistic. However, as his research continues, his mentality and appearance decline and his behavior becomes increasingly obsessive and revolting. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Frankenstein's abnormal behavior begins with his obsession with science. Frankenstein explains that science fueled him with a ardor unmatched by any other interest because "in a scientific quest there is continual nourishment for discovery and wonder." This “supernatural enthusiasm” leads to sleepless nights spent reading scientific works. Frankenstein begins to neglect his family and, having academically surpassed his professors Krempe and Waldman, his teachers. This connection between the search for knowledge and isolation is felt by Walton himself. The more Frankenstein knows, the fewer people there are who can sympathize with him. This inevitably results in isolation, which leads to a loss of contact with society and, therefore, with social norms and accepted behaviors. Frankstein's obsession with these chapters leads him to spend time dismantling corpses and in mass graves. He exhumes bodies in search of the secret of life. He states that his “father had taken the greatest precautions so that [his] mind would not be impressed by any supernatural superstition”; as a result, Frankenstein was not afraid of spending nights among the dead. Nor was he apparently affected by the vile scenes he witnessed, as when he "saw the corruption of death succeed the brightness of life." As his ambition grows, so does Frankenstein's sense of power and desire. He views life and death as “limits that I must first cross.” Frankenstein believes he has discovered the role of God, breathing life where there was none before. He calls himself "the creator" of this new species and declares that "no father could claim his child's gratitude as completely as I could deserve theirs." This abject rejection of religion is another step in Frankenstein's descent. In his isolated world, he considers himself a God among his creations. This shows that Frankenstein was completely unaware of the negative repercussions of his experiments; this fantasy supports his mind almost entirely. Likewise, he states that "all the steps by which I had been gradually led to [my goal] were erased, and I saw only the result." If the outcome is good, Frankenstein believes, the morality or immorality of previous actions does not matter. Frankenstein's behavior harms him physically and mentally. In one of the final passages before the creation of the monster, we see Frankenstein's own life seem to fade away: "my cheek had grown pale from study, and my person had become emaciated from confinement." His addiction consumes every hour of his time: he has “lost all his soul or feeling without this one pursuit.” With this descent in mind, the reader can now digest why Frankenstein reacts the way he does to the monster's sudden animation. There are several reasons. First, the appearance of the monster would be the scariest. Frankenstein wanted the monster to be beautiful, but instead he looked terrifying, with yellow skin, milky white eyes, and black lips..