Consequences Of Betrayal In Frankenstein

Betrayal to Avoid Consequences
Has someone ever shown a lack of responsibility in an action and then committed betrayal to avoid consequences for their action? Ethical appeals have been used in stories since their existence and have often depicted betrayal and responsibility. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the movie The Incredibles directed by Brad Bird, and director Doug Liman’s Mr. And Mrs. Smith, betrayal is depicted as the best choice of certain characters for their problems. These works illustrate that people betray others to avoid consequences or a negative outcome from an action.
In the novel by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein betrays his creation’s wishes out of fear of a negative outcome and more destruction.
After the creation asks for a companion, one whom might understand him, Frankenstein agrees. He builds trust by saying, “I consent to your demand, on your solemn oath to quit Europe forever, and every other place in the neighbourhood of man…” (Shelley 136). In a response to Victor he cries out “I Swear” (Shelley 136). After this decision and acting upon the request, Frankenstein has second thoughts. He feels that the new creation might disagree with the fiend and not want to be secluded. Even more prevalent on his mind is his fear that they might create children, or that “a race of devils would be propagated upon the earth that might make the very existence of the species of man a condition precarious and full of terror.” (Shelley 153). This would be turning everything he once worked for with pride into a dream of terror and horror that would affect his life, love, and work. The feelings of the fiend are prevalent when he says, “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on.” (Shelley197). The creation speaks of how Victor Frankenstein treated him and how he was betrayed once again so Frankenstein could avoid the suffering of consequences. Using imagery of abandonment and feelings of sadness, anger, and regret to approach the betrayal, makes it evident that the creation did suffer. The suffering and betrayal committed did ultimately allow Frankenstein to avoid the consequences. There is no evidence of the fiend, or a spawn ravaging the towns or its people after his death.
In the cartoon movie, The Incredibles, by Brad Bird, betrayal is committed to avoid the consequences of allowing a child to interfere with his work, being a superhero. Syndrome once was a fan of Mr. Incredible and wanted to be his sidekick. “I am your biggest fan…” (Bird), he told Mr. Incredible, showing trust. Syndrome then explains to Mr. Incredible why he has become a villain after Mr. Incredible was captured trying to defeat Syndrome, “my name is not Buddy or Incrediboy for that matter… all I wanted was to help you… and what did you say to me? Fly home Buddy, I work alone.” (Bird). Syndrome feels that the betrayal committed by Mr. Incredible was a lesson by saying “But it taught me an important lesson. You can’t count on anyone. Especially your heroes! ” (Bird), eluding to the fact that he had been betrayed and trust had been broken. Syndrome is explaining to Mr. Incredible on his island that Mr. Incredible is the only one to blame for Buddy’s turn to evil ways, in essence betrayal. Mr. Incredible sees that if he had only allowed Buddy to help maybe this wouldn’t have happened, but the risk of Buddy getting hurt and being a distraction was of greater importance to Mr. Incredible. Mr. Incredible apologizes, realizing he didn’t handle the situation in the proper manner, “I was wrong to treat you that way. I’m sorry” (Bird) then Buddy replies, “See, now you respect me, because I’m a threat” (Bird). Here we see that betrayal started from a fear of a negative outcome, Buddy getting in the way of Mr. Incredible’s job. The consequences of him allowing Buddy to be his sidekick could have been much worse. The outcome of the betrayal committed by Mr. Incredible was positive compared to the dangers that could have resulted from a lack of.
In the movie Mr.
And Mrs. Smith, by Doug Liman, two people are stuck in betrayal because of their jobs. This betrayal exists because they are both spies working for opposite affiliations and are married. In a couple’s counseling session they discuss their betrayal burying it beneath back and forth comments and useless arguments. First, there is the trust and love that they supposedly have built a relationship on. This is seen when Jane says “When we met I loved everything about him. I’d say 90% of the things” (Liman). John on the other hand feels that “Marriage is about trust. Period.” (Liman). At one point John sees Jane in a foreign country and to prevent the strange woman from going to jail he tells the police, “No. No. No. Esta bien. She’s with me.” (Liman), the first trust building action. In another counseling session, the doctor asked if she has been truthful and her reply is “Pretty honest. It’s not like I lie to him, but I have secrets. Everybody has secrets.” (Liman), the secrets referring to her job as a spy, causing her to betray John. This shows that she was betraying him but only out of love. Mr. and Mrs. Smith discover their mutual subterfuge and quickly experience the agonies of betrayal. They betray each other in their work and relationship because they live secret lives of service that are falsified and competently counterfeit. They betray each other feeling that its in each other’s best interest and also to avoid the consequences of endangering one another’s life. They realize the secret between them, that they are working for two rival companies. Soon after follows a fight. “Jane sees John. She fires fast! Bullet’s rip up the walls” (Liman). At first, aghast at the shared betrayal, they use the subsequent conflict to live out those, "I loved him so I had to kill him." (Liman), visions that everyone’s had at one point in time. Then, after the conflict, they join together when they become the hunted and share some lies they
have lived out with each other. John says to Jane “I was never in the peace corp.”. Jane tells him, “I never cooked a day in my life” (Liman). By lying to each other they avoided ending a relationship.
In conclusion, betrayal can be used to avoid personal consequences. The responsibility to protect another sometimes means betraying them. In most cases, betrayal still has consequences but these consequences are not nearly as negative or scarring as those that consist of being truthful. In life, a decision to betray another is often made with no regard to the outcome but, as these examples show, sometimes the positives, seemingly justify the act of betrayal.