July/8th/2013
Discrimination is the real killer
In the Frankenstein, there are six characters that die in the novel. What is the fundamental cause of their death? Who is the real killer? One may argue that this question is meaningless because it is obvious that the nameless monster kills almost every character except victor’s mother, who died naturally. However, the real killer should not be just the one who kills people by his hand, but the one who causes the death of so many innocent people, fundamentally. In the novel, initially, the nameless creature is a really benevolent creature, but, with time went by, people’s discrimination gradually changed him to devil, who determined to revenge his creator by killing his beloved. Therefore, discrimination is the real killer.
First, examining how the six characters died may lead to insight for the questions on hand. Caroline Beaufort, Victor’s mother, dies of scarlet fever. William Frankenstein, Victor’s youngest brother, is strangled by monster in the woods outside Geneva. Justine Moritz, a young girl adopted into the Frankenstein household, is executed for William’s murder. Henry Clerval, victor’s boyhood friend and Elizabeth Lavenza, victor’s the wife, are strangled by the monster too. Alphonse Frankenstein, Victor’s father, is overcome with grief over the deaths of his close family members. The monster is, directly or indirectly, involved every time character dies except victor’s mother’s death. But why does he do this? Is that because of his nature? No. The monster is virtuous at the beginning. “The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped to the open village, and fearfully took refuge in a low hovel, quiet bare, and making a wretched appearance.” (73) I found the monster’s reaction to people’s sudden attack is not him fighting back or an act of revenge, which is the normal response of