Minor Characters In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, is a journey through the highs and lows of humanity through the experiences of individual characters. Minor characters such as Justine and Walton show a less severe contrast between well made versus poorly made decisions. Major characters such as Victor and the creature introduce a far more drastic contrast, and pose a more influential impact on one of the overall themes of the story which is the idea that a poor moral compass pushes people to fall to such depths that attempting to redeem one's self is practically futile. Shelley uses the characters throughout her novel to symbolize the moral heights and depths to which humanity will reach in an attempt to succeed in their own personal pursuits; which is
Victor is a prime example of a character who's managed to continually reach both moral highs and lows within the confines of a short novel. As a child, he doesn't face any notable challenges which force him to make life altering decisions. It isn't until he's older and is fully incorporated into the world of science that he faces challenges which determine the likes of his humanity.
His one choice effects every character the reader crosses paths with for the remainder of the novel, forcing each of them to face their own moral dilemmas. As such his choice can easily be categorized as one of poor moral judgment and an example of the lower depths to which humanity often sinks. He fails to realize how his actions effect others and refuses to take responsibility for what takes place due to his poor judgment; a tragic human flaw which has always managed to cloud man's path towards greatness. Shelley's use of Victor as a character who has achieved the unthinkable and still failed as a human in general is confronting the belief that the ends are worth the means. This is a concept that is prone to debate even in today's society. We must question whether or not Victor's abandonment of his principles is worth the scientific achievement of creating life. Is the achievement made any lesser by the loss of ones humanity and the tragedy the surrounding population is forced to endure? In my opinion, the answer is a resounding yes. Victor sunk to such depths in his pursuit for knowledge that he walks away from his experiences as a changed man. He descends even