What is the Relationship between Victor and the Creature?
Author: Martin Munyao Muinde
Email: ephantusmartin@gmail.com
Introduction
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is one of the most profound works in English literature, and at its core lies the complex and tragic relationship between Victor Frankenstein and the creature he brings to life. This relationship is not only central to the narrative but also serves as a mirror of human ambition, responsibility, rejection, and the search for identity. Victor and the creature are bound together by an indissoluble connection, one that oscillates between creator and creation, father and son, and pursuer and pursued. Understanding this dynamic sheds light not only on the themes of the novel but also on broader questions about morality, humanity, and the consequences of unchecked ambition. Their relationship reflects an intricate balance between love and hatred, creation and destruction, responsibility and neglect, ultimately shaping the tragic outcome of the story.
Victor as the Creator and His Initial Responsibility
The relationship between Victor and the creature begins with the act of creation, where Victor assumes the role of a god-like figure. In his obsessive pursuit of knowledge and mastery over nature, Victor brings life to an assemblage of dead matter, believing he will create a beautiful and noble being. Instead, he is horrified by the result of his experiment, immediately abandoning the creature out of fear and disgust (Shelley, 1818/2003). This initial rejection is pivotal because it establishes the foundation of their broken relationship. The creature, like a child, yearns for guidance, acceptance, and affection, but Victor denies him all these essential aspects of a nurturing relationship. By failing to embrace his responsibility as a creator, Victor not only abandons the creature but also sets in motion a cycle of resentment and revenge that defines their interactions.
Victor’s initial horror also highlights the dual nature of ambition and responsibility. He seeks glory and recognition but shirks the moral duties that accompany his achievement. The abandonment illustrates Shelley’s warning about the dangers of pursuing knowledge without regard to ethical consequences. Victor’s relationship with the creature is shaped by this neglect, positioning him not as a benevolent father but as a careless progenitor who brings life into the world only to reject it. This failure to assume responsibility creates a chasm between them that can never be bridged, and it transforms their relationship into one defined by hostility rather than compassion.
The Creature’s Longing for Affection and Rejection
Although Victor abandons the creature, the being does not immediately turn to violence or hatred. Instead, the creature initially exhibits a strong desire for human connection, love, and acceptance. He educates himself by observing the De Lacey family, learning about language, morality, and human society. His attempts to connect with humanity reveal his underlying innocence and yearning for companionship (Shelley, 1818/2003). However, his grotesque appearance consistently elicits fear and hostility, reinforcing his status as an outcast. The rejection by the De Laceys, followed by his rejection by Victor, compounds his loneliness and fuels his growing bitterness.
The creature’s plea to Victor for a companion illustrates his desperate need for belonging and highlights the moral responsibility Victor has as a creator. When Victor refuses to create a mate, the creature interprets this as yet another rejection of his humanity. This denial transforms their relationship from strained to adversarial. The creature’s turn to vengeance is not born purely of malice but of accumulated suffering and denial of affection. Victor’s refusal to recognize his creature as part of his moral duty perpetuates the destructive cycle of abandonment and revenge. Their relationship thus becomes a tragic reflection of what happens when empathy and responsibility are denied in human interactions.
The Cycle of Revenge and Pursuit
The strained relationship between Victor and the creature escalates into an endless cycle of revenge and pursuit. The creature retaliates for Victor’s abandonment and refusal to create a companion by murdering his loved ones, including William, Henry, and Elizabeth. Each act of violence is both a cry for recognition and a punishment for Victor’s negligence (Shelley, 1818/2003). Victor, consumed by grief and guilt, vows to destroy the creature, thereby reinforcing their shared descent into obsession and destruction. Their relationship evolves from one of creator and creation into a relentless battle between adversaries.
What is striking about this cycle of revenge is the way Victor and the creature become mirror images of one another. Victor, once the ambitious scientist, becomes consumed by the same obsessive hatred that drives the creature. Both lose their humanity in the process, bound together by mutual hatred and vengeance. Shelley portrays this relationship as deeply ironic: Victor despises the creature for his deeds, yet those very deeds are the direct consequence of Victor’s neglect. The endless chase that culminates in the Arctic symbolizes their inseparable bond, one forged not by affection but by hatred and shared destruction. Their relationship, therefore, becomes a cautionary tale about the dangers of vengeance and the inability to break cycles of violence once they are set in motion.
Victor and the Creature as Reflections of Each Other
One of the most compelling aspects of their relationship is the way Victor and the creature act as doubles or mirrors of each other. Critics have often argued that the creature represents Victor’s repressed desires, fears, and moral failures (Levine, 1973). Victor seeks to transcend human limitations by creating life, but the result is a monstrous reflection of his ambition. Similarly, the creature embodies the consequences of Victor’s choices, a living manifestation of his hubris and negligence. Their relationship is not merely external but symbolic, representing the duality of human nature and the blurred line between creator and creation.
The mirroring between them is evident in their shared isolation, obsession, and pursuit of vengeance. Victor isolates himself in his quest for scientific achievement, while the creature is isolated by his appearance. Both are denied companionship, and both are consumed by destructive passions. Shelley uses this doubling to suggest that the monster is not entirely external to Victor but a projection of his own darker impulses. Their relationship, therefore, becomes a meditation on identity, responsibility, and the way humans confront their inner monstrosity. It challenges readers to consider whether Victor and the creature are truly separate beings or two halves of the same tragic whole.
The Father-Son Dynamic and Failed Parenthood
The relationship between Victor and the creature can also be understood through the lens of parenthood. Victor, as the creator, occupies the role of a father, while the creature embodies the role of a child who craves love and guidance. The novel critiques Victor’s failure to fulfill the fundamental duties of a parent, including providing care, nurturing, and protection. Instead of offering guidance, Victor abandons his “child,” leaving him to navigate a hostile world alone. This failed parent-child relationship lies at the heart of their conflict, as the creature’s actions stem directly from Victor’s neglect (Mellor, 1988).
This father-son dynamic further emphasizes the theme of responsibility. Shelley highlights the dangers of neglectful parenthood, suggesting that Victor’s failure is not just personal but symbolic of broader social responsibilities. The creature’s descent into violence can be read as a result of Victor’s abdication of his parental duties. Their relationship underscores the idea that parents, creators, and leaders bear a moral responsibility for those they bring into existence. Victor’s inability to accept this responsibility condemns both himself and the creature to misery, underscoring the tragic consequences of failed parenthood.
The Tragic Conclusion of Their Relationship
The climax of Victor and the creature’s relationship occurs in the Arctic, where the two are locked in an eternal pursuit. Victor dies, exhausted and broken, leaving the creature to reflect on his own existence. In this final moment, the creature expresses remorse, lamenting the destruction he has caused and acknowledging the futility of his vengeance (Shelley, 1818/2003). Their relationship, which began with creation, ends with mutual destruction, neither side achieving satisfaction or peace. The creature’s grief reveals that despite the hatred, he was always tied to Victor in a bond that could not be severed.
The tragic ending underscores the cyclical nature of their relationship. Both Victor and the creature lose everything—family, peace, and purpose—in their mutual obsession with revenge. Shelley uses this conclusion to illustrate the destructive potential of broken relationships, particularly when responsibility and empathy are absent. Their relationship is not just a personal tragedy but a universal cautionary tale about the consequences of neglect, vengeance, and the failure to embrace compassion. The unresolved nature of their bond lingers beyond the novel, leaving readers to reflect on the complexities of human relationships and the thin line between creator and destroyer.
Conclusion
The relationship between Victor and the creature in Frankenstein is one of the most compelling and tragic dynamics in literature. It evolves from creator and creation to adversaries locked in mutual destruction, shaped by rejection, vengeance, and mirrored identities. At its heart lies Victor’s failure to accept responsibility for his creation, a failure that condemns both to misery and loss. Shelley uses their relationship to explore profound themes, including the ethics of creation, the consequences of neglect, the dangers of revenge, and the duality of human nature. Ultimately, the relationship between Victor and the creature is a cautionary tale, warning readers of the destructive potential of ambition unchecked by morality and relationships broken by a lack of compassion. Their bond, though tragic, remains a powerful reflection on what it means to be human and the responsibilities that come with creation.
References
Levine, G. (1973). The Realistic Imagination: English Fiction from Frankenstein to Lady Chatterley. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Mellor, A. K. (1988). Mary Shelley: Her Life, Her Fiction, Her Monsters. New York: Routledge.
Shelley, M. (2003). Frankenstein (1831 edition). New York: Penguin Classics.