The Price of Being Evil

Melanie Siokalo
Tues 6- 8:30
The Price of Being Evil
To intentionally inflict pain on a human being or any other living thing is my definition of evil in the simplest sense. If examples were to be given, Victor Frankenstein would be at the top of the list. Not only did the main character of Mary Shelley’s classic thriller, Frankenstein, cross the line between moral and immoral but also intentionally caused pain to the monster he had created. He abandoned the very thing he gave life to and then further inflicted pain on the creature by refusing to create the only thing the monster had asked for, a companion. Frankenstein is portrayed as a hero through Robert Walton’s words, but not even this glory can hide the monstrous and evil acts of Victor Frankenstein.
Frankenstein was so obsessed with being viewed as a “science god”, that he never actually thought about the consequences that might follow from creating a being unnaturally. Because he didn’t actually finish this thought process, the monster ultimately hurts everyone around Frankenstein, torturing Frankenstein in the way Frankenstein tortured the monster. Frankenstein does not have the capability to understand the depth of his creation. He was so selfish to think that this monster in the very first moments of being alive would create evil all around it. He right away runs and hides like a criminal on the run. Only an evil human being itself would not give a chance to understand the monster he gave life to. Frankenstein leaves the monster in the most precious moments of any living thing’s life. Frankenstein leaves the monster lying on the table with no sense of the world around it. “His jaws opened, he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled on his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs” (59). Frankenstein was so caught up in his fear that he was unable to understand that the monster was just reaching out for help. The grin on his face was a sign of happiness and new life. But like any other coward, Frankenstein ran away from his creation. What Frankenstein was unable to comprehend was the fact the monster was more human and moral than his creator himself.

Not only did Frankenstein not provide the attention and love that any newborn needs, he created more misery for the monster by not creating a companion for it. It can be said that Frankenstein is quite hypocritical. While in school, all Frankenstein wanted was a companion like the one he found in Henry Clerval .So who is he to deprive the monster of the only thing Frankenstein ever wanted? Not only does he therefore inflict further pain on the monster, but also ultimately on himself. Frankenstein is responsible of the deaths of all his closest friends and family because he knowingly ignored the monsters only wish. He furthermore is selfish that he attempts to publically blame the monster for all the murders that are occurring. Here in the story is where Frankenstein had the chance to redeem himself and come clean with his creation. But he so cowardly blames the monster for all the pain that he has gone through.

What kind of human would intentionally cause harm on something it had created? The answer to the question is, well, an evil one. To me evil is not only intentionally causing pain on something, but furthermore being selfish and not understanding the depth of your creations. So essentially, Frankenstein is evil in every sense of the word.