Karen Spears
Professor Welch
ENGL 2604
24 September 2009
Frankenstein, The Creation and Walton: The Three Tragic Heroes
In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the doppelgangers Robert Walton, Victor
Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s Creation reach similar conclusions humanity by
seafaring to the North Pole, delving into the dark depths of science, and observing the
rejecting nature of humans. The three tragic heroes Walton, Frankenstein and the
Creation are all character doubles in their initial enthusiasm for knowledge, inner dualist
personalities, religiously glorified personal goals, possessive relationships and negative
effects of gaining knowledge. The three character’s views of humanity are a microcosm
of the culturally accepted importance of beauty, and how the culmination of knowledge
can be blinding and lead to utter ruination.
Robert Walton explores the North Pole to seek glory and to do something no man
has done before. Walton’s “intellectual eye” aims too high, driving him to pursue one
goal that “elevates” him to “heaven” (Shelley 29). Walton views the North Pole as the
“eternal light”, alluding that his voyage to the new land is holy and majestic (Shelley 29).
He is a romantic, similar to Victor Frankenstein, in that he is blinded by the idyllic view
of the exploration, puts the voyagers at the mercy of frigid temperatures and does not see
it as the death trap that it really is. His quest is much like the Creation’s fruitless attempt
to become friends of the De Lacy family, and each glorified pursuit leads to each
character’s failure. Each character maintains the image of the tragic hero in that they are
trying to find glory and become something more than they really are, but their thirst for
1
success and blind eye to the reality of what they are actually doing in effect causes their
ruination.
Frankenstein is blinded by knowledge and continues to make the Creation he later
loathes due to the glory and individuality that he might gain. Comparable to Walton and
the Creation, Frankenstein initially “ardently desired the acquisition of knowledge” and
craved to “explore unknown powers” (Shelley 49, 53). The combination of his own
motivation and the encouragement of his professor Waldman, Frankenstein possesses a
“supernatural enthusiasm” for the study of galvanism and has no check on reality except
for the disapproval of his father (Shelley 56). Frankenstein thinks that he can ‘play God’
in his studies at Ingolstadt and is a “disciple” of the ‘religion’ of galvanism that Waldman
preaches (Shelley 54). Frankenstein believes that his exploration in the “hiding-places” of
nature was a heavenly and glorified thing, however it turns out to be “thing such as Dante
could not have conceived,” and is more related to hell than the pursuits of God (Shelley
58, 61). Frankenstein uses his power to mock God, and insinuates his power of making
‘life’ equal to God’s power of creating human birth. This mockery of God causes his own
ruination, and thus loses his family and friends to the one thing he throws his whole life
away on, the Creation.
The Creation’s first knowledge of mankind is that humanity will only accept him
if he is physically appealing because of the initial rejection from his creator,
Frankenstein. Thus, the Creation or ‘monster’ devotes himself to learning how to make
his ‘protectors,’ or the De Lacy Family, his friends through reason. He gathers wood for
the family and stops stealing their food, demonstrating his innate goodness, selflessness
and kindness. The Creation also reveres the family as a sort of religious following: “I
2
looked upon them as superior beings, who would be the arbiters of my future destiny”
(Shelley 105). He lives vicariously through them, and “ardently desired to become
acquainted” with the “godlike science” that was their communication in order to reason
with them as to why they should accept him (Shelley 103). He has no one else to interact
with, therefore this one pursuit of learning the language of the De Lacy family will make
him somewhat equal with the holy and superior beings. However, he forgets that first
lesson he received from Frankenstein, that he is not be accepted because of his
appearance.
The increase of knowledge and reason through language and reading for the
Creation positively correlated with more inverted misery and pain. He not only realizes
his situation is desolate and lonesome but also that beauty equates to happiness and
equality with mankind. He develops a low self-esteem, refers to himself as a “blot, a
blind vacancy” and wishes to “shake off all thought and feeling” (Shelley 110, 109). The
Creation maintains his kindness in saving a young girl from drowning, but considering he
is shot down in his rescue attempt, and rejected by the De Lacy family, the Creation
decides to no longer employ sympathy and kindness, but to inflict the same pain on the
family and justified punishment on his creator. Frankenstein similarly reveals that
knowledge can be the “serpent to sting you” referring to the fact that his own Creation
‘turned’ on him, and his once glory and pride became his worst nightmare (Shelley 39).
The Creation and Frankenstein become corrupted through their gains of knowledge
whether it is of the nature of galvanism or humanity.
Not only do these men share a passion for knowledge, but also they possess
duality within their own personalities. Walton is a man of dual nature, at day he is a
3
“common sailor,” but at night he pursues knowledge, the “study of mathematics,
…medicine, and …physical science” (Shelley 29). During the day, Walton keeps up the
appearance of a normal sailor, but he really is a man motivated by gaining more
educational knowledge. However, Walton believes that he works for a higher calling in
his exploration despite that it is life threatening to the crew. He wants to be seen by
others as a glorious and successful sailor, and will go to any lengths to get that title, but
later reveals his fear of failure and being alone. He won’t let anyone see his true self, and
wishes to only maintain the image of success. He maintains the image of a tragic hero in
that for glory and doing something revolutionary, he willingly puts his life at risk, and
goes against what nature intends for humans to do by traveling so far north.
Victor Frankenstein also tends to maintain the façade of a normal citizen of
society, with intentions to marry and love Elizabeth forever. Considering his father is an
important man in the community, it is assumed that he will maintain the family’s high
social status. However even in his pursuits in galvanism, Frankenstein already
disappoints his father, and Frankenstein starts to become independent from his past self.
Frankenstein’s true feelings toward Elizabeth are mystically revealed through a dream he
has in which he kisses Elizabeth, only to have her turn into his dead mother. Frankenstein
feels replaced by the lower class Elizabeth because she becomes an idol that the family
reveres. He marries Elizabeth only to because it is his father’s dying wish, and it is his
last resort at a normal life, which fails miserably as Elizabeth is killed on their wedding
night. His real passion in life is not Elizabeth, despite the possessive terminology he uses
to describe her; he really loves his science and the ability to do something revolutionary
with his life.
4
Frankenstein disapproves of the Creation, and as he is the Creation’s only ‘father
figure,’ the Creation is mentally driven further away from normal society. The Creation
abandons his attempt to get the De Lacy family to like him because of their intolerance of
his atrocious appearance. He quickly shows his darker side after being rejected multiple
times, and he takes on a new persona of “omnipotent god” over Frankenstein with the
knowledge he gains from several novels the De Lacy family reads aloud (Shelley 117).
Thus motivated by the rejection of both his creator and society, revenge is “enkindled in
[his] heart” (Shelley 124). The Creation is no longer employs sympathy, but turns to the
opposite, destruction by the “forked and destroying tongues” of fire and murder (Shelley
124). Theme of the duality of man is present in the sense that the Creature demonstrated
kindness and warmth toward the family and his creator initially, but after rejection, he
forms a new, more powerful image of himself over his creator, despite his own low selfesteem. He recognizes that he wields power over his creator, and this newfound power
brings the corruption of his soul and thus he governs Frankenstein later with “dark
tyranny” of murder (Shelley 38). Because of the nature of humanity, the Creation
realizes the significance and importance that beauty holds in friendships with mankind,
and that despite good deeds he should not expect kindness, but rejection due to his
hideous nature.
The need for companionship is essential to health and sanity in humans according
to Shelley. Frankenstein, Walton and the Creation are extremely too possessive and
unrealistic in their relationships with other people. When Walton is on his voyage, it
seems that his only focus is on making a friend, because he is afraid that “no one will
sustain me in dejection” if he fails (Shelley 31). Robert Walton refers to his relationship
5
with Frankenstein after only a few days the “burning ardour of my soul” and “fervor that
warmed me” (Shelley 38). He reveres Frankenstein as a “celestial spirit, that has a halo
around him”, which is ironic and inaccurate due to the fact that Frankenstein is very far
from a religious icon; he mocks God and in no way is innocent (Shelley 39). Both
Frankenstein and Walton are too quickly attached to the person of their interest whether it
is a friend or future wife.
Frankenstein reveals this especially in regards to his “celestial” Elizabeth by
revering her as a religious “idol,” then progresses onward to say she is “mine to protect,
love and cherish”, “mine only”, “pretty present”, and “promised gift” (Shelley 42, 44).
The beauty of Elizabeth is repeatedly emphasized, however this is ironic because
Frankenstein just views her as an item to keep and marries her only because it is his
father’s dying wish for them to be married. Shelley reveals that globally, people who are
attractive, despite poor backgrounds, can be accepted and even idolized just because of
their outward appearance. Frankenstein isolates himself in his studies, and takes on a
new persona. When he “shunned” his “fellow creatures”, he “appeared rather like one
doomed by slavery to toil in the mines” (Shelley 60). Frankenstein is physically affected
by the isolation and looks awful just because he is alone.
The Creation’s turn to killing others and revengeful nature is all due to the lack of
companionship and rejection from mankind. He is so lonely due to the fact that even his
own creator rejected him because of his hideousness that Satan himself is better off than
he is because he “has companions” (Shelley 117). The isolation he suffers from humans
causes the Creation to transform from the “fallen angel” to the “malignant devil” (Shelley
188). The three characters are similar in that they show how no one can live entirely
6
alone and without friends, otherwise despair and depression results. Shelley reveals about
the truth of the nature of man and how it is essential to have some social interaction, even
if one is constantly rejected.
The duality in each character poses questions in readers about the purpose of why
the Creation was made then later rejected by the Creator himself, why it is necessary to
go to the North Pole and globally, why do scientists pursue extreme efforts in their field
if no one will benefit from it? Each character reflects each other by wanting to do
something that is truly remarkable in their eyes and once they realize their own potential
to be equals with God, they pursue whatever that is. The characters all hold the power of
either giving or taking away life in their hands when Walton is on his ship, the Creation
murders Frankenstein’s wife and friend Clerval, and Frankenstein creates life through
science. The ardent pursuit of knowledge, companionship, internal dual personalities,
supernatural glory in one’s work, outward superficiality and the thirst for success are all
intrinsic qualities in the characters Frankenstein, Walton, and the Creation. Mary Shelley
utilizes and parallels these personality traits in the characters to reflect on her view of
how superficial mankind is, how knowledge can make mankind worse and how holding
beauty above good acts brings down the quality of life of humans. Also Shelley reveals
that friendship and acceptance by others is essential to happiness in life, and without it,
self-ruination can occur. Shelley uses her novel as a warning to readers to not blindly
pursue knowledge, and not set goals to a ‘higher’ standard.
7
Works Cited:
Shelley, Mary. “Frankenstein.” Ed. Johanna M. Smith. Boston, Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2007
8