As Frankenstein describes his young life prior to the
creation of his creature to Robert Walton in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, he seemingly discusses the
concept of destiny a great deal. Rather than presenting his actions in
manufacturing the creature as a direct result of his years of tireless work and
fervent study, he seems to ascribe them to destiny. After describing the day
during which he met M. Waldman and began his studies in chemistry which
facilitated his creation of the creature. In reflecting on the day’s events,
Frankenstein remarks, “Thus ended a day memorable to me: it decided my future
destiny” (Shelley, 29). While I do not necessarily disagree with the concept of
destiny, I do feel as though Frankenstein has attributed too many of the misfortunes
of his life to destiny rather than taking ownership of his choices and
mistakes. The fact that a number of factors in Frankenstein’s life truly did
drive him towards the creation of his creature is undeniable. For example, his
ardor for natural philosophy and other sciences in general, such as chemistry
and mathematics, provided him with the intellectual ability to create such a
being. Additionally, his insatiable desire to discover something no one had
ever done before, as well as his inclination to benefit society, gave him the
motivation necessary to complete such a monumental task. However, I tend to
think that Frankenstein prefers to use the concept of destiny as somewhat of an
excuse for his actions rather than admitting some of his own mistakes. Destiny
may certainly play a significant role in determining one’s path through life;
however, one’s individual choices and actions must also be acknowledged as
being equally if not even greater a factor. A love for natural sciences may
have been what encouraged Frankenstein’s dream of creating a living being from
the body parts of deceased humans, yet the decision to dedicate two years of
life to this task was entirely that of Frankenstein himself. Moreover, destiny
may have been what allowed Frankenstein to be successful in his attempts at
instilling life in inanimate objects, but it was Frankenstein’s cowardly
decision to ignore and flee his creation that allowed the creature to thrive
and become so learned and adept. Also, he may argue that destiny was what led
his little brother William and dear friend Justine Moritz to be murdered, yet
Frankenstein still could have done everything in his power to convince the
court of the existence of the monster he created, even if this was highly
improbably of succeeding. Ultimately, I am not intending to detract from Frankenstein’s theme of destiny.
However, I do believe that Frankenstein utilizes his belief in this destiny as
a defense mechanism in order to relieve himself for some of the guilt of the
unspeakable horrors which occurred as a result of his actions. I only wish
Frankenstein would take more responsibility for his actions rather than
seemingly attribute all the blame to the unavoidable realities of his destiny.
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