Dr. Frankenstein's Moral Complexities

            Mary Shelly, even early on in the book, establishes Dr. Frankenstein as a complex character, with many-different-faceted motives, questionable ethics, and different identities. The two passages chosen on pages 32-33 embody Dr. Frankenstein’s moral dilemmas and contradictions in a remarkably full way. The beginning of the passages starts out explaining the morally admirable aspects of Frankenstein’s experiment. Mary Shelly writes about how the honorable doctor wants to enlighten the scientific community with his new discoveries: “pour a torrent of light into our dark world.” Very quickly, though, Mary Shelly moves into the more selfish and ethically questionable motives for Frankenstein’s obsession. Shelly explains that a driving force behind the doctor’s passion was the fact that Frankenstein wanted a “race” of people that owed their whole being to him. He would be some what of a god to the people he built, and that absolute power very much attracted him.

            In the second part of the passage, Mary Shelly goes on to describe the effect Frankenstein’s obsession has had on him, and how mad he really is. First off, she tells the reader about Frankenstein’s appearance: he was pale and sickly looking because of the stress he is under and the amount of work he presents to himself. As if this weren’t enough, he doesn’t even let himself sleep because of the amount of work he wishes to get done in a very short period of time. As any good scientist would know, lack of sleep can be disastrous, because on no sleep, the mind cannot work to its full capacity. This would obviously affect the success of Frankenstein’s experiment. Yet, because Frankenstein is a man obsessed, and also one who lets his feelings drive his work life, he lets himself carry on in this way. And finally, his work station is atrocious. Mary Shelly walks us through Frankenstein’s work station. It is messy, lacking any organization whatsoever, and with almost no regard for sanitation. Mary Shelly leaves the decision up to the reader. Is Dr. Frankenstein worthy of commendation because of his attempted contributions to the scientific work, disapproval because of his less-than-stellar ethic motivations and total lack of regard for the scientific process, or some combination of the two.