Victor's mistake

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

When Victor is put between a rock and a hard place with the creature, one would say that a major role reversal has thus taken place. Victor is left with the task of recommitting himself to a task that he loathes physically disgusted of when he must make a mate for the creature. He feels this obligation towards the creature not for the creature's happiness as much as for the safety of those he loves. By this threat the creature has control over Frankenstein. With Victor having everything to lose and the monster having nothing, Victor does not have much of a choice then to fulfill the monster's wishes. This advantage that the monster has over his master gives him a sense of dominance as he says, "You are my creator, but I am your master, obey!" (Shelley 122).

In this very same scene when the creature asserts his power over Victor, Victor is given to his emotions and makes a grave mistake. His dismantling of the body and refusal towards the creature's wishes all come from an impulse of disgust and discontent with his work. His mind begins to create rationales to the discontinuation of his work such as the implications of letting lose two of the maniacal race to breed more wretches. One would think that a man who feels as tenderly than anyone for his family would make any sort of sacrifice and move heaven and earth for them would abide by the creature's wishes to secure safety for them. Although the sacrifice he makes by indirectly extinguishing the creature's race from the planet in the end would seem noble, Victor makes this decision more out of an impulse than a calculated risk. Because of his hatred of his wretched work, his makes the choice that will eventually put his loved ones in the ground. Good job family man...