Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a chilling exploration of survival and the pervasive nature of violence, not merely as physical acts but as profound psychological and social forces. The novel presents a stark dichotomy: the desperate struggle for existence against the backdrop of an indifferent or hostile world, and the eruption of violence stemming from ambition, fear, and isolation. Victor Frankenstein's obsessive pursuit of scientific glory and the Creature's subsequent fight for recognition and acceptance both illustrate how the conditions of survival can breed destructive tendencies. Ultimately, Shelley suggests that violence is a consequence of dehumanization, whether self-inflicted through hubris or imposed by societal prejudice.
Victor's initial drive for scientific discovery, while seemingly a quest for knowledge, is deeply rooted in a desire for personal triumph and, in a sense, a form of survival against the perceived limitations of mortality. He isolates himself, sacrificing personal relationships for his ambition, a choice that foreshadows his later inability to confront the consequences of his creation. His "success" in animating the Creature is immediately followed by revulsion and abandonment, a primal act of violence against his own progeny. This rejection triggers the Creature's own violent trajectory. Denied companionship and understanding, the Creature's innate capacity for empathy is systematically eroded by the fear and disgust he encounters from humanity. His first violent acts – the burning of the cottage and the murder of William Frankenstein – are desperate reactions to profound rejection, demonstrating how isolation can twist even a nascent desire for goodness into destructive rage.
The Creature's narrative powerfully argues that violence is learned, a perverted response to a world that refuses to acknowledge his existence or grant him the dignity of a fellow being. He learns language, morality, and compassion by observing the De Lacey family, but his attempts at connection are met with terror. This repeated ostracism fuels his sense of injustice and deepens his isolation, making him increasingly susceptible to vengeance. His violent outbursts, therefore, are not inherent evils but the tragic outcomes of a life denied basic human needs for belonging and acceptance. The murder of Clerval, Victor's loyal friend, is particularly poignant. It represents the Creature's desperate attempt to force Victor to acknowledge their shared suffering, a twisted plea for mutual recognition through shared pain.
Conversely, Victor's own violence is more insidious, manifesting as a profound moral cowardice and a refusal to take responsibility for his actions. His decision to abandon the Creature immediately after its birth is the novel's foundational act of violence, a betrayal of the creator's duty. This initial abandonment sets in motion a cycle of retaliatory violence. Victor's subsequent inability to protect his loved ones – William, Justine, and eventually Elizabeth – from the Creature’s wrath can be seen as a prolonged act of self-inflicted violence, a consequence of his initial hubris and his continued refusal to engage with the problem he created. His pursuit of the Creature across the Arctic wastes becomes a suicidal mission, a final, desperate act of violence against himself, driven by a consuming need for revenge rather than a genuine desire for justice or the safety of others.
Ultimately, Frankenstein presents a grim vision where survival, stripped of empathy and societal support, devolves into a brutal contest of wills. The Creature's struggle is for the basic right to exist and to be treated as sentient, while Victor's is a desperate, self-destructive attempt to escape the consequences of his own violent ambition. The novel suggests that true monstrosity lies not in physical appearance but in the capacity for cruelty born of isolation and the refusal to acknowledge the humanity of others. The pervasive violence in Frankenstein serves as a dark mirror, reflecting the potential for destruction that lies dormant within both the individual and society when empathy is absent and the fundamental needs for connection and acceptance are denied.