Victor Frankstein's Monster and Satan from Paradise Lost

[Nour]

The Monster in Frankenstein is often made to sympathise with and although he unjustly kills others in this story Marry Shelly makes many of here readers come alive. It is with the attack on the Monster grosteques appearence do we come to its defense, and this is shown chronicalled between the monster and Victor abendonment in his creatin . Yet when reading this book the monster comes into contact with a family who has a blind father in it, not seeing the monsters hideous face and embracing him for this split second, moreover, showing it is what is inside that matters and shows this hinderence in sight has left the blind man more respectful and understand life for what it is. While living in this shack he helps out the family without appearing to them and is left a copy of John Milton's "Paradise Lost" and reading for the first time of Satan's fall from the Grace of God he quickly sympthasis with Satan stating that his creator does not love him anymore, drawing parrlell to his creator Victor doing the same. Yet I ask this question is Victor's Creation and God's creating both equal in sympathy, or does it draw a weak parrlell to it?

[Jennelle]

I think you can equally speak of the Frankenstein’s Daemon and Satan very much the same in certain respects. They were both created by the hands of another without (should I say) “permission.” There is a very strong parallel between them both; especially in the way the Daemon speaks to Walton at the end of the narrative:

“Evil thenceforth became my good. Urged thus far, I had no choice but to adapt to my nature to an element which I had willingly chosen. The completion of my demonical design became an insatiable passion. And now it is ended; there is my last victim”

However, I do not feel both deserve equal sympathy. Yes, they were both driven to evil, yet I feel the reasons for which are different in their origin. Satan and the Daemon both had a choice, they both chose evil but for very different reasons. Frankenstein’s Daemon wanted to be loved and had wonderful aspirations and virtues in the beginning but the world could not get passed his physical frame which in turn led to his demise and evil nature. The daemon speaks the following to Walton:

“Once my fancy was soothed with dreams of virtue, of fame, and of enjoyment. Once I falsely hoped to meet with beings, who, pardoning my outward form, would love me for my excellent qualities which I was capable to bring forth. I was nourished with high thoughts of honor and devotion. But now vice has degraded me beneath the meanest animal. No crime no mischief, no malignity, no misery, can be found comparable to mine. When I call over the frightful deeds, I can not believe that I am he whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendent visions of beauty and the majesty of goodness. But it is even so; the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil. Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am quite alone.”

Satan did not become the fallen angle because he was “physically” rejected by others it was due to the freedomless ideals that he wished to appose and force upon others. Some followed him but when the majority would not comply with his ideals he then became evil and fallen striving to cause misery to those that chose not to follow him. Similar to what the quote states above Satan did believe himself to be with excellent qualities that he wanted to bring forth to others. He thought himself to be graced with high thoughts of honor and devotion, but what he mistook for a noble cause was truly oppressive in nature.

And again, like the above quote states, at least Satan had friends and associates in his desolation. Frankenstein’s Daemon was alone; he had no one to turn to for comfort. Also, at the end of the book he exhibits sorrow for his acts of vengeance, unlike Satan who is unrepentant or even remorseful for his evil acts. I have much more sympathy for Frankenstein’s Daemon than I do for Satan, his similar counterpart.

I am not exactly sure if this is what you were asking with your question?

[jOsEpHiNe]

That you can justify yourself, but as for help to your questions, I will not answer it in opinion but provide things that my help you to draw a conclusion. It does seem although, that victor's fiend and Satan (both creations of intelligent creators) are alike yet different in many ways. The answer to your question may depend, but the comparisons I have so far are these:

First of all, Frankenstein had but one creation. God had already several. God is known as master, and so is master to Satan. However, although Frankenstein was the creator it was mentioned that the he was not master. The beast had said "You may be my creator, but I am your master" (if I'm not mistaken).

Mary Shelley never mentioned if the fiend had perished, therefore, we don't know if he was mortal or not (no sufficient evidence, no matter how lenient to one side it may seem). However, what we do know is that God is not mortal, but Satan may or may not be collapsible. The difference in the creators' mortality may help in deciphering your opinion and the differences of Satan and the fiend.

Although the fiend did sympathize with Satan, he did mention how much he detested and abhorred himself. The creature tried affecting his creator's life, however, Satan seems more devoted to affecting the other creations' lives.

The sympathy that should be given towards either of the counterparts is not 100% decisive. That is because such is decided by the reader.

As a rough sketch of what statistics may look like in sympathy I'd say that more people would feel more sympathy for Frankenstein's demon. This is because the notion Satan existed even before Paradise Lost. Satan's countenance was and is probably rarely called upon as pleasant. Another name for him is the devil, and in most views, devil is a representation of all evil, as opposed to angel. The cause of the fiend's misery, grief, and murderous acts came from a totally different source- humans themselves.

However, as I said before, what both creations actually deserve is in each readers hands to decide.