“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”[1. Romans 12:3, NIV] Because the monster was created by and from evil, he became evil as well. Since Victor Frankenstein was trying to control life and the natural happenings of the world, he played God and succeeded his selfish wish. No one is ready to live until they are ready to die, and Frankenstein went beyond Mother Nature to satisfy his own desires.

In place of grieving over his mother, Frankenstein lusted for eternal life. “When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it… I doubted at first whether I should attempt the creation of a being like myself, or one of simpler organization; but my imagination was too much exalted by my first success to permit me to doubt of my ability to give life to an animal as complex and wonderful as man.”[2. Page 43] Frankenstein extracted his surroundings and only focused on his experiment. After encountering the terrifying being come to life, Frankenstein runs into his room. It was only a matter of time until the disturbing experiment made with sympathy, selfishness and lust was sitting beside him. Frankenstein ran from the being. He did not know what it was capable of, and he had not taken the time and consideration to plot what would happen thereafter conducting his work.

A few months later, the creature comes across a cottage with cottagers and watches their actions and behaviors. The monstrous being soon learns to speak, read and interpret feelings. He met a blind elder named De Lacey, who was nice to him. The man listened and understood the creature, and he liked it. He received books to help him further his education, which helped him to read Frankenstein’s journal full of data and research that he found in his clothing. This uncovered the grotesque knowledge of how he was created, and the monster was appalled at his father. He learned his creator’s name and why he was created. Thus, he fled to Geneva to search for “Victor Frankenstein”. In the meantime, Frankenstein obtained a letter from his father proclaiming his younger brother’s — William’s — death. Upon his arrival to Geneva, he makes his way to where his brother once rested breathlessly, and he notices Justine with the locket necklace William was last seen with. Frankenstein spies the infamous beast hiding in dark shadows and refuses to reveal his secret to avoid being looked upon as a lunatic. “God knows how entirely I am innocent. But I do not pretend that my protestations should acquit me: I rest my innocence on a plain and simple explanation of the facts which have been adduced against me; and I hope the character I have always borne will incline my judges to a favourable interpretation, where any circumstance appears doubtful or suspicious.”[3. Page 68] Justine testified and deceived to the public that she was guilty. Thereafter, the innocent soul no longer remained on Earth.

The creature asks his creator to create a female for him because he feels lonely. Initially, Frankenstein promises to produce another being for the figure; however, this time Frankenstein considers what the outcome of his original creation and the new one may be. Once determining whether or not to go through with his commitment, he decides to not, and he upsets the monster. “I will be with you on your wedding night.”[4. (Page unknown)] Frankenstein’s mind wanders itself, curious to know what may happen.

All of the evil that happened within Frankenstein’s life was from the monster. Since Frankenstein created him and did not consider the consequences, all of the evil was his fault. Instead of accepting life’s obstacles and journeys, he was selfish and only cared to satisfy his needs. Thus being said, Frankenstein is the bigger beast.

This is the last essay I wrote in high school. I made the highest grade in the class. The prompt was to determine who the bigger beast was: Frankenstein, or his creation. I do not have the book here with me, as it is somewhere in storage. I also can’t find it online, otherwise I’d have a better sources list.

I was given a 97 because the student teacher miscorrected a phrase wherein I [correctly] mixed past and present participles, then marked an existing word non-existent.

I kept it all these years, because it was my favorite writing assignment.