Frankenstein: AS & A2 York Notes

While Victor usurps the role of God, his primary crime seems less the act of creation than the failure to take responsibility for what he creates.

Both Victor and the monster are isolated individuals, but Victor rebels against human ties and chooses alienation, while the monster's imposed isolation makes him miserable.

Embodying a division within the human psyche, such doubles as Victor/monster demonstrate tension between the laws of society and the desires of the individual.

While the Preface claims "Frankenstein" demonstrates ideal 'domestic affections', the family is actually criticised for imposing artificial gender distinctions and for its insularity.

The distinction between these terms is problematic: the monster is initially more humane than the father who rejects him and the villagers who stone him.