The Monster and His Creation
Dr. Frankenstein creates, hides, and hates the monster that he creates, in turn treating the creature like the evil beast he associates with his appearance. Dr. Frankenstein's monster however is by all other lights, human, becoming impressively intelligent and even kind hearted through his journeys, but the the monster is repeatedly spurned by all who see him, despite being able to communicate and reason the same if not better than those that call him a monster. Because of this, the once possible Saint is reduced to a monster swearing revenge on humanity; in particular Frankenstein himself. The monster doing all of this, while also struggling to understand themes of humanity, companionship, and the pursuit of knowledge. All themes Frankenstein himself also pursued.
Dr. Frankenstein himself ends up becoming more and more a monster as he hunts down his creation; chasing his creation for years until finally his journey ends up killing himself in the process. His obsession with keeping secrecy and unhealthy pursuit of the monster further damns him as he refuses help from his father, Elizabeth (his lover), and any friends that attempt and drag him back to any form of sane worldview. Dr. Frankenstein becomes so fixated on the idea of catching and killing the monster that HE created and spurned, he doesn't see how his anger lashes out onto those that he most cares about.
Due to most of the narrative being told from the view of Frankenstein during his last few days alive, his monster, or Walton, it becomes veritably difficult to interpret; bringing to question multiple accounts of hyperbole or possible lapse in memory or even all out lying on either of the three narrators' parts.
Frankensteins Fractured Psyche
Dr. Frankenstein seems rather flippant throughout the story, wanting the best of every situation, but doubting and calculating outcomes to the point where he ends up making horrid decisions one after another. He wants to create life, (specifically a "new perfect race") but rejects his creation and spurs it into loneliness and rage. He wants to help the monster find peace, but he convinces himself to break his pledge to the monster and destroys the female companion Dr. Frankenstein was in the process of creating, further angering the creature AND countering his original goal of creating a new race, being now horrified with the concept! He wants to marry Elizabeth, but also ends up ignoring and all but avoiding her until it is too late and his own creation kills her.
Frankenstein's constant indecisiveness, (while very human in nature) coupled with his refusal to seek aid or confide in others results in a lifelong battle with himself and his creation.
Who Is Really the Monster?
Interpretation itself seems a big point of intrigue for a good part of this story; Dr. Frankenstein' interpretation of the monster, the monster' interpretation of himself, the world's interpretation of the monster and his actions, and the family's interpretation of Dr. Frankenstein fanatical secrecy and deception; all play different roles in the story and really set up this constant theme of longing knowledge and clarity throughout the story for numerous characters; Even if the acquisition of clarity dooms those who receives it.
While the monster's actions are undeniably evil, ranging from theft to murder, he constantly makes it known that he is acting out of aggression or ignorance as a result of starting life hated by all who see him. He is assumed and treated as evil and thus, he becomes it. Dr. Frankenstein on the other hand starts out life privileged and is able to make the best out of most situations, having a great family to back him up along with numerous friends and associates of well repute; AND YET, it is Frankenstein who not only creates the monster, but chases it for the extent of its life simply for being ugly in appearance.
We may never know whether Frankenstein and his monster are the results of their environment or other unforeseen circumstances we can only guess at, all we can know for certain is the tragedy of one man's pursuit of knowledge, and how the misuse of such can have truly terrible consequences...
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