Victor and the Creature: A Parallel Story

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor and the creature act as doubles. Although they are distant from each other at times, they act and feel the same. When Victor was sick after creating the creature, the creature seemed to struggle with life and felt unhappy. When Victor's health improved and his spirits rose, the same happened to the creature. When Victor destroy's the female creature, the creature vows to avenge his "bride" by killing Victor's bride. After Clerval's death, Victor hates himself. He enters a state of depression and only appears to be excited by the thought of marriage. The creature begins to abhor himself as well: "After the murder of Clerval, I returned to Switzerland, heartbroken and overcome. I pitied Frankenstein; my pity amounted to horror: I abhorred myself." (Shelley, 164). The creature then puts his mask on making himself appear that he is happy to murder Victor's friends. Furthermore, once Victor dies, the creature begins to feel his life beginning to disappear and expects himself to die soon. The story of Frankenstein is truly a story of parallel lives.