The plot of the novel by Mary Shelley, is constructed on the conflict of heart and intellect. Victor Frankenstein faces the challenge of choice: to have a family or to have fame and recognition. He wants them all, but it is impossible. Therefore, he has to choose.
Detailed answer:
Victor Frankenstein, the protagonist of the story, is torn apart by two conflicting desires: to have a family and simple life, or to be recognized as a genius. That is the inner conflict that moves the plot forward: his heart strives for love and peace. But his mind is devoted to science. Victor had a family and a beloved woman; he lived in a luxurious residence but left it all to fulfill his ambitions. Still, his superior intellect makes Frankenstein too selfish to notice that he loses all humanness and hurts other people.
Victor goes too far in imagining him to be a God and creates a monster. Curiously, Victor Frankenstein’s creature is also driven by the same conflict. He is torn between the willingness to be loved and to get revenge. This scientific discovery of the protagonist leads to the sequence of horrendous events. He, his brother, and bride die at the hand of a monster. Frankenstein’s passion and power of will to reach the goal are worthy of respect. Mary Shelley puts it straight, that such hubris so characteristic of Victor could lead anyone to catastrophe.
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