Creator vs. Creature: The Central Conflict

The escalating antagonism between Victor Frankenstein and his creation, from abandonment to pursuit and mutual destruction.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

Abandonment and Rejection

The First Conflict Victor's Flight Victor abandons the monster the moment it comes to life. He runs away, unable to bear the sight. This rejection is the root of the conflict. The monster, left alone and confused, must fend for himself in a hostile world. The Monster's Search for Understanding When the monster later confronts Victor, he recounts his suffering and pleads for a chance at companionship. Victor refuses, seeing only a monster. Their first direct confrontation sets the pattern of hatred and misunderstanding. The Inevitable Antagonism The conflict deepens with each death. Victor blames the monster, and the monster blames Victor. Each sees the other as the cause of his misery. The central conflict is a tragic cycle of revenge that neither can escape.

The Final Pursuit

A Deadly Game The Hunt Victor pursues the monster across Europe and into the Arctic. The monster taunts him, leaving clues and inscriptions. Both are driven by obsession: Victor by revenge, the monster by the need to escape and inflict pain. The Confrontation at the Pole Victor nearly catches the monster, but the ice intervenes. They are separated by a cracking sea. Victor is rescued by Walton, while the monster escapes. The conflict is left unresolved until Victor's death. The Aftermath After Victor dies, the monster appears and expresses remorse. He admits that he was a slave to his own impulses. The conflict ends not with victory, but with mutual destruction. The monster chooses to die, ending the cycle.

Immediately after the monster's creation

After Elizabeth's death, across the globe