I am going to start off by saying that the ending of Frankenstein does not sit well with me. I could not see the ending coming and I in no way agree with it. I feel like Mary Shelley left room at the end just in case she wanted to add a sequel. Yes, I know that Victor is dead, but we never really know if the Creature is dead. It gives me that weird, I guess you could call it uncanny, feeling not knowing if the Creature really does die in the end. I think I feel this way because he is kind of human, yet kind of of supernatural in his abilities and obviously very dangerous. He takes on that character that I know is fictional, yet in the book is made to seem so real. Kind of creepy.
The Creature says, “I shall die. I shall no longer feel the agonies which now consume me, or be prey of the feelings unsatisfied, yet unquenched.” (pg 155) He says he is going to die, but I am sure eventually he will. That does not mean he is going to die rigt now. Then he brings up that his feelings throughout the book, the feelings that drove him to murder innocent people and kill his creator, are still unsatisfied. This says to me that he still has these feelings. Yes, Victor, his creator is dead and he was the only seemingly knowing person in how to make another creature come alive, but he may find another. We cannot trust the creature that he is going to go off and never see another human again and he will die.
Why did Walton let the creature live? He could have very easily seized he opportunity given when he was alone in the room with the Creature. The Creature seemed to be pretty distracted by Victor’s death. All Walton would have had to do was to seize this opportunity. He should have listened to Victor when Victor said, “He (the Creature) shewed unparalleled malignity and selfishness, in evil: he destroyed my friends, he devoted to destruction being who possessed exquisite sensations, happiness, and wisdom; nor do I know where this thirst for vengeance might end.” (pg 151) Even Victor on his death bed is not convinced that the Creature will stop killing and being evil once Victor dies. Why did Walton believe the Creature? Even after knowing everything he knows about this Creature and how evil it is, he still believes it and lets it live. I think this was a terrible choice and the book ends with me wondering and leaving a feeling of uneasiness. It is a Gothic novel so I guess I should expect these feelings at the end and throughout the book. I felt uneasy about the Creature throughout the book, but I guess I always just assumed that at one point he would be killed or I would somehow know that he was dead and gone forever. Neither of these happened and it bothers me. Shelly really gave this novel a very Gothic, uncanny feeling, especially the ending, at least for me.
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I like how you comment on Walton's inability (or lack of desire?) to kill the Creature. I wonder if it's because Walton sees so much of himself in Frankenstein and realizes that he, too, could have pushed his scientific ambitions to such destructive lengths? I also wonder if perhaps maybe your analysis might have some cinematic influence to it? In so many films of the Frankenstein vein it often becomes the role of *Humanity* to destroy these sorts of monsters. In other words, we all have a responsibility to destroy "evil." Perhaps Mary Shelley is trying to do something a little more complicated?
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