Man is a deleterious being, a poison to himself and upsets the very foundations of the world in which he inhabits. Left to bear the weight of our sins, we humans cannot deviate from this stubborn path, a byproduct of our mulish actions. Mary Shelly perfectly captures such an enigma with her magnum opus, Frankenstein. This still-relevant novel is set in a romantic society of the early 1800s, a time when Europe paralleled science and spiritualism. In it, mad scientist Victor Frankenstein grants himself the power of creation and gives life to a disease of society, a monster. Furor only follows such a ruthless soul, alone to face the battered world with innocent eyes. After a relentless damaging ban, the creature stares at the wrath brewing within it towards its God and its sworn enemies. It devastates Victor in a barrier-free barrage of tragedy, reducing the man to a solitude of his own devices. With a palpable hint via the subtitle, Shelly pays homage to the ancient legend of Prometheus, a Greek god who brazenly steals fire from Zeus and returns the favor. From this perspective, Victor Frankenstein can be considered "the modern Prometheus" because of his blatant disregard for consequences, his hidden ambition driven by desire, and his menacing pursuit of the secrets of nature. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Lacking proper consideration and thoughtful contemplation, only difficulties follow Victor's depraved efforts. Reflecting on such repercussions, our protagonist reflects, “how many things are we about to become acquainted with, if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain our inquiries” (36). This mindset of reckless determination, coupled with foolish underestimation, leads Victor down a disguised path of false entitlement. He throws prudence and ephemeral ethics and morality into oblivion, rejoicing in a possible future excluded by the actions undertaken to achieve it. All this comes to fruition after perceiving the abomination “that [he] had accomplished, the beauty of the dream disappeared, and horror and breathless disgust filled [his] heart” (42). Once the scales fall from his eyes, the illusory reality that is his present awakens him to the madness of his past. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, his reckless decisions result in a plethora of ruin and a crescendo of guilt. This unfortunate man is only a victim of his own wanton impulses, ignoring his conscience in favor of glory. Victor is addicted to the drug of knowledge, his curiosity exceeding obsession. After discovering how to give life, he was overcome by a confidence and “feelings that carried [him] forward, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success” (38). In this time, his ideals have been cemented and everyone is focused on the task at hand. The results set off a chain reaction, exponentially increasing the intensity of his fixation while deepening the chasm of isolation between him and society. As the day of reckoning approaches, Victor's nerves calm when “an irresistible and almost frenzied impulse pushed [him] forward; [he] seemed to have lost all soul or sensation without this one pursuit” (39). Eventually, the grip of his madness reached its climax, losing consciousness to an invincible hunger. Intellectual starvation eats him from the inside, a terminal dystrophy that torments the mind. All sense of reason falls on deaf ears of an obsessed apparition, whose only function is to decipher what lies beyond.