Internal Conflict

"Now all was blasted: instead of that serenity of conscience which allowed me to look back upon the past with self-satisfaction, and from thence to gather promise of new hopes, I was seized by remorse and the sense of guilt, which hurried me away to a hell of intense tortures, such as no language can describe." Pg. 61

     While working through the first eighty pages of this novel, I noticed the majority of the text contains content pertaining to Victor's recollection of his past and what has led him to the ship with Walton. When I was talking to friends about the book, one noted how the action of the story, including all that has led Frankenstein to the current point, could probably be summed up in nearly ten pages. Although I agree with that statement as it is unarguably true, I feel that the content of the novel remains as important as the actions. During these first twelve chapters, the reader becomes well-acquainted with the emotions Victor feels about his family, learning, and his creation of the monster. The internal conflict that becomes apparent in these self-examinations, especially his mental conflict over his ambition and its resultant misery, shows its significance when one considers the underlying themes throughout the book. Some themes glare conspicuously above others when one sympathizes with Victor's internal conflict, such as the role of destiny in his fate, or the inevitability of guilt stemming from his neglect of the creature. When considering these topics, the internal conflict becomes much more relevant and crucial to the novel as a whole. The internal conflict also compliments the external conflict between the creature and Victor well. While he thinks of the creature as a fiend and a demon, Frankenstein must also consider how he himself has become a fiend to himself.