Destructive Consequences of Single Minded Obsessions in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
No doubt the destructive consequences of single minded obsessions are the heart of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Because the whole novel is about the very state of the mind of Frankenstein, which is completely filled with the thoughts of only one particular thing of single mind which gives the destructive consequences at last because of his single minded obsessions.
The protagonist of the novel is Victor Frankenstein. He is single minded guided character who is seeking, about the scientific technological knowledge. His mind is filled with only one particular thought of investing new scientific achievements. He spends so many days seeking his target.
He collects the parts of dead bodies and tries to create the monster out of it. His only aim is investing the new kind of scientific creature. So he doesn't think more than that. He even forgets to remember about what consequences it will take if he become able to create it. He is blind in his target or aim and goes on to create the monster. And after the long course of his labor at last Victor becomes able to create the monster according to his excess desires of doing it. In the secrecy of his apartment, he brings to his creation into life. But when he looked into the creature the sight horrifies even to himself.
But the important aspect is that as soon as Victor Frankenstein invents the monster he looses his own control over it. It moves here and there and creates havoc (destructive and disordered situation) all over the country. Victor knows that his own brother was killed by the same monster which was created by himself. So he felt that his own family member is killed by his own invention. Which was single minded obsession.
Not only that Victor commits another mistake due to his single minded concept. When the monster requests him to create another monster he couldn't refuse it at first and creates another monster. But at last he destroys his second invention himself. It becomes another cause of the destruction of his own wife on the right day of his honeymoon. An innocent heroine has been cruelly killed by the monster as a revenge by destroying the mate of previous monster.
In this way one after another Victor becomes the victim of his own creation. He gets only destructive consequences out of his own invention. Mary Shelley by presenting the interesting gothic story of the novel is trying to say that thoughtlessness causes destruction to themselves. Victor Frankenstein is the thoughtless protagonist. He is running after the only one aim of his scientific interest without thinking it properly. He didn't care about the consequences of his creation before creating the monster. Because he was guided by his single minded obsession. As a result, he could not keep his own invention into the track. It is a very symbolic presentation of modern scientific and technological development. At this point Shelley tries to show that modern science and technology is growing in such a way that has not taken care about any kind of results that will take in the future. If this sort of over focus on only reason, mind and quest in technology will go on, one day it will be out of control and the situation will be no more different than that of Victor Frankenstein.
Thus, there should be serious consciousness behind any kind of scientific and technological development. There should be communicative mixture among all. Only one minded things and inventions may result in destruction. There lies some certain limitation of human capacity in every field. If we only gave the focus on the scientific and technological development without thinking seriously about the consequences at any time our condition may be like as the Victor's condition in the novel. Therefore the destructive consequences of single-minded obsessions are the heart of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein mainly regarding with the scientific and technological world.
