What Does Victor’s Father Think Is The Cause Of Victor’s Present Anxiety?

Unraveling the Mind of Victor’s Father

In the timeless tapestry of Mary Shelley’s gothic masterpiece, “Frankenstein,” the characters are wrestled with questions of creation, responsibility, and the complexities of the human psyche. Amid the chilling narrative of Victor Frankenstein’s perilous journey, one subplot that often tickles the reader’s curiosity arises from the concern of Victor’s father. What does he believe is the root cause of his son’s visible anxiety and overall tumultuous state? Let’s delve into this enigma, peeling back layers of 19th-century existential thought, stitched firmly with parental worry.

A Father’s Perspective: More Than Just A Nightly Fever

Victor’s father, Alphonse Frankenstein, stands as a beacon of reason and stability in the tempest that is Victor’s life. Unlike Victor, who is often lost in the maelan of his creations and ambitions, Alphonse embodies the rational, grounded spirit of the age, a stark contrast to his son’s obsessive character. When the signs of Victor’s distress become apparent, Alphonse’s explanations skew towards the tangible and practical rather than the psychological or the profound. From his vantage point, several factors might be at the helm of the crisis:

1. The Weight of Academia: Alphonse considers the possibility that Victor’s relentless pursuit of knowledge – akin to chasing a will-o’-the-wisp through dense forests of academia – might be the culprit. The old man reckons that his son’s voracious appetite for the sciences, coupled with the rigorous demands of his studies, could indeed frazzle any sturdy mind.

2. Illness and Overexertion: Like a true man of his era, Alphonse attributes part of Victor’s woes to a possible physical ailment, likely exacerbated by overexertion. One might nod in agreement, considering the era’s limited understanding of mental health. In his mind, a stitch in time — in the form of rest and respite — might just save nine, pulling Victor back from the brink.

3. A Shadow of Grief: It’s no secret that the Frankensteins’ have had their share of grief, what with the family grappling with the loss of loved ones. This, Alphonse postulates, might be a thorn in Victor’s side, a spectral hand weighing down on his spirits. Alphonse’s train of thought chugs along these tracks, possibly underestimating the complex, darker truths lurking in Victor’s psyche.

The Heart of the Matter

Yet, the heart of the matter lies beneath layers that Alphonse’s rational mind possibly cannot fathom. Victor’s anxiety, his torment, is not merely a symptom of academic stress, physical ailment, or even grief in its purest form. It is a maelstrom brewed from the reckoning with his own creation, a Pandora’s box of ethical and existential dilemmas that Victor, in his hubris, flung open. Alphonse’s rational explanations, though well-meaning, gloss over the profound darkness of Victor’s undertaking and the resulting torment that consumes him.

In Conclusion

While Alphonse Frankenstein places his bets on the tangible and the visible — the academic pressures, the possible physical ailments, and the shadows of grief — the true cause of Victor’s anxiety is a complex weave of guilt, ethical turmoil, and the consequences of defying the natural order. Victor’s journey is a cautionary tale, a somber ballad that questions the very essence of creation, responsibility, and the limits of human ambition. Through the lens of Alphonse’s concerns, we’re offered a glimpse into the age-old clash between the rational and the profound, a reminder that sometimes, the heart of the matter lies beneath layers that only the soul can decipher.