Irony

There is a great deal of irony in the creation of the monster in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Whenever someone thinks about Frankenstein, they think of a mad scientist who made a man, or monster, out of bolts and human parts that came to life with electricity. We get the image that the scientist rejoiced greatly in bringing to life of the monster. Ironically though, the novel tells a different story. Once the monster, or man, was created, the creator was terrified of what he had done. After creating the monster, the man does not have feeling of rejoice, but rather feelings of needing to escape his brilliant creation. "I started from my sleep with horror; a cold dew covered my forehead, my teeth chattered and ever limb became convulsed: when by the dim and yellow light of the moon, as it forced its way through the window shutters, I beheld the wretch- the miserable monster whom I had created" (Shelley 35). Unlike in the story told around Halloween time, the creator never was joyed by his creation, only frightened by it. Ironically, the speaker became afraid of the thing that he had put all of his time and effort into creating. He continued to ask himself throughout the process if he could create the monster. But ironically, he never asked himself "Should I create the monster"?