Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor spends a large portion of his college career creating a human being which he intended to bring to life. Victor shares this story with his new friend, Robert, but focuses very little on the actual creation of the monster. As soon as the monster comes to life, Victor recalls, “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room” (Shelley 35). By speaking of the creation in such a brief manner, Shelley is able to convey a sense of understatement. The resurrection of the corpse seemed to happen much faster than Victor had expected, which caused him to regret his work immediately.  This understatement also implies that the creation of the monster is not the focus of Victor’s story. The monster is assembled and given life very early in the novel, which further proves that there will be a greater message to the story.  Victor’s understatement of his success in reaching his goal also implies how upset he is with his creation. The second the monster breathes life, Victor is ashamed of the work he has done and find no honor in creating a living human being.  Victor continues his story talking about more important ways in which the monster ends up affecting his life.