Throughout life one comes to realize that playing the role of God has horrible results. Victor Frankenstein is a young man in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein and plays the role of God throughout the entire book. Victor had a relatively good childhood, which can cause one to wonder why he became this way. He starts to think as if he is God when he excels in his studies in college. Throughout the novel, a common theme of self-centeredness continually arises. Victor becomes self-centered, thinking he is supreme in the sciences, and that he knows the secrets of life. These thoughts cause terrible events to happen to him and his family. Victor's act of playing the role of God brings him a horrible creation, death of the innocent, and madness of the mind. .
The first time Victor plays the role of God was with the creation of his human being, which turned out to be a complete horror to him. It all starts when Victor becomes fascinated with natural philosophy and chemistry. He begins to think of how an animal is provided with life. Victor says, "After days and nights of incredible labor and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter." Victor starts creating his human being, and works endlessly until one dreary night in November; his human being takes its first breath. After seeing his creature Victor says, "How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe?"1 He becomes self-centered and thinks he knows everything. Victor plays the role of God by creating a horrible monster. Now he has to face the devastating results of his long awaited toils. .
Again Victor plays the role of God when the death of his brother, William, occurs. Victor reads of his brother's death through a letter from his father, and travels back home. He is very troubled by his brother's death and when he nears his home, he stops to watch a lightning storm.