The Trial of Frankenstein

By Rolando José Olivo

Surprisingly, after their deaths, Victor Frankenstein and Frankenstein's creature or the monster are in the afterlife, where each one reflects on the mistakes made in the past life, being overwhelmed by unbearable regrets, which precede the final judgment. However, the monster, now known as Mr. Frankenstein, devised a brilliant strategy to postpone or permanently avoid this trial. In this regard, he convinces his creator to accompany him to hell and look for Henry Clerval.

The descent into the underworld is painful and traumatic. Although there are slim chances of evading the heavenly judgment, it is almost certain that they cannot get out of there or must return to face that trial, without presumption of innocence, and then go to a worse place in the hell. Although they meet Alphonse Frankenstein, who tells about his relationship with a secret society, aspirations about the future of his family and his secret participation in the Frankenstein project. In addition, they meet the owner of the underworld, who presents a strange proposal, but they must face him to regain their freedom, and no one has been able to defeat him in his world. Nonetheless, this demon has underestimated the great Victor Frankenstein, who knew how to defeat him, escape from hell, and return to start this trial, in which Victor Frankenstein and the so-called Mr. Frankenstein are judged.

In this trial, there are six charges against Victor Frankenstein, mainly for creating life in an unauthorized manner and being responsible for the creature's crimes. While four charges remain against Mr. Frankenstein, accused of several murders and causing other deaths. However, this is an atypical trial: each one accuses the other and the chances that both will be acquitted or sentenced with minor penalties are slim. Obviously, in the afterlife, Victor Frankenstein and Frankenstein's creature or the monster must respond for their serious faults...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rolando José Olivo
• Release date: May 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215087176

Rolando José Olivo

[e-mail] Instagram: @rolandojolivo Systems Engineer with 3 postgraduate degrees: Master's Degree in Applied Economics, Diploma in General Management and Specialization in Management of Social Programs (Summa Cum Laude). Work experience in companies in the oil sector, occupying these positions: Planning and Logistics Manager, Project Coordinator, Financial Advisor and Consultant. Consultant in the economic and financial area. Writer of books on economics, management, self-help, novels and Christianity, among others.

Book preview

The Trial of Frankenstein

Copyright © Rolando José Olivo, 2023.

ISBN 979-821-50-8717-6.

Seventh Edition.

USA: Smashwords, Inc., 2023.

Science fiction and fantasy novel.

Note: The following characters are in the public domain: Victor Frankenstein, Frankenstein's creature or the monster, the female of Frankenstein's monster, Alphonse Frankenstein, Caroline Beaufort, William Frankenstein, Ernest Frankenstein, Henry Clerval, Elizabeth Lavenza, Justine Moritz, Captain Robert Walton, Margaret Saville, Felix, Agatha, their father, Mr. De Lacey, Safie and his father (the Turk), etc. These appeared in the novel Frankenstein, also called Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus, published by Mary Shelley (1818). While the King Midas is also a character in the public domain.

First published in Spanish: El juicio a Frankenstein (2023).

Translated by Rolando José Olivo.

Additionally, the images of the cover are in the public domain (available in Pixabay.com).

1. Frankenstein, 2017:

https://pixabay.com/es/vectors/frankenstein-2026738/

2. Hell, purgatory and heaven with stairs, 2015:

https://pixabay.com/es/illustrations/infierno-purgatorio-cielo-escalera-735995/

3. Old man climbing heaven's stairs, 2020:

https://pixabay.com/es/illustrations/hombre-escalera-cielo-anciano-5640540/

CONTENT

1. The reflections of Victor Frankenstein

2. The revelations of Mr. Frankenstein

3. The traumatic descent into hell

4. The possible victory of Mr. Frankenstein

5. The escape from hell

6. The accusations against Victor Frankenstein

7. The accusations against Mr. Frankenstein

8. The start of the trial

9. The continuation of the trial

10. The conclusion of the trial

1. The reflections of Victor Frankenstein

This time the Captain Robert Walton will not tell the story. Dr. Victor Frankenstein is speaking and I assume the responsibility for the mistakes that I have made in the past. How sorry I am for the harm I have done to so many people! I never imagined that my experiment would get out of control! Nor did I think that by leaving this horrendous creature free to its fate, it would rebel against me and humanity. I insist, I made big mistakes, one after another, which I will explain, and I never had the humility to rectify and correct my faults. I was very conceited, arrogant and proud. I believed that I was a genius, who knew everything, and considered myself as a gifted man, smarter than the others, who was going to change the course of human civilization, by revealing the secrets of life and granting immortality to human beings. I even considered myself as a demigod or a new god! Who was going to rule over life and death… Likewise, I thought ethics was a matter for the foolish and ignorant. Proceeding in this way and endowed with great intelligence and extraordinary abilities, I created a new living being, almost immortal. Of course, the events were disastrous. That was my first mistake! The human beings must not play with the delicate process of life neither create other species, nor become immortal...

What were my next big mistakes?

The second was to leave this creature free to its fate. I recognize that it suffered too much, and that is why he hated me so much, undertaking a terrible revenge against me and my dear relatives. If I had realized this, I might not have created it! And in case of creating him, despite its terrible appearance, I have had to assume my responsibility, and treat him as an affectionate father cares for his beloved children. Possibly, if I had treated him well, the story would have been different, avoiding great misfortunes.

Although Frankenstein's monster is not a human being and I am not sure how to define him, because he was a living being, with rights and needs, very similar to human beings. For this reason, I don´t know whether to consider him human or superhuman, but deep down, he has his heart and a kind side, which he demonstrated by helping a family of peasants, who were unjustly exiled from France, and he was respectful when he saw my corpse, being sad. He even shed tears! In the end, he was so sorry that he didn´t act violently against the Captain Walton and his crew.

I repeat, my second big mistake was letting him go free, which allowed him to run away and learn the harsh realities of life, by his own account, instead of having a loving father, who would have cared, instructed and protected him. How foolish and irresponsible I was! It was unfair for him to appear alone before those peasants, who ended up rejecting him because of his monstrous appearance.

In the same way, in the forest, this gigantic creature ate, learned to make fire, and in principle, he was grateful for at least having food and shelter. Later, this monster spied on the aforementioned family of peasants (who were convicted for the escape of the Turk in France), learning in a few months what humans would understand and mature in several years. Of course, his intelligence is outstanding! He learned to speak, write and read, and gained much knowledge about humanity (history, politics, geography, law, philosophy, religions, social classes, biology, etc.). And I insist again that I am guilty of not educating him, since with that superhuman intelligence, it would have been very easy for me to instruct and teach him to be a useful citizen.

At first, the monster could not understand why this family, which had food and shelter, was so unhappy. Later, he realized that they lived in poverty, affected by the way they were punished by society, and understood their main needs and problems, also complaining about his terrible situation: why was he created so ugly? Why is he treated worse than Adam or Lucifer (even they had partners, rights and even a name)? Why can´t he integrate or be accepted by the human race? Why can´t he relate to human beings, be appreciated and loved by them?

After arduous reflections, since it seems that here time is infinite, I came to the conclusion that the mistreated and long-suffering Frankenstein's monster has the same needs of human beings. As he watched over that family of peasants, he carefully analyzed them and understood their behaviors, desires, motivations and wishes, in a mimetic way, and at the same time, those needs were transferred to him. Despite the fact that he possesses a great strength, a superhuman intelligence and is almost immortal, he realized that human beings are very privileged, who paradoxically do not feel satisfied with everything they have in life.

In this regard, people have biological needs: they need to eat, rest, sleep, reproduce, etc. However, the creature didn´t eat as well as humans, who are experts in preparing tasty and nutritious food, nor did him have a good place to live, rest and sleep. He understood that food and lodging needs are not so trivial, and require great comforts, like those that humans have developed after thousands of years of existence. He also complained because he could not have children.

In addition, human beings develop in a society that gives them opportunities to excel and have a life different from the monotonous existence that characterizes animals. We can work, engage in interesting and challenging activities, accumulate possessions, have money and fun. While the monster could not integrate into the human world neither work, or enjoy property rights. Rather, he had to live in hiding because he would be persecuted by unscrupulous people, who would try to kill him, or have him locked in a cage to perform all kind of experiments.

Likewise, human beings are sociable, they need the affection of others, relate and identify with groups (family, institutions, the Church, corporations and the nation). Unfortunately, the monster could not deal or integrate with human society.

In addition to this, as a consequence of the previous needs, human beings seek some recognition from others, achieving trust, respect and success. Obviously, the monster, even if he tried, could not generate trust, it was extremely difficult for him to be respected (fear and rejection against this creature would always prevail, as it happened to me), and due to the absence of opportunities, he could not be successful neither appreciated by humans.

And finally, there are powerful needs for self-actualization and transcendence, which give meaning to human life, with a wonderfully creative and motivating effect, which gives us hope about how to perform in this life and the next one... Frankenstein's monster has some qualities to be creative, innovative, successful, solve inconceivable problems and succeed, even directing his life towards a spiritual and religious level (even he learned about religions when spying the peasants), but, once again, human society denies him those precious opportunities.

So, what can be expected from Frankenstein's creature? How can a thinking, rational and emotional living being deal with so much suffering, emotional and physical deprivation? The aforementioned conditions, exacerbated by my negligence in abandoning and failing to educate my son, who is not guilty of coming to this world, made him an extremely resentful and bitter person, who executed his revenge against me. Several of my loved ones were harmed, who were not guilty of my idiocy or the situation of this beast.

Now, if I hadn´t left the monster free and educated him, maybe I would have been able to control him, because when I talked to that creature, in that remote place (valley of Chamounix), he recognized me as his father and creator, showing certain respect and looking for a way to make peace with me and humanity, and at the same time, hoping to solve, in part, the problem of his sad existence. But, I was extremely upset, shocked and deeply affected because this beast murdered my precious little brother, William Frankenstein, and is also guilty of the execution of the poor and innocent Justine Moritz, by planting false evidence in her pocket.

I repeat, if I had not made the big mistake of letting the monster go free and not educating him, then probably my brother, William Frankenstein, Justine Moritz, my great friend, Henry Clerval, my wife, Elizabeth Lavenza, and my long-suffering father, Alphonse Frankenstein, would have continued to enjoy a good and imperfect life.

Although there is a point in my favor: when the creature woke up, he was going to give me a colossal hug, and I could have died at that moment. That´s why I ran away. Given his ignorance, upon being born or having arrived in this unfair world, possibly he would have accidentally killed me. Nonetheless, considering these sad events, it would have been better to let the creature kill me and run. Later, when he grew up and matured, spying on the peasants, he would have realized his colossal mistake, perhaps he would have given up revenge against humanity, and would have retired to live in inhospitable lands for humans. However, I don´t know if the circumstances would have turned out that way, because it was also likely that he would had kidnapped my father and my friend, Henry Clerval, to force them to create the female monster. And since they would not have the ability to repeat my experiment, although they could make the attempts by reviewing my notes and enlisting the help of the creature, it is most