Victor Frankenstein asks Reddit: AITA?

r/AmItheAsshole * Posted by u/doomedbyfate 1 hour ago

AITA for bringing a creature to life and then abandoning him, resulting in him vowing revenge and murdering a bunch of people?

I (20ish M) grew up in Geneva. My mother died when I was young, and her greatest wish was for me to marry Elizabeth, my adopted “cousin.” When I went off to college to study sciences, I discovered the secret to bestowing life. I can’t tell you how I did it, and when you read my story you’ll understand why. I decided to experiment on corpses, and I chose extra large dead people to work with, because I figured that would be easier. But when my experiment awoke, it was so repulsive, I couldn’t believe what I had done. I admit that creating it was a mistake, and I was scared, so I ran away from it. I got physically ill because the thing was so ugly, and my good friend Henry, who just happened to track me down at school, had to nurse me back to health. Fortunately, while this was happening, the creature just up and left. That was a relief.

By the time I got back to Geneva, though, my little brother William had been murdered. Even though our servant Justine was accused of the crime, I knew that the creature had done it. I couldn’t say that though, right? I mean, who would have believed me? Also, I would have looked bad. So I was really depressed when they hanged her. Why does everything happen to me? First, this creature I created turns out to be ugly, then my brother is murdered, then our servant is hanged for it, and I’m standing here helpless this whole time. Fate really did a number on me, that’s for sure.

But wait, it gets worse. I went to the mountains to relax, and that THING found me! He gave me a sob story about being abandoned by his creator, and about being hideous. I mean, it’s alright for him to be ugly, the rest of us have to look at him, for heaven’s sake. Turns out he learned to speak and read while spying on a family that lived in a cottage. He thought maybe they could be his friends (the father was blind), but once the son saw him, they drove him away and abandoned their home, and who can blame them? So this creature tells me I’m responsible for his loneliness and asks me to make him a mate. I was certainly in a tight spot, so I considered doing it. When it came down to it, though, I had too much moral fiber to unleash another monster on the world, so I destroyed my work. Now this thing is in the process of tracking down everyone I love and murdering them.

So, Reddit, AITA?

TLDNR; I created a sentient being and abandoned it. Now it’s killing people. Note: You can read the full manuscript of my story here.

toughlove: Dude, without a doubt YTA. You created a giant, intelligent being and then let it loose to kill people. In what world are you NTA?

gothgirl: It’s worse than that, he talks about being doomed by fate. He’s not taking any responsibility for his actions at all. He stood around and watched Justine get convicted and hanged without even trying to save her. Then he talks about how much he is suffering. Have you read his manuscript? He says, “The tortures of the accused did not equal mine; she was sustained by innocence, but the fangs of remorse tore my bosom, and would not forego their hold.”  Ugh! You created this thing, you are responsible for it! YTA

toughlove: “Desitiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction.” Yeah, the guy is definitely delusional.

aholeslayer: Are we sure this is true? I saw a similar item cross posted on r/ghoststories. I smell troll.

gothgirl: I have no doubt it’s true. I went to college with guys like this. Think they can just bring something to life and abandon it and not take responsibility.

toughlove: Also this quote, “Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by such slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity and ruin.”

gothgirl: So true. He was bound to prosperity by nature of his birth. He had every advantage in life and now he’s bitching about how “fate” screwed him over.

softhearted: OMG, what about that poor creature? What will become of it? He was alone and scared and had to learn everything on his own without a mother or father. What is going to happen to him? Verdict, YTA.

truthspeaker: This may be an unpopular position, but let’s not forget the creature murdered a child and is vowing to kill again. I agree OP is the bigger asshole, but I’m gonna have to say ESH.

softhearted: If you release a wild animal and it kills people, is the animal to blame? The creature never had anyone to teach it right from wrong.

truthspeaker: According to OP, the creatures said, “I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity: but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather from your fellow-creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me.” That he says he was once benevolent shows that he knows right from wrong. ESH

softhearted: I disagree. If  he did once know right from wrong, he was driven mad when he was rejected by his creator and by society. We can’t judge his experience.

classclown: #creaturelivesmatter

moralscientist: YTA, but not just because you rejected your creation and it killed people; did you ever consider the ethics of this situation? You decided to play God without weighing the consequences of those actions. According to your manuscript, you want to destroy the creature, but that’s because you want revenge, not because you realize that the entire experiment was unethical. You should be reported to the scientific community and the dean, college boy. YTA

anarchist: Not to mention, this creature is so intelligent it learned to speak like an Oxford don basically by eavesdropping and reading a few books. Who bestows that kind of intelligence and then cuts it loose to murder and destroy? Besides God himself, I mean.

inquisitor: Info please: What’s the deal with this adoptive “cousin” of yours? Why did you even mention her in your description?

doomedbyfate: My parents adopted Elizabeth when I was 5 years old. They sort of raised her as my sister, but they always intended that I’d marry her. I brought it up because when the creature vowed revenge on me, he said he’d be with my on my wedding night. I figure he intends to murder me then, just as I’m ready to start a happy marriage.

classclown: Your parents adopted a sister for you to marry? That’s messed up.

inquisitor: Um, OP, are you completely self-absorbed? Has it even occurred to you that the creature might be planning to murder Elizabeth? Get over yourself for a second and start thinking about somebody else for a change!

doomedbyfate: You think he might want to kill Elizabeth? But I’m the one he hates. . .oh, shit.

inquisitor: BTW, YTA.