In Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein's behavior becomes increasingly grotesque in the period leading up to the monster's creation. When he leaves for Ingolstadt University he is healthy, sane and optimistic. However, as his search continues, his mentality and appearance decline and his behavior becomes increasingly obsessive and revolting. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Frankenstein's anomalous behavior begins with his obsession with science. Frankenstein explains that science fueled him with an ardor unmatched by any other interest because "in scientific research there is continuous food for discovery and wonder." This "supernatural enthusiasm" leads to sleepless nights spent poring over scientific tomes. Frankenstein begins to neglect his family and, having academically surpassed his professors Krempe and Waldman, his teachers. This link between the search for knowledge and isolation is one that Walton himself feels. The more Frankenstein knows, the fewer people there are who can empathize with him. This inevitably results in isolation, leading to a loss of contact with society and, consequently, with social norms and accepted ways of behavior. Frankstein's obsession in these chapters leads him to spend time dismantling corpses and in ossuaries. He exhumes bodies in search of the secret of life. He states that his "father had taken the utmost precautions that [his] mind should not be impressed by any supernatural superstition"; as a result, Frankenstein was not afraid of spending his nights among the dead. Nor was he apparently affected by the vile scenes he witnessed, as when he "saw the corruption of death succeed the flowery cheek of life." As his ambition grows, so does Frankenstein's sense of power and desire. For him, life and death are "limits that I should first cross." Frankenstein believes he has discovered the role of God, instilling life where there was none before. He calls himself "the creator" of this new species and says that "no father could claim the gratitude of his son so completely as I should deserve it." This abject rejection of religion is another stage in Frankenstein's descent. In his isolated world, he sees himself as a God among his creations. This shows that Frankenstein completely ignored any negative repercussions of his experiments; this fantasy almost entirely sustains his spirit. Likewise, he states that “All the steps through which I had been progressively led to [my goal] were erased and I saw only the result.” If the outcome is good, Frankenstein believes, the morality or immorality of previous actions is irrelevant. Frankenstein's behavior harms him physically and mentally. In one of the final passages before the monster's creation, we see Frankenstein's life seeming to fade away: "my cheeks had grown pale from study, and my person had grown emaciated from confinement." His addiction consumes every hour of his time: he has "lost all his soul and sensations if not for this one pursuit." With this descent in mind, the reader can now understand why Frankenstein reacts the way he does to the sudden animation of the monster. There are a number of reasons. First, the monster's appearance would be the scariest. Frankenstein wanted the monster to be beautiful, but instead, he looked terrifying, with yellow skin, milky white eyes, and black lips. This, combined with the monster's convulsive movements, would be enough to cause a strong and instinctive panic.