In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, why is Victor compared to a new Prometheus?

One reason that Victor Frankenstein is compared to the Titan, Prometheus, is that Prometheus saved humankind in many ways.  In one story, his brother, Epimetheus (a name that means "afterthought") created animals first and gave away all the good qualities: razor-sharp teeth and claws went to the animals as did thick hides to protect them.  By the time he got to humans, there were no such qualities left.  Prometheus stepped in to help his brother...

One reason that Victor Frankenstein is compared to the Titan, Prometheus, is that Prometheus saved humankind in many ways.  In one story, his brother, Epimetheus (a name that means "afterthought") created animals first and gave away all the good qualities: razor-sharp teeth and claws went to the animals as did thick hides to protect them.  By the time he got to humans, there were no such qualities left.  Prometheus stepped in to help his brother and made us walk upright, like the gods, and he also gave us fire to keep us warm and cook our food (in other words, to allow us to live and prosper). 


Like Prometheus, Victor tries to improve our chances of survival by attempting experiments with the goal of making humans invulnerable to disease or anything but a violent death.  Later, when his creature becomes violent, Victor refuses him a mate, exercising forethought and putting his concern for the human race ahead of his own safety.  "Prometheus" means forethought. 


Moreover, when Prometheus refused to obey Zeus, the younger king of Olympus chained Prometheus to a mountain and allowed an eagle to eat away at his liver each day.  Likewise, when Victor refused to obey his "offspring," the monster attempts to isolate him and render him as miserable as the creature feels himself to be: Victor is persecuted by the younger generation for trying to do the right thing, just as Prometheus had been.

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