In Mary Shelley's novel "Frankenstein," Victor Frankenstein is primarily motivated by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a desire for glory and achievement. While Elizabeth Lavenza represents compassion, nurturing, and a more traditional view of love and family, Victor's motivations are driven by ambition and the pursuit of scientific discovery.
He is consumed by the desire to unlock the secrets of life and death, leading him to create the Creature. This quest for knowledge ultimately blinds him to the ethical implications of his actions and the impact on his loved ones. Victor's scientific obsession and his need to prove himself overshadow personal relationships, whereas Elizabeth embodies a more emotionally grounded perspective. Thus, the central contrast lies in Victor's fixation on ambition and discovery versus Elizabeth's motivation driven by love and human connection.