Frankenstein=Monster

It seems kind of ironic to me that most people think the name of the monster is Frankenstein, since in the book they actually end up being so similar. In my opinion, the monster is more of a mirror through which Frankenstein sees himself, or even a physical manifestation of some of his less enviable attributes. From the beginning Frankenstein is proud and selfish, as is evidenced by the natural philosophers who first catch his fancy. They are all men who seek grandiose findings, such as the elixir of life, and Frankenstein seems more entranced by the accolades such a discovery would garner rather than the actual scientific process which might go into finding them. Even though he later finds his former idols to have been proven wrong he carries the spirit of their endeavors with him into his actual scientific research. In addition to his pride Frankenstein proves to be relentlessly selfish throughout the novel, especially with regards to his family. He leaves Elizabeth, the woman whom he supposedly loves for years at a time, and while she patiently waits for him at home and agonizes over his absence he barely thinks about her at all and writes every once in a while when hes not feeling too lazy. The monster exhibits these very same, with his pride in the rapid learning he achieves which ultimately contributes to his own downfall, and his selfishness in the lives he sacrifices to make himself feel better.
In the end these traits combine to destroy Frankenstein, both mentally and physically. His guilt and shame eat away at his mind until in the end he is barely sane, and the monster destroys everything in the real world who he knows and loves.