Examples Of Equality In Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein tells the tale of a man whose entire life turns to misery after creating what he calls a monster, a demon and a fiend. However, the real monster in this story is pride and the feeling of superiority. This is evident in the novel with Robert Walton’s view of himself and his expedition, Victor Frankenstein’s attitude towards himself in comparison with the creature, and mankind’s perception of the creature and their ignorance towards him.

"A Hermit is simply a person to whom society has failed to adjust itself." (Will Cuppy). In the gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley we follow the life of Victor Frankenstein in 18th century Germany. Shelley displays a recurring theme of isolation and how it drives once good people to do terrible things. If civilization does not adjust itself to a creature of any kind they will be forced into isolation and ultimately self destruction.

Every work is a product of its time. Indeed, we see that in Frankenstein, like in the world which produced its author, race, or the outward appearances on which that construct is based, determines much of the treatment received by those at all levels of its hierarchy. Within the work, Mary Shelley, its author, not only presents a racialized view of its characters, but further establishes and enforces the racial hierarchy present and known to her in her own world. For the few non-European characters, their appearance, and thus their standing in its related hierarchy, defines their entrances into the narrative. For the Creature, this occurs on the ices of the Artic, when, “atop a low carriage, fixed on a sledge and drawn by dogs, pass on towards the north, at the distance of half a mile;” Walton and his men perceived, “a being which had the shape of a man, but apparently of gigantic stature.” (Shelley 13) Shelley clarifies, even this early in her novel, the race of its principal Other as soon after the intrepid adventurers rescue its namesake, Victor Frankenstein, who, Shelley clarifies, “was not, as the other traveller seemed to be, a savage inhabitant of some undiscovered island, but an European.” (Shelley 14) Later, closer examination of the Creature reveals a visage and figure of near unimaginable disfigurement, with a “shrivelled complexion,” and yellow skin which “scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath.” (Shelley 35) This could be contrasted directly

Mary Shelley’s story of internal turmoil, the cruelty of altering the laws of nature, and the consequences of redefining the laws of nature is a harrowing one, known widely by many audiences, yet it is never the nature of the characters that is discussed, only the outcome. Shelley’s deliberate use of different character foils portrays the deeper connections and themes in her 1818 novel, Frankenstein. The creation and presence of Frankenstein’s monster directly foils the character of Victor Frankenstein himself, illustrating overarching themes of self inflicted isolation and internal conflict, exposing the dangers and consequences of complete and total narcissism, and revealing a truth many still refuse to accept: we, as humans, are capable

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the author portrays various aspects of human nature and societal norms through the characters and their actions. Although the characters conform to these norms, some of them question inwardly-particularly Victor Frankenstein.

The topic of appearance and judgment is greatly exemplified in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein as it becomes apparent that

The monster was always judged on the way he looked which made him the outcast because he was not normal in the human’s eyes. By using this in depth character interplay, Shelley further expands upon the monster archetype and allows the reader to question who truly is the monster inside of Frankenstein.

    The creature's ambiguous humanity has long puzzled readers of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. In this essay I will focus on how Frankenstein can be used to explore two philosophical topics, social contract theory, and gender roles, in light of ideas from Shelley's two philosophical parents, William Godwin, and Mary Wollstonecraft.

Mary Shelley’s exemplification of various characters in Frankenstein is a reflection of social norms of the time. This is ever so evident through the character of the creature, as society’s disgust with him reflects society’s aspiration in customs. This rejection of the creature also reflects Shelley’s own society as they start rejecting the Enlightenment’s pursuit of knowledge after the age of Romanticism

Over the years, the monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has become universally portrayed in one way: a tall, green-skinned, dumb brute with no language or reasoning abilities. Society has turned the story of Frankenstein into a mere horror story, dehumanizing the monster more than was intended in Shelley’s novel. However, the message of Frankenstein is a far cry from the freak show displayed by the media. While many people may only see Frankenstein as a grotesque story meant to thrill its audience, its purpose goes much deeper as it advocates for the equal rights of women in society.

   Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a commentary on the natural disposition of man. By personifying her vision of a natural everyman character in the form of Victor Frankenstein's creation, The Creature, Shelley explores the natural state as well as the moral development of man, and develops conclusions regarding both. But before Shelley could create her commentary on man's natural dispositions, she was in need of a character to represent her "natural everyman." The character she needed had to possess the same qualities as that of a man in his most natural state.

Modern society values the pursuit of passion; it is generally regarded as worthwhile and beneficial. However, a fine line separates passion from obsession. “Passion” is an extravagant desire for something. By contrast, “obsession” carries more sinister connotations. Particularly, it occurs when a persistent desire dominates an individual’s reason. An impassioned mind easily becomes obsessive when the desire grows into an uncontrollable ambition. Moreover, absolute obsession can be dangerous; specifically, the fixation on a single idea can lead to impaired moral judgement. Victor Frankenstein kindles a passion for natural philosophy, devoting hours to study the works of famous alchemists. As the years pass, Victor’s curiosity in natural science becomes a seeming obsession, setting the stage for the disastrous outcomes in the novel. The tragedies that transpire in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are direct consequences of Victor’s obsessive pursuit in science, as demonstrated through his self-imposed isolation from society, the creature’s countless rejection, and the demise of Victor and his family. Therefore, Victor’s unbridled scientific ambition clearly illustrates the dangers of an obsessive mind and the horror it can bring upon.

In her nineteenth century novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley explores the characteristics of humanity, illuminates societal influences on development, and challenges the traditional biological definition of human through character developments and interactions. Particularly, she focuses on the characterization of the creature and his creator, pitting an ugly, malformed giant against an educated, dedicated scientist to establish a surprising conclusion. While the creature becomes fallen and corrupted through society, he retains the desire for companionship and emotional sensibility that he is born with; his duality makes him more human than Victor, who is born more monstrous.

“I don 't understand why society is so interested in speculating about my appearance, anyway. What does my face have to do with my music or my dancing?” (“Michael Jackson”). Michael Jackson was a very talented musician, known for his singing and dancing. However, most people only knew him for how he intentionally changed his appearance, rather than focusing on his incredible talent. In a society that often judges only what is on the outside, beauty trumps talent nearly every time; an aesthetic society makes average looking people impotent. In a society such as this, it becomes difficult for a person to find their identity in the world or to use their talents for better. In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, it shows how difficult it is to avoid the negative consequences of corruption within a narcissistic society. For example, in Frankenstein, the monster was ostracized solely because of his appearance which was so wounding to him, that he lashed out against his tormentors. Mary Shelley’s novel reveals how the search for personal identity in a society focused on beauty can lead to tragedy through the use of a destructive Jungian shadow.

In most people’s minds as of today, there is no question to who the monster is in Mary Shelley’s book, Frankenstein. It is the creature that Viktor Frankenstein created, that murders innocent people. However, when looking beyond the appearance of the creature, it is evident that he did not begin as a monster. Mary Shelley analyzes fundamental and crucial issues in her novel in terms of being able to use science and knowledge for the good of people and not for the satisfaction of personal ambitions without even being able to take responsibility for that. It is also the novel of social rejection based on external looks and inability to accept. It was the extreme misconceptions of humans that resulted in the extreme isolation of Frankenstein’s