Duality In Frankenstein Essay

What is a monster, really? Is it really a Creature that has three eyes instead of two, with pus seeping out of every crevice in his face and an abnormally large form? Or is it someone with a mind so corrupt it rivals that of Satan? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a story within a story that centers on the tale of a man with an immense thirst of knowledge and a fetish to imitate the Creator. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a lot like the Greek mythological tale of the Greek God, Prometheus, and his brother, Epimetheus, who were assigned the task of creating man. The story captivates the theme of monstrosity. Mary Shelley wrote the novel in a form so the reader’s opinions never stray far from sympathy for the monster and apathy for Victor

In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the character Victor Frankenstein illustrates betrayal in the way he abandons his creation, with no hesitation he leaves him behind. With the feeling of abandonment ,the creature feels anger towards Victor which leads the “monster” to become a villain. Love and family are all the monster wants, but it is something that Victor could not give due to his own internal battles. As result, the monster begins to take Victor’s loved ones such as: little William and his wife Elizabeth. The monster kills

"It was dark when I awoke; I felt cold also, and half-frightened as it were instinctively, finding myself so desolate" (Shelley 68) For the monster it is the constant rejection and its abandonment by Frankenstein at birth that leads it to loneliness and extreme anxiety. "In all probability, the creature was reaching out, as a small child does to their mother, but his ugly appearance only frightened Victor into running away" (Coulter) The main reason for its rejection is the monster’s outward appearance. The rejection by humans in general and specifically by its creator only increases the monsters feelings of loneliness, emotional abandonment, and, as a result, anger.

Isolation eventually leads to death is another recurring theme within the story. The monster kills everyone around close to Frankenstein because he wants him to know what it feels like to be alone. He started with his younger brother William which also resulted in the death of Justine who was blamed for the tragic incident. Even though Frankenstein knew it was his fault his brother died, he couldn’t speak the truth in fear of what might happen to him. Next was Clerval, his best friend from childhood. Finally it was his beloved wife, Elizabeth.

The monster, however, had no control over his misfortunes. He was brought into the world with no one to give him knowledge, support, and guidance. He was completely deserted by his creator. When he tried to make friends, everyone either ran away from him or tried to kill him. When he saved a little girl from drowning, he was shot. He provided firewood daily for the De Lacey family, and they regarded him as "good spirit, wonderful" (Shelley 102). Yet when they saw this "good spirit," they deserted their house and the monster and never came back. The being was given no choices regarding these incidents. His rejection and misfortune was not caused by his actions, but rather his appearance, a physical trait that he cannot change. The monster's problem is that he is ugly--deformed. He did not choose to be physically deformed. He was created that way by Victor. Thus, Victor is ultimately responsible for the being's rejection. The reader becomes more sympathetic to the monster as s/he recognizes the monster's helplessness, which is in direct contrast with the self-induced problems of Victor and Walton.

What differentiates Mary Shelly’s novel, Frankenstein from the majority of horror novels are the very real and timeless themes it explores.  The overriding theme of the novel - scientific investigation without consideration of morality and responsibility is still an important topic in today’s world.  “Perhaps the reality of cloning and genetic engineering makes this theme more relevant today than when Frankenstein was first published”(Patterson). This theme, along with the more subtle themes of revenge, the inability to accept those who are different, and the inability to control one's destiny are all themes which separate Frankenstein from other novels in the genre.

In addition to being rejected by his creator, Frankenstein’s monster is also treated very violently by humans, leaving him alone and feeling like he did something wrong, even though their reactions are based solely on his appearance. The monster does not want to be thought of as a monster at first, but as he comes to realize from human interactions, no matter what his actions are, people will always judge him by what he cannot control. The monster explains the first interaction he had ever had with

Frankenstein’s monster is one of the most universally misrepresented characters in literature; in popular culture, the monster is known as an evil, soulless killer. However, in Frankenstein, he is revealed to have human emotions, the capability for compassion, and initially good intentions; his experiences in human society turned him into a true monster. When Frankenstein meets his monster, the monster reveals himself to be human in nearly every way. However, his alarming appearance makes it impossible to fit into society. Because his outward appearance is that of a repulsive monster, people treat him as such regardless of his actions or intentions. For instance, when the monster saved a young girl from drowning, the townspeople, who believe that he is trying to murder her, shoot him. As he tells Frankenstein, “I had saved a human being from destruction, and as a recompense I now writhed under the miserable pain of a wound with shattered the flesh and bone.” Because of many experiences like this one, the monster eventually turns resentful and bitter towards humanity and kills Frankenstein’s younger brother out of rage at Frankenstein. In short, by refusing to accept the monster based on his appearances rather than his character, society molded the monster into a true monster with evil intentions and a lust for blood. Had even one person shown compassion to the monster and been able to see past his appearance, the monster might not have become the killer that he did—in mind and soul, the monster seemed very much human and had the potential to become a productive member of society.

Like most horror stories, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has a wretched monster who terrorizes and kills his victims with ease. However, the story is not as simple as it seems. One increasingly popular view of the true nature of the creature is one of understanding. This sympathetic view is often strengthened by looking at the upbringing of the creature in the harsh world in which he matures much as a child would. With no friends or even a true father, the creature can be said to be a product of society and its negative views and constant rejections of him. Although this popular view serves to lessen the severity of his crimes in most people’s eyes, the fact remains that the creature is in fact a cold-hearted wretch whose vindictive nature

Monsters are not born, but created. In order to become a monster one must have been previously victimized or have a predisposition to violence. The monster is created because he is exposed to violence and rejection, he then breakdowns and becomes malicious. In the lines “Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust? (Frankenstein, 124)”. Shelley is showing that by turning against the creature, Victor is deserting him in a strange and uncomfortable world. The creature is miserable and all alone. In corollary, the creature hurts others, because he has been neglected and in turn a monster is created. The creature states that “I will revenge my injuries; if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my archenemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred (Frankenstein, 138)”. I believe that the novel would have turned out differently if Victor had welcomed the creature with

“ People fear what they do not understand. ” In the original 1888 edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this saying is excessively shown throughout the journey of Frankenstein himself and his creation known as “ the creature.” Fear is spreaded in this famous, gothic novel because the epitome of society is lacked by both the creator and the creation, leading to much misunderstanding with who is the real monster. In this novel, the true monster is society because the ideals indirectly presented led Frankenstein to abhor and abandon the creature, the ultimate isolation of both, and the delirious vengeance developed by the two.

Victor Frankenstein's upbringing in a perfect society ultimately led to the destruction of his life which coincided with the lives of those emotionally close to

The most frightening horror story can only be called such if it is believable. Nothing is so unnerving as lying awake at night with very real fears. No monster can harm you, unless the monster was genetically engineered by a mad scientist. The theme of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - scientific investigation without consideration of morality and responsibility - is a very relevant topic in today's world. This theme, along with the less obvious themes of revenge, prejudice against deviation from the norm, and fate all make Frankenstein one of the most unique and terrifying horror novels ever.

In the book Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein was a scientist who made a scientific discovery that resulted to his own destruction. He ended up creating a monster to which he failed to give love and support it expected. The monster was lonely and sad which led him to seek revenge from Victor and eventually be the reason of his death. The revenge by the monster was a just punishment for Victor’s actions because he attempted to give life to the dead which was completely against the law of nature and the outcome of anything against God’s will would ultimately be the nemesis of the one who created it.

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