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Frankenstein, By Mary Shelley

Decent Essays

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the social institution exemplified gives constant reckoning onto the creature that Victor Frankenstein bestows life into. Such a process presents light to the true meaning of the word monster and what worldly beings deem having the title. As the conjured creature manifests its emotions and newfound conscious, the constructive elements that make up this societal institution sling constant hostility and horror shaping its mindset until it becomes what its superiors deem is a monster. Looking at the book from the perspective of the creature, one can argue how the only real monstrosity is the remedial society displayed. The classic conditions of a monster have long been understood to rely solely on physical aspects and not intention, thus making it difficult for a being, such at Victor’s creation, to have a chance in the seemingly civilized world it is made into. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary states a monster is “(in stories) an imaginary creature that is very large, ugly and frightening; an animal or a thing that is very large or ugly; a person who is very cruel and evil”. From birth the creature starts fulfilling these requirements and after exhausting all possible hope of having accepted intentions it fully becomes what others shape it towards. Victor’s first judgement holds up through almost all characters the creature encounters: I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful!—Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the

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