Essay on Frankenstein

Several fields have studied the relationship between creator and creation. The most significant aspect of this research considers the difference between nature and nurture. Sociologists, psychologists, scientists, and other professionals have tried to pin down the exact distinctions between these two types of upbringings. In literature, the same questions have been asked and studied using fictional characters, most famously in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, in 1667, and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, in 1818. The complexity of the characters in these texts creates the theme of nature versus nurture before they diverge and arrive at differing conclusions.

Throughout Shelley’s work, the creature struggles to conform to society, alone from his first moments - abandoned by his creator - he is given no proper upbringing, and abhorred by society. He grows up in hiding and fear, his only interactions with others ending in violence. Hence, seems only natural that his desperate need to conform would lead to violence. The need to “belong” is an essential “human” desire, however this sense of belonging his completely dependent on one’s upbringing.

Victor Frankenstein created life, a monster that was born into this world with no purpose, and no one to love. He did not even have a name, he was called a monster from the start. Just like a normal human baby, he came to life not knowing anything, and had to learn from his surroundings. Just like a person, he watched and learned from others, and tried to understand the world and the people in it. From that, the monster understood that he just wants to find a life for himself, and not be viewed as an evil monster, but there are many things that are preventing that. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the author portrays Frankenstein’s monster as a friend through details in his character and his outlook on life.

This rejection parallels the struggle of playing the female role: women have low societal value based on their female physical appearance. Judged solely based on their physical appearance, they are given a minor role to play due to being seen as inferior to men. Shelley uses the creature as a representation of women, as he is rejected based on his appearances despite being compassionate and kind. The creature is content with having a minor role in his story, even willing to be a servant to the cottagers, but he is rejected — this ignites bitterness and loneliness in him. The stories make him feel as though he has “‘sunk into [...] the lowest dejection’” (155), by enabling him to feel worthless. His resulting resentment towards humanity further emphasizes the destructiveness of stories: they make him believe that the world is a story and he must find a role to play, but the role he desires comes with social consequences.

Thesis Statement: In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the creature’s identity as a monster is due to societal rejection, isolation, and misinterpretation.

throughout this novel and the movie. The decline is a less gradual one in the novel but a

The monster notices that humans are afraid of him because of his appearance, he feels embarrassed of himself, as humans do when they don’t seem to be accepted. He admires the De Lacey Family that lives in the cottage, he also learns from them, and hopes to have companion as they do. The monster is like humans, as mentioned, in the way that he wants someone to listen and care about him. He is discovering the world and his capacities, he seeks knowledge and understand plenty aspects of life by learning how to speak and read. “The gentle manners and beauty of the cottagers greatly endeared them to me; when they were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathized in their joys” (Shelley 47). The monster developed feelings and emotions as humans. The creature is different from humans also, since he never got to grow up as a normal human, and

I had just left my father’s funeral. I was wondering where my brother Victor was. He was not at the funeral; could he just have been at home? Why would he miss our father’s funeral. So I got in my carriage and rode home. Victor was not at home. So I went to ask the people in Geneva. One woman told me that victor had left for the Arctic. I asked myself: Why would Victor leave for the Arctic? I realized that I had no family member left, I was all alone. All the money and property was supposed to go to victor because he was the oldest son. But now since he is not here to inherit it, the money was all mine. I being a teenager thought that throwing a party would be fun. But then I thought let me get settled and used to this empty home. I

Rejection by society plays a huge role in the creature’s life. Due to Doctor Frankenstein leaving the creature on its own, it has no creator to connect him to society (Lancaster 135). Throughout this novel, the creature experiences rejection on multiple occasions. One of them being when he is hiding in the shack from the cottagers. One day he got the courage to go over and try to introduce himself to the father, De Lacey, who is blind, but the father rejected him.

In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein creates a creature, stronger and better than humans in every way except his looks. After Frankenstein abandons him, the Creature meets the De Lacey’s, a nice little family that indirectly teach him how to read and write. In truth, the Creature only becomes a monster after the hatred that Felix, one of the De Lacey’s, shows him. Before, he had done nothing wrong, but afterwards, all he did was fall down a slippery slope.

Adelaide swallowed hard, pushing herself off the earth beneath her. Fear radiated from her body as the lights temporarily blinded her as she looked up. She sat on her knees and wrapped her arms around herself, what had she gotten herself into. She was trapped in a silver lined circle, it almost reminded her of a baseball field because of its lighting fixtures. There were two different sets of lighting fixtures and one set wasn’t turned on, she could only assume they were back up lights or perhaps specialized lights of some kind.

Thank you June for sharing your comments! I enjoyed learning many things about Frankenstein. I also enjoyed learning many things about evolution. Yes, science is involved with the laws of nature. Science does involve culture. Culture may be able to affect the society overall. Different cultures have a different way of living. Yes, some people may believe that it is good to earn power. Evolution does deal with organisms. Did you learn anything new while conducting your

I saw myself. Hideous, that 's what I was. People were afraid of me, so I have to hide. A hidden figure in the darkness of the night. I don’t remember why I looked like this therefore, I don’t remember anything , however I remember him. I saw him.

The Creature becomes enraged when he discovers that the family wishes to move because they feel endangered by the Creature. Despite the creature’s past rejection, he still longs to love and be loved by others, and although he has faced past abuse, his kind heart remains in tact. This is proven by his willingness to help others solely out of the goodness of his heart. He comes across a woman drowning and rescues her, but then gets shot by a man who has come looking for the woman. The creature pleads to society why “this was, then, the reward of my benevolence”(Shelley 161). The creature is repeatedly facing punishment for good deeds; therefore, the creature figures that society has already decided that his heart is cold and bloodthirsty, just by one glance at him. The creature was born with a compassionate heart; however, society's predetermined judgement on the definition of “normal”, labels the creature after society takes a glimpse at the creature. Nobody in the start of the Creature’s life, was willing to look past his appearance and examine his heart and

when he felt lonely and when he was hungry there was no one to guide