The Creature Is Not as 'Wretched" as Victor Proclaims. an Essay Based on Frankenstein

    Sometimes, in novels like Frankenstein, the motives of the author are unclear.  It is clear however, that one of the many themes Mary Shelley presents is the humanity of Victor Frankenstein's creation.  Although she presents evidence in both support and opposition to the creation's humanity, it is apparent that this being is indeed human.  His humanity is not only witnessed in his physical being, but in his intellectual and emotional thoughts as well.  His humanity is argued by the fact that being human does not mean coming from a specific genetic chain and having family to relate to, but to embrace many of the distinct traits that set humans apart from other animals in this

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.

After Victor’s abandonment, the creature left Victor’s home and wandered into the woods. Initially, every encounter with humanity brought the creature pain and suffering as they were instantly terrified upon seeing the creature's horrifying appearance and treated him like the monster he appeared to be. Eventually, the creature came across a hovel in the woods that was within close proximity to a cottage where a family lived. The monster grew very affectionate toward his "protectors," emphasizing that beings are born to love, not hate.

At first glance, the monster in Frankenstein is a symbol of evil, whose only desire is to ruin lives. He has been called "A creature that wreaks havoc by destroying innocent lives often without remorse. He can be viewed as the antagonist, the element Victor must overcome to restore balance and tranquility to the world." But after the novel is looked at on different levels, one becomes aware that the creature wasn't responsible for his actions, and was just a victim of circumstance. The real villain of Frankenstein isn't the creature, but rather his creator, Victor.

The Creature symbolizes the war between passion and responsibility with the effects of society. Victor abandons his responsibility for his passion, the creature, this begins when Victor goes away to ingolstadt to increase his knowledge in the field of anatomy and gets lost in his project of piecing together a non-living creature. When he finishes with his Creature victor states “I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body” (Shelley 43). “-For this i had deprived myself of rest and health. I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation” (Shelley 43). Victor says he has deprived himself of sleep thus causing his health to decrease, this is an example of victor abandoning responsibility for for his passion “by being connected with the favourite projects and passions of the times Victors health declined rapidly ( Baldick).” When Victor begins his creation in ingolstadt, he locks himself away from his social life. Inside his apartment he is away from family and any social ties, causing his mental health to decline rapidly. Victor abandons his passion, the Creature, when he thinks through the eyes of society causing his responsibility for the Creature to fall to next to nothing. Victors first impression of his creation is, “Now that i had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart.”(Shelley 43). Victor judges his creation based off of its appearance instead of its thoughts much like society has always done. Victor doesn't give the Creature a chance and instead abandons it, leaving it to its own devices. Here in the story the Creature is depleted of all its rights simply because of its appearance, this throws shade on society simply because society shapes who we are as

Throughout the book observations can be made of the creature's feelings of how they develop such as emotional feelings like misery clearly stated by him "How can I move thee"? I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity: but I am I not alone, miserably alone?"

In Shelley’s Frankenstein, the monster is portrayed as a grotesque abomination. However, as Hopkins states in Contending Forces, the cultural and geographical situations, or lack thereof, in which one matures in play a crucial role in the proper development of one’s mind and brain. The monster is simply a product of circumstance. The lack of social interactions alongside geographical isolation propelled the daemon to be alienated from society, ultimately resulting in a lack of morals and an underdeveloped psyche. By being a culmination of his surroundings and experiences it is revealed that the true monstrous entities are the factors that leave the daemon predisposed to fail in a modern society. Arguably, Victor created a being, while the circumstances that said being was placed in “created” a monster. Shelley purposefully terrorizes the monster with such intensity to provoke and justify the overarching theme in this novel which states that people should not be judged on their physical appearance.

Delacy comforted the monster by telling him he was “ really blameless”. This was then the happiest moment of the creature life, since he did not feel isolated or lonely in the company of Delacy. However, this relationship ended horribly where when when the family of Delacy returns home he was chased away. “ I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property, I was besides, endowed with a figured hideously deformed and loathsome, I cannot described to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me.” He struggle here with self Identity.

When Victor has the opportunity to become an important figure in the Creature's life he fled; leaving his Creation alone, abandoned, and uniformed in a world where society scrutinizes every detail. The Creature was only a child when Victor abandoned him and left him to navigate a world that would not accept his physical flaws or lack of external perfection. To try and understand the world the Creature is obsessed with watching and observing the DeLacey family to acquire some basic social skills. According to Anne Mellor, the Creature also learned the “nature of heroism and public virtue and civic justice,” from observing the DeLacey family (Mellor 48). The Creature initially believes that the DeLacey family was a family of power and

In some novels, the main character often possesses a negative trait which ultimately becomes his/her biggest flaw. The manner of how the protagonist responds to his/her troubles impacts the development of the flaw. One character in particular encompasses a trait that even with his self-awareness, is unaware of the selfishness in his veins. In the novel Frankenstein, the protagonist Victor Frankenstein is this particular individual whose conscience consists of much responsibility but no discipline to show for it. Although he feels responsible for deaths of many others, Victor never confesses when he knows the fault is his. His vengeance almost keeps him away from the

The creatures generous actions are shown when he begins to tell his story. My first point as to why the creature is not evil is because of the generous actions he makes. These all include things he has done for DeLacey's family. Firstly, he helps DeLacey's family by cutting

As a result of Victor's neglect and rejection of the creature, society also denies the creature acceptance which creates a life of loneliness for it. The creature, after being rejected by Victor, is left helpless, wanders into a forest, and experiences what hunger and pain are for the first time in life. The creature longs for acceptance, especially from Victor, but is denied. For example, the creature first learns of its rejection from society when it enters the house of an old man that is cooking; it as at the sight of the creature that the man "shrieked loudly" (90) and runs out of his hut. From that moment the creature realizes it is deformed and unlike anyone else. While the creature is roaming through the woods one day it comes upon a cottage. The creature notes the inhabitants of the cottage, the DeLacey family, as being beautiful in comparison to its

Critic Northrop Frye once commented that "Tragic heroes are so much the highest points in their human landscapes" (Frye 1). Few characters illustrate this characteristic of a tragic hero better than that of Victors Frankenstein, the protagonist of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. His story is one of a brilliant man whose revolutionary ideas brought suffering to himself, his family and friends, and his creation. Victor is an instrument as well as a victim to this suffering throughout his story.

The creature was very destructive and harmful in the beginning therefore he was better off after learning about and meeting the DeLacey family. The creature desperately wanted to meet the DeLacey family. One day when Agatha and Felix were gone the creature went over to their cottage to meet the old man. This encounter may have resulted in the creature getting beat up by Felix, but had some positive outcomes. The creature became more understanding and his meaning in the world was different then what he/ others interpreted prior to meeting the old man.

The creature obviously has plentiful problems in his life, but he does not realize he could have it worse and that some people just aren’t going to