Vanity In Frankenstein

   Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, sheds light on the importance of appearance through the tale of an unwanted creation that is never given a chance by society. Ironically, the supposed beast was initially much more compassionate and thoughtful than his creator, until his romantic and innocent view of the human race was diminished by the cruelty and injustice he unduly bore. Not only does the creature suffer the prejudice of an appearance-based society, but other situations and characters in the novel force the reader to reflect their own hasty judgment. The semi- gothic novel includes several instances of societal prejudice that include the isolation and outcast of Frankenstein's creation,

this in such a way that the reader feels sorry for the monster, but we

The monster tried to make friends and meet people but as soon as he would try and talk to someone they would run away and be scared of him. One of the main reasons that the monster caused terror is that he was misunderstood by people. He was actually a kind monster but nobody would get past his looks (He actually conducted himself nicely). They decided based on his appearance that he was murderous and intimidating. For example, in the novel, the monster was talking to the blind man then, “ The cottage door was opened, and Felix, Safie, and Agatha entered. Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me? Agatha fainted, and Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rushed out of the cottage. Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore me from his father, to whose knees I clung, in a transport of fury, he dashed me to the ground and struck me violently with a stick” (Shelley 161). The blind old man could not tell that the monster was ugly and intimidating so he had no problem with him, the other cottagers saw him and they immediately got scared of him and beat him with a stick. He spent his life alone, with nobody to talk to and he became envious of other people. That is why he killed people, not because he is mean, but because he had no way to control his anger

One of the most important themes in this novel is isolation. While they’ve all endured their fair share of it I believe the Creature was isolated the most. The Creature gets rejected by every person who meets him. With Frankenstein, it seems, had a choice and isolated himself purposefully, the Creature wasn’t given the same choice. The creature was isolated because he was different, yet in both cases the isolation brought about only unhappiness and tragedy.

The monster- unattractive appearance; starts with really good intentions that turn bad because of how people react to him; lonely; sad that Frankenstein doesn’t want him; angry that he is the only one of his kind; vengeful (towards the end of the novel);

Contrary to Frankenstein, the creature does not choose his isolation, but it was immediately chosen for him. Society and especially Frankenstein excludes the creature from being accepted, based on his looks and his little ability to act as a normal human being. Within the novel he states, “What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people; and I longed to join them, but dared not. I remembered too well the treatment I had suffered the night before from the barbarous villagers, and resolved, whatever course of conduct I might hereafter think it right to pursue, that for the present I would remain quietly in my hovel, watching, and endeavouring to discover the motives which influenced their actions.” (Shelley, pg. 110) The creature is aware of this exclusion and through those words a reader can know for sure. The negative effects of the creature’s isolation begins to show within the story through his horrifying acts like murder. Isolation develops to be a motif in the story, which helps a reader truly see that this is a huge similarity between both Frankenstein and his creature.

  One of the main themes in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the importance of appearance and acceptance in modern society. In today's society, and also in the society of Frankenstein, people judge one often solely on their looks. Social prejudice is often based on looks, whether it be the color of someone's skin, the clothes that a person wears, the facial features that one has and even the way one stands. People make snap judgments based on these and other considerations and they affect the way that they present themselves to one, and also the way that the treat the judged person. In Frankenstein the society of that time is much like our own today. It is an appearance

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

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

This example of the significance of appearance in modern society is also echoed in Frankenstein. The parallel between the society in the novel and modern society is that of snap judgements based solely on appearances. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein is a perpetrator of such judgements. Victor “selected his features as beautiful.” Here it is seen Victor’s shallowness as he picked the most perfect body parts and beauteous features, all to be pieced together in great anticipation. However as one can see, the result is horrific and due to the hideousness of the wretch that he has created, he abandons him. This same shallowness of judgement due to appearance again surfaces when Victor accuses the creature of murdering William

In 1818, Mary Shelley wrote the critically acclaimed novel, Frankenstein. Even then, she was challenging society’s focus on the outward appearance. As many who are familiar with the story know, the creature created by Victor Frankenstein is scorned and hated by society due to his “wretched” form. The story is a perfect anecdotal example of the negative effects that appearance can have on one’s life.

Savannah Reitz Mrs. Schroder English III 7 December 2016 Beauty vs. Ugliness In the story of Frankenstein the author Mark Shelley illustrates the dichotomy of beauty vs. ugliness. Beauty is more than just looks beauty is about the inside of a person who they are. In society, very many people base beauty from looks instead of seeing beauty of who someone or something is deeper down inside. In Frankenstein, the author illustrates the monster’s actions as a reflection of how people’s ignorance view others by not seeing the beauty from someone on the inside but instead by just looks on the outside.

Although humanity prides itself on its continuous societal improvements, superficial judgment continues to thrive, especially between those who differ in looks. The art of physiognomy dates back to the beginning of mankind and has continued to evolve with humanity, negatively impacting those who are categorized into unfavorable stereotypes. In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, there are flagrant displays of the upsetting role appearance plays in society, as modern-day racism parallels the prejudice the monster experiences due to his exterior. Despite its publication year of 1818, the novel is still pertinent, especially as the world struggles to override unconscious biases correlating to race or unorthodox physicality.

It is no secret that high school students care about their physical appearance. This is what creates the battle between the student and acne. The monster in the book Frankenstein also cared about his appearance. We found this out in chapter 12, when the monster looks into a puddle and realizes he is extremely ugly. Appearance can affect how a person, or a monster,

A reader's subconscious often disables their ability to notice moral foundations that the author develops through the text; thus, making it difficult for an individual to recognize the value the text holds and its importance. In the article “Why Study Literature?” the author explains that “literature teaches us better courses of action and more effective responses to situations”; essentially he or she says that literature has the ability to shape one’s morals; as it can teach us what do in certain situations and how we should act. Similarly, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the author builds morality in readers by stressing the wrongs of using one’s visual appearance to determine their inner nature. At birth the monster is abandoned for his hideousness, the monster is “endowed with perceptions and passions” (Shelley, Chapter 16) after which he is “cast[ed] as an object for the scorn and horror of mankind” (Shelley, Chapter 16). For example, the monster chases for love when he assists the poor De Lacey family in collecting their lumber, however he is driven out by their horror upon seeing the face of their secret patron for the first time. Looking at this from an aesthetic stance, Shelley appears to be examining our natural tendency to judge a book by its cover. The author manifests the importance of inner beauty rather than one’s outer beauty, for it speaks more sincerely of their qualities as an individual. Had the protagonist realized the creature’s nobility from the