Analysis of the Monster in Mary Shelley´s Frankenstein

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This philosophical analysis focuses on the main character of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the Monster, and how his crime of killing a young boy and framing an innocent bystander is explained through the arguments made by Mengzi concerning evil natures. This parallel will be made by showing the progression of the Monster from good to evil nature and how his motivation to ruin his creator’s life tainted his fundamental heart. I will first briefly address the action as portrayed in Frankenstein and then discuss how Mengzi’s ideas explain the change in the Monster’s nature.

The Evil Action Explained
The main plotline of Frankenstein involves the lives of two major characters, Victor Frankenstein and the Monster. Their relationship is a tumultuous one, mainly due to the fact that Frankenstein created the Monster out of a wish to be some sort of god and be able to play with the balance of life and death. Afterwards, he comes to deeply regret his action and abandons the Monster by throwing him out into the world without any education or guidance. Because of this, throughout the book, the Monster harbors resentment towards Frankenstein and dedicates his life to make Frankenstein’s a living hell. Out of the many horrible things that the Monster did to achieve this goal, the main evil action I will be focusing on is the murder of William, Frankenstein’s younger brother and the framing of his nanny for the murder.
After being continually rejected by not only his creator, but countless other humans based only on his gruesome appearance, the Monster decides to exact revenge on humankind and especially on Frankenstein for giving life to such a horrible creature as himself. Upon deciding this, the Monster decides to go to his hometown and l...

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... her beauty but knew that she would reject him as everyone else did, so he went on to frame her anyways. This shows that it was not lack of reflection that caused the Monster to commit this evil act, but the reflection process only served to help him justify why he should go through with the crimes. As he committed the acts, his heart no longer rebelled as it once did and he was overcome with “exultation and hellish triumph” (Shelley, pg. 378). The Monster’s main motivation in committing these acts was to make Frankenstein miserable since earlier in the book he compares himself to Satan in that he becomes bitter and angry at seeing his creator so happy when he is so miserable (Shelley, pg. 339). As his first acts of actual revenge against his creator, the Monster was delighted with this power he had over him, to be able to cause him the pain he thought he deserved.

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