Monster and mary Shelley

“Monster”

It seems commonplace to recognize the importance of the environment when ruminating on the shaping of one’s nature of time. As a daughter of two rebels, Mary Shelley contributed her interest in writing to her big-named parents. When an independent spirit nearly identical to her mother’s, Shelley ran off with her lover at the age of sixteen, resulting in alienation as society and, even her father, reject her. This estrangement was a driving force in the creation of her novel, Frankenstein. Shelley borrowed a line from John Milton’s Paradise Lost when the monster from her novel states, “I was born benevolent; misery made me a fiend.”

The initial perception of the monster may certainly be one of horror and perfidy, but it is clearly seen that this daemon initially has truly pure intentions. For instance, the monster is confident that he will “win the love” of the gentle family he has been observing and learning from for so long—so much so that the thought of this newfound love makes him euphoric. “’My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy,’” (Shelly, Frankenstein, 96). Furthermore, the monster is aware of his deceptive mien. He is mindful that it can and will cloud one’s judgment, but he insures that he is a kind-hearted being with magnanimous intentions. “’I have good dispositions, my life has been hitherto harmless and in some degree beneficial; but a fatal prejudice clouds their eyes, and where they ought to see a feeling and kind friend, they behold only a detestable monster,’” (114). Because of the being’s countenance, the barrier to happiness forever stands. ...

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...uter appearance reflects one’s inner self, but only because society reacts accordingly, making beautiful people able to do good and ugly people able to do bad. Thus, in the debate over nature versus nurture, nurture clearly holds an emphasis. Frankenstein mindfully toys with the idea that men, women and monsters are all brought into this world as a blank-slate, slowly shaped according to experiences. Eerily enough, vengeance is what gives the monster a rather twisted purpose for existing. Victor is no Prometheus, and the unfortunate result of his ambition shows that people are rulers of our own destinies.

Works Cited

Milton, John. Paradise Lost, Book I. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Third Ed. Smith, Hallot. W.W. Norton & Co. Inc. New York, New York. 1974. 1359.

Shelly, Mary. Frankenstein. Bantam Books. New York, New York. 1981. 1-213.