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Human nature in mary shelley's frankenstein
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“Frankenstein” written by Mary Shelley tells the story between Dr. Victor Frankenstein, who committed an unorthodox act by creating a being out of a lifeless matter, and their relationship to each other. Through Shelley’s story, she makes strong commentaries on a number subjects, including one of which is the most evident one is on the topic of human nature. She presents the idea and reinforces it through the development of the plot and characters, that mankind is both capable of good and evil. Like mankind, Victor Frankenstein’s Creature is demonstrated to be capable of both benignity and malignancy. In the book, the Creature is described as a wretch, fiend, and devil by his creator. These are all inappropriate terms when all of the creature’s …show more content…
And yet, it should also be noted that the entire story is told through the ill-fated eyes of a self-pitying creator that years later is recalling the misfortune that has befallen him and his ruined family because he birthed this "abhorred devil." Despite Frankenstein’s filtering of the story, any reader can easily notice that the most riveting and entertaining chapters of the novel are in the middle section where the Creature’s narration dominates the story. The readers learn that despite the Creature’s physical features that are described as a monstrosity, he is far from being an abomination. Instead, he speaks and reasons with the highest elegance, logic, and persuasiveness. As a verbal creation, he is the very opposite of being monstrous: he is sympathetic and compelling. He is benevolent and shows that he is capable of identifying with another’s pain and misfortune. Through most Creature’s of the existence, he tries to find companionship many times, but he is only met with fear and hostility. He says that he “admired virtue and good feelings and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of [the] cottagers, but [he] was shut out from intercourse with them.” Quotations such as this demonstrate that, though he is also capable of being kind in mankind’s character, he is unable to be a part of human society and thus unable to receive such kindness in return. It is only after when he is rejected by villagers and anyone who sets eyes on him that he starts exhibiting a capacity for unspeakable, inhumane rage and envy. These events teach the Creature that there is no point in being good since he is always being judged by his hideous appearance no matter how kindly he acts. Embittered, the creature determines he can never be accepted by the human race and vows vengeance by killing Frankenstein's family members and
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a dramatic example of the ever-changing philosophies regarding creation, science, and the age-old question of a divine being’s presence in the world. When Shelley published the novel in 1818, the Age of Enlightenment was in full swing and left antiquated ideas of religion in exchange for newfound ideas based on science and logic. One of these philosophies of the modern era was humanism; humanism is the idea that human matters are of more importance than those of a divine being. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this new idea of secular humanism is brought into full effect with the monster being left almost entirely on his own to form beliefs and ideas, however, there are still curious traces of religious influence within the
In Frankenstein, Victor was interested with the science of life. In his quest to understand death, Victor creates life, using his brilliant mind to bring a corpses to life. He is satisfied with his success, but is then disgusted by the creature, abandoning him as a baby without a mother or father to show him the way of the world or to protect him. The abandonment that occurred in the monster's early life had a huge effect on his whole life. As a result of this abandonment, Frankenstein and society ultimately pay a very high price. Telgan says, "Frankenstein's moral failure in his heedless pursuit to know all he might about life without taking responsibility for his acts. His "sin" was not in creating the monster, but in abandoning him to orphanage at birth" (page 194). "Childlike in his innocence, the monster wants only to be loved, but gets it from neither his "father" nor from any other in the community" (page 195). The monster searches for love and friendship, and he fails at finding it.
In the novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, the relationship of external apperence and internal feelings are directly related. The creature is created and he is innocent, though he is seaverly deformed. His nature is to be good and kind, but society only views his external appereance which is grotesque. Human nature is to judge by external apperence. He is automatically ostracized and labeled as a monster because of his external apperence. He finnaly realized that no matter how elequintly he speaks and how kind he is, people will never be able to see past his external deformities. Children are fearful of him, Adults think he is dangerous, and his own creator abandons him in disgust. The creature is treated as a monster, therefore he begins to internalize societies view of him and act the like a monster.
The creature’s moral ambiguity characteristic was a vile ingredient to the construction of this novel Frankenstein because it made the reader 's sympathies with him even after the audience knows he had committed murder because the readers had seen the truth this creature had to face. That he had tried everything within his power to peacefully live with them, to interact, communicate, and befriend them “these thoughts exhilarated me and led me to apply with fresh ardour to the acquiring the art of language”, that even though he was seen as a monster because of the looks he was created with, something he had no control over, he still had hope to be seen as equals, ”My organs were indeed harsh, but supple; and although my voice was very unlike the soft music of their tones, yet I pronounced such words as I understood with tolerable ease. It was as the ass and the lap-dog; yet surely the gentle ass whose intentions were affectionate, although his manners were rude, deserved better treatment than blows and execration;” this hope of his was utterly crushed, and can only set him up for utter disappointment(12.18). Because in the end he only received hates, scorns, violence, and prejudice from his good will. So in the end of the story, Mary Shelley’s forces the readers to see within the creature’s heart and for
In the 1818 text of Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, various forms of human exploitation and oppression lead to the dehumanization of two major characters in the novel: the creature which Victor Frankenstein brings to life, and Victor himself. The creature is deemed an outcast just by his very existence. Victor oppresses his creation solely based on the creature’s grotesque features. Although the creature shares qualities, feelings, and emotions that categorize him as a human, Victor’s oppressive behavior and rejection of the his creation immediately lead to the creature’s dehumanization. Victor is driven by human exploitation, and treads on the laws of nature as he successfully attempts to cheat death and create an artificial being.
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly explores the concept of the body, life, ‘the self’ and most of importantly humanity, which is repeatedly questioned throughout the novel. The definition of humanity is the quality of being humane or in other words someone that can feel or possess compassion. Despite all the facts against the “monster” in “Frankenstein” he is indeed what one would consider being human. Humanity isn’t just about ones physical appearance but also includes intellect and emotion. Some people argue that the “monster” is not a human for he was not a creature that was born from “God” or from a human body. That being said, the “monster” is not only able to speak different languages, he can also show empathy - one of many distinct traits that set humans apart from the animals. Both the “monster” and his creator, Victor, hold anger and feel a sense of suffering throughout the novel. Victor is a good person with good intentions just like most individuals, but makes the mistake of getting swept up into his passion of science and without thinking of the consequences he creates a “monster”. After completing his science project, he attempts to move forward with his life, however his past – i.e., the “monster” continues to follow and someone haunt him. While one shouldn’t fault or place blame on Frankenstein for his mistakes, you also can’t help but feel somewhat sympathetic for the creature. Frankenstein just wants to feel accepted and loved, he can’t help the way he treats people for he’s only mimicking how people have treated him, which in most cases solely based on his appearance. Unlike most of the monsters we are exposed to in films past and present, the character of the “monster” ...
The Creature, Victor Frankenstein’s creation, is shaped into a monster through its experiences, instead of the nature of itself, which is more expected. Victor Frankenstein, on the other hand, is shaped into a monster because of his mind’s power-hungry nature. Victor treats his creature poorly and he himself becomes wicked. While the Creature also becomes wicked in the end, its actions are more justified because multiple people treated it poorly, causing the Creature to lash out. Even though Victor Frankenstein and the Creature both turn into wicked monsters, to some extent, only one of
Peter Brooks' essay "What Is a Monster" tackles many complex ideas within Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and the main concept that is the title of the essay itself. What is the definition of a monster, or to be monstrous? Is a monster the classic representation we know, green skin, neck bolts, grunting and groaning? A cartoon wishing to deliver sugary cereal? or someone we dislike so greatly their qualities invade our language and affect our interpretation of their image and physical being? Brooks' essay approaches this question by using Shelley's narrative structure to examine how language, not nature, is mainly accountable for creating the idea of the monstrous body.
Tragedy shows no discrimination and often strikes down on those undeserving of such turmoil. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a creature more repulsive than one can imagine is brought to life by a young scientist. Although this creature is horrifying in sight, he is gentle by nature. Unfortunately, the softer side of the creature is repeatedly overlooked and the so called “monster” is driven to a breaking point. Even though the Creature committed many crimes, Mary Shelley’s Creature was the tragic hero of this story because of his efforts rescue the life of a young girl and helping destitute cottagers.
Throughout Frankenstein, one assumes that Frankenstein’s creation is the true monster. While the creation’s actions are indeed monstrous, one must also realize that his creator, Victor Frankenstein, is also a villain. His inconsiderate and selfish acts as well as his passion for science result in the death of his friend and family members and ultimately in his own demise. Throughout the novel, Shelley investigates the idea of monstrosity. She makes the point that a monster does not have to be genuinely evil in order to be considered monstrous.
Victor Frankenstein spent months in his laboratory constructing a monstrous figure from discarded human remains. When the crack of lightening on this particular night deemed Victor a father, he proudly accepted his fate. Victor dreamed of producing an offspring but Elizabeth’s infertility posed a problem for biological children. His desire to be a father could have been satisfied through adoption or a surrogate, but Victor’s interest in the creation of life lead him to take matters into his own hands. The months of Victor’s hard work had finally come to a head when the creature calmly sat up from the operating table and stared, with deep-yellow eyes, into the optics of his creator.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley portrays an individual in a unique situation trying to overcome daily interactions while being faced with inconceivable misfortunes. Created by Victor Frankenstein, who set out on a journey to bring life to scrapped pieces of waste, he was then abandoned and left to fend for himself in a world he was abruptly brought into. After being abandoned by his creator for his less than appealing looks, this then sparked his inevitable desire for revenge. Eventually leading to the destruction of those associated with his creator. Knowing that he will never fit in, the monster began to act out in hopes of getting back at his creator for what he did. His vulnerability due to missing guidance and parental figures in his beginning stages of life contributed to his behavior. The books and article Family Crisis and Children’s Therapy Groups written by Gianetti, Audoin, and Uzé, Victim Of Romance: The Life And Death Of Fanny Godwin by Maurice Hindle, and Social Behavior and Personality by Lubomir Lamy, Jacques Fishcher-Lokou, and Nicolas Gueguen support why the monster acts the way he does. The monster’s behavior stems from Victor’s actions at the beginning of his life and therefore is not to blame. The creature in Frankenstein is deserving of sympathy even though he committed those murders because the lack of parental guidance, lack of family, and lack of someone to love led him to that. All in all his actions were not malicious, but only retaliation for what he had been put through.
Shelley also shows us, in Frankenstein, that although juxtaposing terms, the monstrous being everything human is not, they are also intertwined, in that you can not have one without the other. There is also an overwhelming desire to know the monstrous, if only temporarily, and this calls into question the influence the monstrous has on the human definition. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) describes ‘human’ as being ‘Of, belonging to, or characteristic of mankind, distinguished from animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright posture.’ (OED). The term ‘monstrous’ is described as ‘The condition or fact of being abnormally developed or grossly malformed.’
The creation of Frankenstein who was supposed to be the first of many in his new species was never accepted into society and was left to lead his life alone. His many attempts to tie himself into society and begin living his life as Adam were ignored by others. As a result, the creature took on a life as Satan, a monster, determined to physically harm mankind as retribution for the enormous agony and misery it had placed on his own life. Life as a monster was the only way that the creature could gain any recognition from society, and at the same time it gave him an outlet for all his anger. The creation of Frankenstein was a monster, but only as a result of exclusion from society.
In Mary Shelley 's timeless novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein refers to his creation as an abhorrent "monster". However, throughout relating his tale to Captain Walton, Frankenstein shows that he is the true monster. While "the monster" is overcome with a desire for revenge and a feeling of hatred towards man only after he is treated like a monster, Victor acts heartlessly while putting himself before anyone else, the true definition of a monster. Throughout the novel, Frankenstein demonstrates his selfish nature; his creation, on the other hand, shows selflessness and generosity even after being shunned by man. Shelley makes is very evident that although Frankenstein 's creation is referred to as "the monster", Victor Frankenstein is the real monster in Frankenstein.