Essay Comparing Frankenstein And The Picture Of Dorian Gray

The simple definition of a monster according to Merriam-Webster is “a strange or horrible imaginary creature.” Although this definition is correct, it does not fully encompass the entirety of what it means to be a monster. In most literature, authors who reference monsters typically create an unknown creature or a disfigured animal. Two exceptions to this conventional thought are the authors of Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray, which tell stories of a different kind of monster. Both Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde approach the portrayal of a monster from different points of view, but they share the same opinion on what makes a monster. Both authors believe a monster to be a human that is cowardly, irresponsible, and self indulgent much

like Lord Henry Wotton and Victor Frankenstein.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein tells the story of a man whose lust for knowledge and need for personal recognition leads him down a path of greed which eventually ends in death and ruin. Shelley utilizes the traditional view of a monster with the Creature to support her main idea that Victor is the true monster of the story.

Shelley takes a subtle approach when introducing her opinion of a monstrous man when writing Frankenstein because “Shelley’s was an age in which heart triumphed over head” (Griffith 194). The Romantic Era, a time period which focuses on the individual and his emotions, is Shelley’s base period for Frankenstein. She emphasizes idea that the creation is the victim of his creator who is considerably the monster because he thinks only of his individual needs and does not take responsibility for his creation. While some believe that Victor is the father of the Creation, he does not deserve nor acknowledge the title as he should. Victor does not guide the Creation as a father should his child and he victimizes himself knowing he is responsible for the Creation and his actions. George V. Griffith mentions in his criticism that [Victor’s] ‘sin’ is not solely in creating the monster but in abandoning him to orphanhood at his birth. . . .Childlike in his innocence, the monster wants only to be loved, but he gets love from neither his ‘father’ nor from any other in the human community” (194-195). By abandoning his creation, victor created a monster of circumstance. The creation recognizes that he is different

from most and because Victor never taught him to deal with his emotions, the creation becomes evil and does evil in order to survive. The denial of both his father and people like the DeLacey’s force the creation to adopt an attitude of self hatred and benevolence. The creation attempts to reason with Victor by saying "[Victor is] in the wrong. . . [he is] malicious because [he is] miserable” (Shelley 104). Victor Frankenstein is willing to not only let his creation live without being taught right from wrong, but also abandon his creation in order to avoid taking responsibility for the actions of the creation. Victor Frankenstein is the true monster of the novel because Mary Shelley believed a monster to be a person who is irresponsible, self indulgent, and; the epitome of Victor Frankenstein.
Much like Victor Frankenstein, Lord Henry Wotton in The Picture of Dorian Grey epitomizes Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde’s idea of what a monster is due to his manipulation of Dorian Gray and his blatant disregard for the lives of others. Unlike Shelley, Wilde takes a direct and clear approach when describing a monster. Wilde states that “those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming” (Wilde 3). This belief that beauty is purely physical and creativity is useless calls forth a shameful way of life. Lord Henry’s hedonistic philosophy emphasizes that one must understand the importance of emotional detachment and self indulgence in order to be beautiful. By embracing deplorable actions and an ignorant attitude, a man can fully enjoy his beauty because he is creating a disconnect between his humanity and his desires. Lord Henry’s influence on the unsullied Dorian forces him to adopt a shameful attitude towards life and everything it can offer. Wilde often emphasized the beauty in simplicity and that true beauty exists in art and thought and “the morality of art consists in the perfect use of an imperfect medium” (Wilde 3). Lord Henry’s personal philosophy allows him to believe that the only people who are valuable and truly talented are those who are physically beautiful and that “real beauty ends where an intellectual expression begins” (Wilde 7). Wilde made his story borderline satirical in order to show how truly ridiculous physical beauty is when determining what has value in life. A man who just recognizes physical beauty and ignores knowledge, creativity, and substance “proves to be an inadequate guide through the troubled made of real human experience” (Aubrey 157). Dorian’s suffering and corruption are caused by Lord Henry’s cowardice and ignorance, which is why Lord Henry is the real monster in The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The disparities between the representations of a monster in Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray are minor when considering the similarities in the opinions of the authors.

Mary Shelley and Oscar Wilde both believed that to be considered a monster, one must surpass the physical appearance of the typical monster and be emotionally detached, cowardly, and selfish. Mary Shelley wrote Victor Frankenstein as a man who willingly created a creature out of greed and a thirst for knowledge but never took responsibility for his actions nor the actions of his creation. George V. Griffith writes in his criticism “The monster is not evil; he is transformed into evil by a human injustice. . .” (Griffith 196). Because the creation is hated and rejected by others, Towards the end of the story, Victor finally recognizes that he must take responsibility for his creation and he states that “for the first time also [he] felt what the duties of a creator towards his creature were and that [he] ought to render him happy before [he] complained of his wickedness” (Mary Shelley 70). Similarly, Lord Henry is a coward and a narcissistic monster who takes pleasure in spoiling the lives and thoughts of others. This thought is proven by his corruption of the innocent Dorian Grey. In the novel, the artist Basil Hallward repeatedly asks his good friend Lord Henry not to influence Dorian Gray because Basil knows what Henry is capable of and knows that Dorian Gray is too naive and gullible to

understand the dangers of Lord Henry’s lifestyle. By going against Basil Hallward's wishes regarding Dorian Gray, Lord Henry demonstrates his lack of respect for his friendship and his hedonistic philosophy. Lord Henry is not only a coward but is a hypocrite for not living by his libertine world view. Like Victor Frankenstein, Lord Henry shows his cowardice in his actions because he is “a cynic who manipulates Dorian into doing the things that he advocates but is too withdrawn and too frightened to do himself” (Aubrey 155). Lord Henry is constantly advocating how pleasure and self importance should be the ultimate goals of a man but lives a conservative lifestyle. By manipulating others to do what he wishes and taking pleasure in the pain and suffering of others is what ultimately makes Lord Henry Wotton a monster in the eyes of Oscar Wilde.
The meaning of the word monster has evolved from the disfigured creature that most people picture hides under their bed. Although many see monsters as imaginary, some monsters are quite real. With the Oscar Wilde and Mary Shelley creating Lord Henry Wotton and Victor Frankenstein, a monster is not only a made up creature, but a man a human that is cowardly, irresponsible, and self indulgent.