Humanity relies far more on characteristics than outer appearance. Instead of judging humanity solely on the flaws that cannot be changed, human qualities must be looked at. From infancy, humans desire the companionship of their families. Humans also want to make others’ lives better and easier through good morals and unselfishness. Curiousness and a passion for knowledge for the world increases while a child grows up. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley implies that desire for companionship, good morals, and a passion for knowledge defines humanity through Victor and the monster’s struggles.
Throughout Frankenstein, Victor and his monster demonstrate a desire for companionship, which links them to humanity. The monster wants a companion that he can spend his
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life happily with.
He tells Victor, “…but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me” and “You must create a female for me, with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being” (146-47). It is human nature to want to be accepted and loved by someone with like characteristics. If there is at least one person in the world that accepts another for who they are, then there is no reason to be miserable and lonely. The monster just wants to know what human companionship feels like. Victor Frankenstein also shows a desire for companionship. After the monster killed all of his loved ones, Victor comes to the realization that, “They were dead, and I lived; their murderer also lived, and to destroy him I must drag out my weary existence” (206). The words “weary existence” implies that Victor feels as if there is no one else to live for now that his family
is dead which shows a desire for companionship. He did not know what he had until they were gone. When busy, humans tend to put family second while they live their life, like what Victor did while he creates his monster. Once family is gone, humans want to feel companionship another way or they will be miserable. Victor came full circle throughout the novel and by the end, with his family gone, he realizes that he does desire companionship. Not only do Victor and his monster’s experiences help define humanity through the desire for companionship, but their contrasting morals do as well. To be considered human, a person must have good morals and put others before themself. Throughout the novel, the monster acts upon good morals. When the monster discovers that the cottagers were in poverty and that his stealing of their supplies was affecting their lives, he “abstained, and satisfied [himself] with berries, nuts, and roots, which [he] gathered from a neighboring wood” and “brought home firing sufficient for the consumption of several days” (114). The monster displays kindness to the cottagers even though all other humans have been terrified of him, which he would not do if he did not have good morals. The monster could have kept stealing, but he helps them because he knows that it is the right, human-like thing to do after unintentionally hurting them. The monster put the cottagers before himself, which is one way the monster connects to humanity. The monster wants to see the cottagers happy. Humans want to make a difference in people’s lives and see that they have impacted someone in a beneficial way. Humans also want to help the distressed or needy because it makes them feel good about themselves. The monster shows humanity through his good morals. Unlike the monster, Victor Frankenstein does not show humanity through good morals. Before the trial of Justine Moritz, Victor “resolved to be silent” about his monster (79). By doing so, Victor is trying to preserve himself because he is selfish, does not want to be seen as crazy and does not care about anyone else. He knows that he has the information to set Justine free, but does not act on good morals. If Victor had, he would have taken the blame for his brother’s death. Humans must care about the wellbeing of others and take responsibility for their actions. As a species, humans need to protect the people that they care about, not just themselves. Victor lacks the desire to put others before himself and good morals, therefore he is not connected to humanity. A passion for knowledge is necessary for humanity, which both Victor and his monster demonstrate throughout Frankenstein. In his hovel, the monster listens to Felix teach Safie. He wants to learn as much as he can about human society and “every conversation of the cottagers now opened new wonders to [him]” (122). The monster is very curious about humanity and listening to Felix’s lessons sparks his curiosity. His want for continuous knowledge is childlike. A child is passionate about learning as much as he can to better understand the world around him. Throughout the novel, the monster is curious and passionate about the world around him. Victor also has a passion for knowledge. The monster wants to learn to better himself, but Victor desires to learn about “…the secrets of heaven and earth…the physical secrets of the world” (39). From Victor’s love for forbidden knowledge, he creates his monster. Victor desires to see how far he can push the bounds of science. His passion for knowledge starts the chain reaction for the events in the novel. Even though Victor and his monster have different outlooks on what knowledge is, they both are curious and passionate about it. Victor and his monster help define humanity through the desire for companionship, their contradictory morals, and a passion for knowledge. Throughout Frankenstein, the monster constantly desires companionship while Victor eventually comes to the realization that he needs companions to be happy in life. The monster’s good morals define humanity as he puts others before himself and is not selfish like Victor. Both Victor and the monster have a passion for knowledge that manifests in the form of curiosity.
To begin, the monster longed for human connection so badly, he even begged Victor to create his wife: “You must create a female for me with whom I can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for my being. This you alone can do, and I demand it of you as my right which you must not refuse to concede,” (174). In this quote, the monster asks Victor to make him a companion, which Victor blatantly denies. This eventually leads to
As a tragic hero, Victor’s tragedies begin with his overly obsessive thirst for knowledge. Throughout his life, Victor has always been looking for new things to learn in the areas of science and philosophy. He goes so far with his knowledge that he ends up creating a living creature. Victor has extremely high expectations for his creation but is highly disappointed with the outcome. He says, “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 35). Frankenstein neglects the creature because of his horrifying looks, which spark the beginning of numerous conflicts and tragedies. At this point, the creature becomes a monster because of Victor’s neglect and irresponsibility. The monster is forced to learn to survive on his own, without anyone or anything to guide him along the way. Plus, the monster’s ugly looks cause society to turn against him, ad...
Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, has captured people’s attention since it was first written. People often wonder how much of Mary Shelley’s life is documented in her novel. From the theme of parental abandonment, to the theme of life and death in the novel, literary scholars have been able to find similarities between Frankenstein and Shelley’s life. The Journal of Religion and Health, the Journal of Analytical Psychology, and the Modern Psychoanalysis discuss the different connections between Shelley’s life and Frankenstein. Badalamenti, the author of “ Why did Mary Shelley Write Frankenstein?” in the Journal of Religion and Health, primarily discusses the connection between Victor
Throughout the history of mankind, the question of what it means to be a human being has been contemplated for centuries. Numerous philosophers have read and debated this significant question and it is still reflected upon today. Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley plumbs the depth of this question with the example of a creature who is spurned by humanity despite being human in character. The discernment of creature from man is still misconstrued as shown in this tale, but its importance lies in the message Frankenstein that appearances matter very little when it comes to being human. The creature’s human qualities of its emotions, desire for companionship, and intelligence set it apart as uniquely human from simply a base and barbaric monster
...e seeking help and strength to take care of problems in their lives. Victor Frankenstein is a man with a loving and caring family. Family and friends are an important part of his life. He has his whole life in front of him, when creates his monster. He creates the monster in the likeness of man with same need of love and affection as man. Although, this is his creation, he lets the monster down and does not care for him. The monster begins to feel neglected and lonely and wants desperately to have a human relationship. The monster turns angry and revengeful because he is so sad and abandoned. He wants Victor to feel the way that he does, all alone. The monster succeeds and Victor ends up losing all the important in his life and his own life. In the end, the monster dies and the need for human relationship becomes the destruction for both the monster and Victor.
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
...male companion in order to be content and accepted. “I am alone and miserable, man will not associate with me, but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me." This clearly shows the monsters idea of hope. When Frankenstein rips the female creation apart, he’s also ripping the monsters glimmering chance of him experiencing happiness to pieces.
After Frankenstein discovered the source of human life, he became wholly absorbed in his experimental creation of a human being. Victor's unlimited ambition, his desire to succeed in his efforts to create life, led him to find devastation and misery. "...now that I have finished, the beauty of the dream had vanished..." (Shelley 51). Victor's ambition blinded him to see the real dangers of his project. This is because ambition is like a madness, which blinds one self to see the dangers of his actions. The monster after realizing what a horror he was demanded that victor create him a partner. "I now also began to collect the materials necessary for my new creation, and this was like torture..." (Shelley 169). Victor's raw ambition, his search for glory, has left him. His eyes have been opened to see his horrible actions, and what have and could become of his creations. As a result, Victor has realized that he is creating a monster, which could lead to the downfall of mankind. His choice is simple, save his own life or save man.
...od; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy and I shall again be virtuous" (Shelley 66). In the novel, Victor has two chances to provide this happiness for the creation. In both cases, all the creation desires was a companion, be it Victor or a new creation. And, in both cases, Victor is influenced by his initial reaction of disgust at the sight of his original creation. This reaction originates from a preconception, a fear caused by the human nature to prejudge based on past experience. This prejudice is indeed the source of the pain and torment in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. If a "monster" exists in the novel, it is this aspect of human nature.
Frankenstein spent nearly two years devoting his life to giving life to an inanimate body. Frankenstein was so excited about finishing his work until he brought it the creature to life. Once the creature came to life Frankenstein abandoned him. Victor said, “Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room, and continued a long time traversing my bedchambers, unable to compose my mind to sleep (Shelley, 43).” Victor cast aside his creation simply because of his looks he could not get passed them. If Victor would have accepted and embraced the Monster than the outcome of their relationship could have been very different. Frankenstein’s rejection was the start of his future and happiness being stripped away from him. He had a chance to redeem himself to the Monster and he promised him he would create a companion for him and again he denies him that right as well. Victor spends months creating a companion for the creature and once he was almost finished he “tore to pieces” the Monsters companion. Victor now not only betrayed his creation once, but twice. First Victor left him and then he breaks his promise that he made
“.he declares 'everlasting war against the species, and, more than all, against him who had formed me, and sent me forth to this insupportable misery” (Bond). The monster is angry with Victor. He wants Victor to build him a companion, or he will kill everyone that Victor loves. After Victor rejects the idea, the monster wants Victor to feel the loneliness and isolation that the monster has felt all his life. “.if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear; and chiefly towards you, my arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred” (Shelley, 204).
As a response to the Enlightenment movement in 18th century Europe, Romanticism gradually began to undermine the way people thought about human consciousness and nature itself. Appreciation of the natural beauty of the world and pure, human emotion bloomed in Europe as Romanticism’s influence grew ("Topic Page: Romanticism”). Romantics valued Individualism and thought that being close to nature would make them closer to God (Morner and Rausch). People also searched for solace in nature to overcome the adversities and cynicisms that followed the French Revolution ("French Revolution."). Romanticism and Romantic ideals influenced Mary Shelley, and that influence can be seen throughout her novel Frankenstein. The two main characters, Victor Frankenstein
Even when Victor rejects him, the monster still seeks love from society and performs unselfish acts. He seeks the love from others. Longing for company, the monster stays in the cottage without revealing him and watches the family that lives there. By watching them he learned how to speak and read. The monster tried to understand the meaning of “beauty”. He somewhat understood why people he had interacted with had treated him ill and he realized that it was because they were frighten by his hideous appearance. “The absolute other cannot be selfed, that the monster has properties which will not be constrained by proper measure”(Spivak). This goes back to the idea of “other”, now the monster himself understand that he 's different from human, that he doesn 't have the properties as human do so he must be interior to them. Furthermore we see that by watching the family in the cottage, the monster soon starts to love the family. He liked the way they had affection and love they had for each other. “The gentle manners and beauty of cottagers greatly endeared them to me; when they were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathized in their joy”(Shelly100). This shows that the monster was very loving and caring towards the family as would a innocent
Victor’s loneliness leaves him devoid of purpose and determination, a shell of a human whose essence has been entirely obliterated. Even so, if Victor had not created this unnecessary monster, his family and friends would not have been strangled by his creation. By creating this wretched being, Victor fabricates his own downfall and forces his own seclusion in Frankenstein.
Friendship is one of the most common human desires found all over the world in every different type of people. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this deep-seeded need is explored, especially as it manifests itself in the hearts of three great men. Captain Walden writes to his sister about the loneliness that he is experiencing on his journey at the very start of the book. Then, as the story progresses, a similar want can be found in Victor despite his tightly woven relationship with Henry Clerval. The Creature is constantly denied his lust for companionship demonstrates the horrible consequences of incessant loneliness. His amiable nature combined with his grotesque appearance proves to be a horrific collaboration that serves only in gaining rejection as he is shunned, quite irrationally, over and over again by all living beings. The Creature's suffering could only be abandoned if he were able to encounter an unprejudiced and completely tolerant friend. Shelley masterfully conveys the importance of a kindred spirit and the overall necessity of loyalty between people.