Frankenstein Corruption Of Innocence Essay

Agyarko

AP English

Mr. Quartermus

January 30, 2015

Corruption of Innocence

In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein innocence is fragile. Time and time again it was proved to be easily shattered by knowledge. The book served to prove that Humans are fundamentally flawed creatures; their ambition, prejudice, and vanity often lead to corruption. Victor Frankenstein did not create a monster. What was created was an innocent being that was tainted and corrupted along with its creator. In the conflict between the creation and the creator many lives were ruined. But who was really at fault? By Jean Jacques Rousseau’s standards, the true monster in Frankenstein is society

What led to the creation of the monster in the first place was Victor’s desire to be

revered by society. He wanted to be a great scientist, he desired world renown. As a result he became lost in his ambition. Victor’s thirst for knowledge blinded him. After he created his “Adam” he realized what he had actually done, “For this I had deprived myself of rest and health. 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.” (18). He was obsessed with creation but he forgot several important details. After creation should come nurturing. When he had successfully given the creature life he was unable to see an innocent being. Instead he saw a monstrosity. Rather than take responsibility for his creation he spurned it. “All men hate the wretched; how then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us.” (36). He successfully became god and as God did, Victor created the devil.
Originally a blank slate, Victor’s creation learned from the evils of society. Victor deprived his creation not only of the natural human desires of love and acceptance but also of a teacher. He was forced to provide for himself with no knowledge about the world. When he describes his first night he says, "I was a poor, helpless, miserable wretch; I knew, and could distinguish, nothing; but, feeling pain invade me on all sides, I sat down and wept" (68). Eventually he began his own quest for knowledge. What he found was that his only desire was companionship. When his desires were satisfied by neither society nor his creator he turned to vengeance. “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. My companion must be of the same species and have the same defects. This being you must create.” (53) Of course, when Victor destroyed the companion the creature desired he fell further and further into the depths of evil.
Society denied the monster access to the happiness he longed for. Vengeance had become all the monster had left. “You can blast my other passions, but revenge remains—revenge, henceforth dearer than light of food! I may die, but first you, my tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery.” (57). Victor caused his innocent creation to become an evil monster. The monster was originally benevolent, when he speaks to Victor he says, “Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded” (56). Though the monster’s deeds were evil, they were not purely his fault. He was like a child that was raised by abuse and as a result only knew how to abuse.
In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein society is ignorant.

Dr. Frankenstein’s monster is mistreated because of his outward appearance. He was attacked, shunned, and scorned. His only “crime” being his existence. This made him understandably bitter and angry. “Was there no injustice in this? Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all human kind sinned against me?” (55). His treatment by society was not justified by anything except his demeanor. Justine’s fate was similar to that of the monster. This was an ironic act of vengeance. The monster was accused of being a monster based on assumptions rather than proof. All the same Justine was treated as if she were guilty without the chance to prove her innocence. The priest as well as her associates treated Justine as if she were guilty. Justine, being a devote Catholic that she confessed to the crime in order to prevent herself from going to hell. “I leave a sad and bitter world; and if you remember me and think of me as of one unjustly condemned, I am resigned to the fate awaiting me. (31). In the end her faith in humanity was lost. Elizabeth’s innocence was also lost at the trial of Justine. Elizabeth lost her innocence because her trust had been betrayed. "How shall I ever again believe in human goodness? Justine, whom I loved and esteemed as my sister, how could she put on those smiles of innocence only to betray? (30). She had believed that Justine was innocent, when Justine confessed her faith in humanity was lost. The weak

nature of man was shown during the trial. “Several witnesses were called who had known her for many years, and that had spoken well of her; but fear and hatred of the crime of which they supposed her guilty rendered them timorous and unwilling to come forward.” (29) Those around her that knew her good character were afraid to speak up on her behalf. Society had failed Justine as it had failed the monster.
When Victor goes back on his promise to give the monster a female companion the monster lost all of his preexisting morals.

In his rage he vowed to ruin Victor’s life. “If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear, and chiefly towards you my archenemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred. Have a care; I will work at your destruction, nor finish until I desolate your hear, so that you shall curse the hour of your birth.” (60) The monster no longer has a trace of purity within him. He was forced to watch everyone experience happiness around him while he himself was shunned. “Now that virtue has become to me a shadow, and that happiness and affection are turned into bitter and loathing despair, in what should I seek for sympathy?"(203) Isolation had left the monster bitter and angry at the world, but most importantly his

creator.
The point the Monster began to lose his innocence was when he left the forest. When he started his pursuit of knowledge he saw the evil in society. When the pains of knowledge first manifested in the monster he exclaimed "I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me; I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had forever remained in my native wood, nor known or felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat" (81). What the monster desired was to go back to an earlier time in his existence; before he was subject to the hatred of society. Because the monster could not go back to reclaim his innocence he proceeded down the only path that was left to him. Rejected by his creator and society he embraced his new evil nature. When he confronts Dr. Frankenstein after the doctor destroys what would have been the monster's mate, he says "Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful" (116). Prior to this the monster was still similar to a child having a temper tantrum than evil. He had evolved from the ignorant and fearful creature that stuck his hand in the fire. He had learned from the society that hated him and rather than be afraid he became bold. The monster chose to become the tormentor rather than the tormented.
Despite what the monster had been through his actions; though understandable, were inexcusable. The monster murdered Frankenstein’s brother, William implicated an innocent women. As if not enough, the monster also vented its anger against Dr. Frankenstein on his fiancé and Elizabeth murdered her. The monster was a blank slate that was tainted by society’s influence. Prior to his interaction with the world outside of the forest he was harmless, as Jean Jacques Rousseau believes, society has a corrupting influence on everyone.

Works Cited
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. USA: Tom Doherty Associates, Inc, 1988