There are many different definitions of what it means to be human and how to grow as a person. In the book, Frankenstein, the monster created by Victor Frankenstein grows from a creature who knows nothing about the world, emotions, and people to a metacognate being who has his own worldviews, opinions, and relationships. John Locke would say that the creature is a prime example of what humanity looks like; Locke believes that we grow by both experience and reflection, which the creature in Frankenstein does. To Locke, a human grows by his own experiences and reflections and is consciously aware of himself and his surroundings. The creature in the novel, Frankenstein, perfectly reflects Locke’s ideas of how we as humans grow and mature.
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the monster is created, he experiences all kinds of emotions like hunger, anger, confusion, heat, and other various sensations (Frankenstein 70-72). These sensations and feelings help the creature grow as a human and understand what feelings are and how to later use them.
Also, when the creature describes to Frankenstein his experience with the wood and fire and how he recognized that in order to keep the fire going, which has many benefits, he needs to add in more wood, we can see his metacognition and humanness developing. He is using reasoning and cause and effect and is now aware of his surroundings and himself (Frankenstein 72-73). After the creature is turned away by the villagers, he starts observing the DeLacey family. He becomes confused by the family as to why they are sad because to the creature they have everything they need to be happy humans: “a delightful house, fire, food, excellent clothes, kind company, affection, and speech” (Frankenstein 77). Throughout the rest of chapters 12 and 13, the creature starts to grow and become aware …show more content…
of language, repetition, and annunciation by observing the DeLacey family; he watches how they speak, act, and talk so that he can practice it and one day duplicate it in order to communicate with them and other people. After observing the DeLaceys for a while, the creature reflects on his own life and realizes how lonely, poor, and ugly he is, and wishes away his humanity by saying that he wishes he “never felt past the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat” (Frankenstein 85). He understands all the pits of what being a human is and what it feels like to be lonely, hurt, and rejected. The creature is consciously comparing himself to what the normal human was like at that time and was trying to grow so that he could become more like them. Some people would wonder why we are using the creature as an example of John Locke’s ideas of humanity because in their opinion, he is not a human, but on the contrary, he is.
The creature is aware of his surroundings and situations, he has both good and bad emotions, and understands what each one means and how to use them for good or bad. Also, he has grown to teach himself how to speak and read the language of the DeLacey and Frankenstein families, and finally, he has experienced life for himself. Obviously, he hasn’t had loads of experiences yet because of how “young” he is, but he has experienced anger, hurt, happiness, confusion, how to think, how to run, etc. If someone was taking advice from John Locke about whether the creature is human or not, Locke would say that he is. Locke is all about experience, and says that in order to grow as a human and learn, we have to experience life for ourselves, and that is what the creature does and how he learns about humanity, the world, and
himself. John Locke would agree that the creature is the model of humanity; Locke states that as humans grow, they start to understand the world around them for themselves and start to form personal beliefs and worldviews. To Locke, the main way that a person can grow and mature is through both experience and reflection. These experiences can be emotional, physical, or mental. It doesn’t matter how a person experiences things, it just matters that he does. If Locke was reading Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, he would say that the monster that Victor Frankenstein created is the perfect example of a human because he has his own personal experiences that lead him to create his own conclusions about how he should live, what he wants to do, and how he is going to do it. In his piece, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Locke attacks the topic of the “object of thinking” (Locke 146). He states that even though the popular opinion is that man is born with innate abilities, he thinks that only when humans have their own personal opinions and experiences can they grow and understand ideas, concepts, and the degrees of the natural world (Locke 146). The creature in, Frankenstein, is the perfect example of coming into the world clueless and fearful because he has no preconceived notions or innate abilities. When the creature first comes into the world, he is trying to figure out what simple concepts are and ideas mean. For example, he observes what light, darkness, fear, hunger, and anger are only after he experiences them and feels them for himself (Frankenstein 70-72). He does not have this innate ability to decipher between emotions and feelings. Locke would say that the creature’s experiences allow him to grow and experience other emotions and concepts like love, hatred, how to read, how to think, and metacognition. Next, Locke begs the topic of where these ideas and sensations come from. First, he alludes to the mind as being “white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas” (Locke 146). Locke then asks how this piece of paper can become filled with wisdom and knowledge, his answer: experience. Locke says that all of our knowledge is founded upon and based off of experience, whether that be from from “external objects, or internal operations of our minds,” experiences are what supply us with understanding for “all material” (Locke 146). The monster starts to form his own opinions about people and himself only after he is hurt by Frankenstein, the townspeople, and the DeLaceys. The monster forms his own hatred towards the Frankenstein family after Victor abandons him and deprives him of love and a mate. After the DeLacey family beats and runs the monster off reminding him of his ugliness and loneliness, the monster turns against humanity. All of these experiences pushed the monster to form his own notions about mankind and its evil agenda towards people and things that are against the status quo. Even though Locke says that experience is the main way in which people grow, he also says that in order to reach maximum growth and wisdom, there needs to be a combination of both experience and reflection (Locke 147). Locke writes that from this internal sense of “observing ourselves,” we can understand our own ideas and thoughts, Locke calls this “reflection” (Locke 147). From our reflection is where our ideas come from, and without this reflection, sensation and experience mean nothing; according to Locke, “you have to have both to grow” (Locke 147). Through the monster, we can see his metacognition growing because of his reflection. Only when the creature sensations, reflections, and experiences all come together, is when he becomes aware that he is ugly, lonely, and unhappy and that he is against what the norm of the world looked and felt like. After he reflects upon the experiences he’s had with rejection, pain, loss, and loneliness, is when he establishes a hatred towards Frankenstein and his family. Also, after Frankenstein destroys the creature's mate, the creature process the emotions of betrayment and disloyalty, and then from that experience he forms the idea of seeking revenge for his mate by hunting down Frankenstein and his family. Ultimately, Locke would agree that the creature in Mary Shelley's, Frankenstein, is a prime example of what a human is and how we, as humans, grow. To Locke, a human has metacognition and experiences that help him grow and mature; the creature in Mary Shelley's, Frankenstein, does just that. The creature goes out and has his own personal experience in the world, and grows to form his own opinions and worldviews based on his experiences and reflections. If anyone wants to observe what the ideas of John Locke look like in real life, they need to read Frankenstein and observe how the creature acts, lives, and grows.
To begin with, Victor Frankenstein's creature thinks, reacts and acts like a human. For example, When the creature was in the woods he noticed that a girl was drowning in the lake. When he went in the lake to go save her from dying a man comes and thinks that the creature was doing harm to the girl. When all the creature was trying to do was to save the girl from drowning. In this case the creature reacted and acted just like a human would. To add on, the creature also made some horrid mistakes in which he regrets in doing. The creature regrets and admits that he did wrong ''But now vice has degraded me beneath the meanest animal''(192). In this quote it states that the creature calls himself an "animal'' because of all his wrong doing. The creature
“I now hasten to the more moving part of my story. I shall relate events that impressed me with feelings which, from what I was, have made me what I am” (Shelley 92). Frankenstein’s Creature presents these lines as it transitions from a being that merely observes its surroundings to something that gains knowledge from the occurrences around it. The Creature learns about humanity from “the perfect forms of [his] cottagers” (90). Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein offers compelling insights into the everlasting nature versus nurture argument. Her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote, “Treat a person ill, and he will become wicked.” Shelley believes that the nurture of someone, or something, in the Creature’s case, forms them into who they become and what actions they take. While this is true for Frankenstein’s Creature, the same cannot be said about Victor Frankenstein.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein shows the progression of maturity in many characters seen in the book. The monster in the book shows a significant amount of maturity at the end of the novel, however, the maturity progression is not seen because story is Victor’s narration. The wretch knows his murders were wrong and ultimately accepts responsibility for his deeds. In the beginning of the book, the monster has the maturity of an infant and knows not of the way humans behave. The monster lacks nurture and self-control and is emotionally disordered (Brown 148). The monster in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein matures throughout the book, ultimately taking responsibility for his actions, and inflicting upon himself the punishment he believes that he deserves for his sins.
The creature was created with the intention of goodness and purity but because of this, he wasn’t equipped to deal with the rejection of his creator. After Victor Frankenstein’s death, Robert Walton walks in to see the creature standing over his friend’s lifeless body.
The Creature was born capable of thing such as love and sympathy though he lost these capabilities as a result of how he was treated. The creature’s heart was ‘fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy’ but wrenched with misery to ‘vice and hatred’. On a cold night in November, Victor Frankenstein brought his creation to life. This creation has thin black lips, inhuman eyes, and
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
...ime, such as reading, speaking, and how to find shelter. More importantly however, he learns something that affects his entirety of his short life: how humans truly are. Frankenstein learns that humans can be kind and moral, but more often are cruel, brutish, unfair, and unsympathetic. He learns that he will never be accepted, and learning this drives him to do rather evil human-ish acts. Even as he does these bad things though, he still experiences regret, longing for companionship, and the drive to do good things and be a good person. This inner conflict is present in all humans, as we struggle to do the right thing and avoid temptations and violence. This struggle is what causes the creature to truly be human, encompassing all of humanity’s aspects, including both the good and bad.
Sometimes in novels like Frankenstein, the motives of the author are unclear. Mary Shelley presents the humanity of Victor Frankenstein 's creation. Although, she presents evidence in both support and opposition to the creation 's humanity it is apparent that this being is indeed human. The creature’s humanity is not only witnessed in his physical being, but in his intellectual and emotional thoughts as well. From the novel, some people think that Frankenstein’s humanity is argued by the fact that being human does not mean coming from a specific genetic chain and having family to relate to, but to embrace many of the distinct traits that set humans apart from other species in this world. In fact, Frankenstein creation does not support
“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” ...
As the creature continues on his journey, he only seeks love and acceptance. He is human. He wants to be accepted and feel lived by a family. The creature find the DeLacey family and he watches them. He begins to learn how to speak. Shelley gives the monster a voice— something never done before. Furthermore, the monster finds refuge in the blind man, the father. The blind man is the only person who seems to care about the creature. He listens to him. In a sense, he is the only shot the creature has at acceptance. Once the children find the monster, “Agatha faint[s]; and Safie, unable to attend to her friend, rush[s] out of the cottage. Felix dart[s] forward, and with supernatural force tore [the monster] from his father” (Shelley 161). They force him out of their
The world today is filled today with multiple types of people, but no one like Victor Frankenstein’s creature. If Frankenstein's creature existed in modern times he would have a difficult time fitting in and adapting because of his upbringing, appearance, and his lack of social experience.
The literary critic Harold Bloom, in his Afterward in the Signet Edition of Frankenstein states that, “The monster is at once more intellectual and more emotional than his creator.” Bloom continues to say that the creature is more human, more lovable, and more to be pitied than Doctor Frankenstein (292). Throughout the novel Frankenstein, the monster portrays more human qualities than his creator Dr. Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein appears less human than his creation because he rejects his own creation and he fails to plan for the results of his experiment. As the monster wanders through the novel searching for companionship and acceptance, Dr. Frankenstein refuses to provide the support expected of a parent or creator. While the monster appears human in his attempts to socialize with his peers, Dr. Frankenstein represents the monstrosity that occurs when humans tamper with life.
Philosophers and scientists alike have debated for centuries whether a person’s character is the result of nature or nurture. In the writings of Thomas Hobbes, it is expressed that humans are endowed with character from birth, and that they are innately evil in nature. John Locke’s response to this theory is that everyone is born with a tabula rasa, or blank slate, and then develops character after a series of formative experiences. The idea that true character is the result of experiences and societal interaction is a theme deeply explored throughout Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Through different interactions with the monster, Shelley attempts to express that it is because of Victor’s failings as a parent and creator, because of the monster’s isolation, and because of society’s reaction to the monster that the monster has become evil. The monster’s character is a direct result of how he was nurtured, based on his experiences and circumstances, rather than his being innately evil from “birth.”
Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is a story about the dangers of knowledge and the consequences of overstepping moral and ethical boundaries. By examining Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein through a psychoanalytic lens, it can be interpreted that the creature is a mirror of Victor Frankenstein’s personality. Psychoanalysis argues that the conscious and unconscious mind are made up of the id, superego and ego. In order to self-actualize the conscious and unconscious mind must be in equilibrium. The creature and Victor both strive for self-actualization through their yearning to understand the world. They share the experience of lower-level emotions like the need for revenge. Ultimately, the destruction in the novel is rooted in Victor’s and the creature’s experience of parental abandonment,
The creature is born into the world with a fully functional brain; however, he has no knowledge of anything. As the story progresses, the creature quickly learns the language, culture, and customs of the world he lives in. Since he is horribly ugly, he is rejected by the people of his society, this is the motivation behind his need and desire to learn about himself and the society he lives in. As the creature obtains more and more knowledge, he finally discovers his origins and birth from Victor. As a result, the Creature becomes a wretched monster, who now has no sympathy for anyone or anything. The Creature becomes fixed on the idea of needing a companion, and due to this obsession, he turns Victor’s life upside down. The Creature is able to torment Victor by killing his family members, then quickly vanishing so Victor can not tell who or what he saw. The Creature and Victor finally meet again and the Creature tells Victor of his stories and struggles. Throughout the novel, the Creature remains in the same state of being, he persistently harasses Victor and maintains a watchful eye on him. At the beginning of the novel, the Creature is an innocent being, made purely for science. In the end of the novel the reader sees what the Creature truly becomes when Victor has died and the Creature is having his last words, he says: “I felt the cheering warmth of summer, and heard the rustling of the leaves and the warbling of the birds, and these were all to me, I should have wept to die; now it is my only consolation”(pg. 166). This explains how the Creature is aware of how he has changed from start to beginning. The society that he lived in, causes him to shift from an innocent and loving creature, to a hopeless and wretched