How Is Frankenstein Selfish

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Aidan Mougenot Platt English 4 Honors 13 May 2024 Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and the Consequences of Selfishness Mary Shelley, an English novelist from the gothic period of literature, and her most notable work Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus are perfect examples of the natural human inclination to maximize either contentment or longevity. Through the early life experiences of Mary Shelley leading up to the creation of her novel and the content within, it is evident her masterpiece is a reflection on the consequences of selfishness. In order to explain why selfishness manifests into her writing, it is important to emphasize just how fitting of a word that selfish is for Shelley. Shelley’s mother died of puerperal fever just ten days …show more content…

In his pursuit, he endangers the lives of his crew and likely causes his sister, whom the letters are addressed to, a great deal of worry. But he cares not for this, frequently trivializing his potential death to her in blatant disregard of hers and his crew’s feelings, showing just how little matters to him other than his ambitions. Shelley is much like this man in the sense that they both took a journey by ship to a place where they hope to find happiness, but more so in that, just like Walton, she too disregards others for her happiness. In writing a character like Walton, it almost seems like Shelley subconsciously rewrites her own selfishness; recognizing that the inability to resist your desires in spite of circumstances that may falter you is part of being human. Further along his journey, Walton meets a man with a curious story. The man had found the love of his life, brought together a sum of money, and won her father’s approval to marry. However, just before their wedding, his betrothed cried to him, explaining that she was unhappy as it was not him that she …show more content…

In pursuit of this ambition, Frankenstein disregards everyone in his life, ignoring letters from his family and refusing to take breaks from his work. He becomes so focused on finishing the monster and becoming a godlike figure to it that his “eyes are insensible to the charms of nature” (Shelley 39). When he completes the monster and beholds what an unsightly being he’s created, he abandons it as he was so focused on the sole task of creating life that he was completely blind to the fact that his creation was so hideous and unnatural that it could never be accepted by society. Understanding that the creature would only serve to hurt his own image, Frankenstein instantly rejects all responsibility for it. The consequences of his ego and selfish desire for renown come in the form of the monster’s rampage of revenge on Frankenstein’s family, as he refused to take responsibility for its life and grant it the security of love and

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