Being human means having empathy and love for those, even when they may not like you back. In Gris Grimly's Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein creates a being who tries to navigate life whilst making mistakes after he’d been abandoned by his creator. The creature experiences being rejected by many people and figures out how to live as an outcast even though he feels he belongs with others, making many mistakes as he goes. Victor Frankenstein’s creation is human, because throughout the book, he expresses his wants to be loved, and how he is able to understand human emotions and their language, which are human traits. The creature is undeniably human because he has a desire for someone to care for. When the creature is requesting a mate from Victor, …show more content…
When he says that he wants a mate because that was what he was created for, he is saying that he is meant to love someone, which is something all humans do. When Victor was creating the creature, he was meaning to create a being that would love like a human. Because of this, the creature is human because he wants to obtain the ability to love someone. Furthermore, after Victor’s death, the creature shows up and explains himself, and begins talking about his life, “When I first sought it, it was the love of virtue, the feelings of happiness and affection with which my whole being overflowed and I wished to participate” (191). This description demonstrates that the creature never intended to harm anyone and just wanted to be cared for. His entire life he was cast away from any chance at adoration, and he says that he always wanted to participate in the love and affection that others were able to. This shows that the creature is human because he dedicated his life to achieving endearment from someone, but was never able to, he wanted to be treated as a human because he is a
The fact the creature refers to a Biblical story teaches us that what Victor has done is not ethical or morally right as the bible connotes truth and wellbeing, the creature feels he is not treated as Adam because he is rejected like the fallen angel is from heaven; the philosophy is that one should absolve themselves of all sin, leaving the creature feeling like his is owed something from Victor. Furthermore during the romantic period it was said that ‘All man is born good’ however this contradicts the creatures life as he is sinned against, hated by Victor and feared by society from the day he was created although he did no wrong. The creature is given no chance in life like Adam was; he is simply a creation who is isolated fr...
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
Each living being has the right to live and to be happy in this world – which is the simple philosophy of life. When the creature asks Victor to create somebody to love it gets heartless reply:” …Devil ... do you dare approach me? ... Be gone, vile insect! Or rather, stay that I may trample you to dust! ... Abhorred monster! Fiend that thou art! The tortures of hell are too mild a vengeance for thy crimes. Wretched devil! You reproach me with your creation; come on then, that I may extinguish the spark which I so negligently bestowed” [p.68]. For him the life on this creature is nothing, just another caprice, just something used to want and does not need anymore. He, considering himself to be “God”, does not care about what the creature feels and how lonely it is. Whom to blame? Analysis shows that Victor is the victim of the mistakes his parents did, and the Creature is a victim of Victor’s ill perception of reality. The answer says to itself!
The question of whether we are fundamentally rational or irrational beings is a fundamental philosophical one. Authors have taken different positions throughout history, with some arguing that it is ideal to embrace our passions and others espousing reason over everything. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, seems to argue that while we are capable of both extremes, reason is a far better ideal to follow. Her two main characters, Victor Frankenstein and the creature he creates, represent these opposite extremes. It is the creature who is more rational and, in the novel, seems to be more admirable. However, Dostoyevsky, the author of Notes from the Underground, argues to the contrary. Not only does he argue that humans are fundamentally
The creature later went on a journey looking for his creator, he wanted partner to be with him since he was the only one of his kind plus the people hated him. He wanted a partner whom he could live with and not feel alone in this world. When they first encounter themselves victor was amazed by his creation but once again victor did not wanted to see.” Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence, which you had so wantonly bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants
“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” ...
The Creature, after learning what it is to love, requests that Victor creates a companion for him. Victor rejects the creature’s proposition, as Victor now understands the consequences of animating what shouldn't be alive, the Creature wants nothing more than for Victor to suffer, to feel the pain that he, as a wretch, faces. The Creature does so by devoting his life to the destruction of Victor’s. In chapter 24, the Creature states “But it is even so; the fallen angel becomes the malignant devil.” The creature is viewed as entirely evil by the characters of the novel, despite the scenes in which his benevolent nature is shown. It is ironic that Victor and his creature are foils of one another, yet they suffer a similar fate: their desire to destroy one another led to their ultimate
In order to properly determine whether or not characters or parties in multiple works are “Human”, it is first necessary to attempt to define what it is to be “Human”. Humanity, or being human can be interpreted as many things, such as possessing empathy, like in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, or a characteristic found in the genes, as Oryx and Crake implies. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein suggests a more absolute definition, one where any deviation from the natural process of birth creates a being that is referred to as “monster” and “devil” - “human” is out of the question.(Shelley, 68) I argue, however, that humanity is best characterized by not what traits it has, but what traits it does not. Humanity, as a whole, is not immortal, it is not omnipotent or omniscient, and it cannot create life - certainly not sentience. Humanity could be described as a struggle toward obtaining these traits, in other words, being human separates us from animals in that we struggle to be greater than we are, whereas animals are content to simply survive. What happens when a human crosses this threshold, completes its struggle? Frankenstein, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, and Oryx and Crake all deal with this concept, and come to the same conclusion. When the struggle leads a human to create another with humanity by means other than reproduction, the creator and creature cannot coexist.
There are obvious similarities between Victor and his creation; each is abandoned, isolated, and both start out with
In Frankenstein, Victor was interested with the science of life. In his quest to understand death, Victor creates life, using his brilliant mind to bring a corpses to life. He is satisfied with his success, but is then disgusted by the creature, abandoning him as a baby without a mother or father to show him the way of the world or to protect him. The abandonment that occurred in the monster's early life had a huge effect on his whole life. As a result of this abandonment, Frankenstein and society ultimately pay a very high price. Telgan says, "Frankenstein's moral failure in his heedless pursuit to know all he might about life without taking responsibility for his acts. His "sin" was not in creating the monster, but in abandoning him to orphanage at birth" (page 194). "Childlike in his innocence, the monster wants only to be loved, but gets it from neither his "father" nor from any other in the community" (page 195). The monster searches for love and friendship, and he fails at finding it.
“His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips” (Shelley 58). This image is enough to strike fear into anyone and even the creature eventually saw that he was a monster when compared to everyone else. Nevertheless, his request to Victor espouses a side of himself that is anything but monstrous. After an extensive amount of time of hiding and living alone, the creature asks that Victor create a mate for him. Unlike Victor, who left his bride and worried her constantly, the creature desires someone to spend his unfortunate existence with, saying “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 a right which you must not refuse to concede" (Shelley 174). Though the extent of the creature’s opinion on the topic of women is concentrated into this one statement, the contrast between the creature and creator cannot be clearer. Victor’s primary focuses in life are his experiments and fixing his mistakes, while
Society is inevitable. It will always be there as a pleasure and a burden. Society puts labels on everything such as good or bad, rich or poor, normal or aberrant. Although some of these stamps are accurate, most are misconceptions. In Mary Shelley's, Frankenstein, this act of erring by society is extremely evident. Two of the most inaccurate assumptions of society revolve around the central characters, Dr. Frankenstein and the monster. Society's labels for these two extremely different characters are on the exact opposite side of the scale of what they truly are. Dr. Frankenstein is more of a monster while the monster is more humane.
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.
Victor plays the role of God and creates his “Adam” but unlike the Adam from the bible, the creature is not designed in a perfect image or guarded by the care of his creator. The creature compares himself to Satan when he says “I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; …like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me” (228). The creature was forsaken his first days of living and learned about the society of humans through observation and reading. God introduced Adam to the world with everything provided and guided him his early days of life. He saw Adams loneliness and granted him a mate. The creature asks Frankenstein for a companion as a last chance to become happy and good hearted. Victor destroys his hope and brings more tragedy among him by doing so. God creates all things good, Victor took his Job as a creator and his creation became malignant because unlike God he was ashamed of his creation. From that point on the creatures’ heart becomes cold and makes sure to destroy his creator. When Victor dies the creature repents for the damage that he has done and would live with continuing pain till his death. “…My agony was still superior to thine; for the bitter sting of remorse will not cease to rankle in my wounds until death shall close them forever” (380).
The monster in Mary Shelly’s novel Frankenstein is a creature somewhere in between human and non-human being. Through learning and observation, the monster acquires the basic skills to live in the human world. He perceives the world and himself through the view of human, and he develops the emotion and taste similar to human. However, his human identity is constantly rejected by people—even his creator, Doctor Victor Frankenstein refuses to acknowledge him as human and refers to him as “the monster”. Throughout the whole novel, the monster struggles to pursue a human identity yet suffers from the sorrow of failure, which ultimately leads to his hatred and retaliation.