Humanity in Frankenstein; Is Anyone Human?

Humans are seen by many as the exemplary species on earth, intended by God to dominate and take control of others. Humanity cannot be characterized as a physical trait; for one can appear to be human on the outside but within are nothing near a human. Within Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, humanity can be considered an emotional experience; an experience where one is always longing for acceptance and naturally conforms to avoid being ostracized or different. The monster is made from human parts and in human likeness, but is not seen as a human being by many. Such is a question raised by many; is the monster human, or is he a filthy demon to which Victor Frankenstein had given life? Although a clear definition of humanity is not expressed in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the monster is in fact human due to its ability to adapt and utilize the human culture and lifestyle in many ways including longing for a companion, discovering its soul and yearning for acceptance.

One way the monster can be considered human is his want for a companion. A human longs for a companion from birth; starting with a motherly figure, to a friend and later a significant other. The novel suggests that the creature cannot be accepted as human because he is a singular being. His singularity makes it so that the creature cannot relate to humans and without the ability to relate, he cannot be human. Thus the monster asks victor for a companion to attempt to bar his destructive, murderous actions, assuming that feeling more human and having someone like him will resist his urge to destroy and seek revenge on human society. The monster begs, “I am alone and miserable: man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny he...

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...r and companion. “I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct” (Shelley 166). The burning guilt and remorse the monster experiences here show that he is as human as any of the characters in the novel, perhaps the most human of all.

It’s rather unbelievable that something with such a strange birth and start to life could act so human so quickly. The monster is in fact human due to his ability to adapt to human nature in ways like wanting someone similar to him, wanting to be accepted and realizing that his emotions were his demise. Many let their emotions overtake them in times where they feel threatened or pressured and their true colors are shown. The meaning of humanity and what being human is will continue to be questioned with time, and one can question if a true definition of humanity can ever be determined.