Nature Vs Nurture In Frankenstein Research Paper

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Frankenstein, a novel written by Mary Shelley that tells the tale of Dr. Frankenstein’s monster, and Wuthering Heights, a book authored by Emily Brontë that tells the story of a character named Heathcliff, both include the concept of nature vs. nurture. The pair of works include death, a passion-driven villain, and madness, which are all elements present in Gothic literature. The two novels both exhibit the prevailing theme of nature vs. nurture through the usage of these Gothic elements.
The usage of the Gothic element of death in both Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights assists in portraying the notion of nature vs. nurture. Whether it be Frankenstein’s monster or Heathcliff, both characters are shaped by death in some way, even though the ways they were raised varied. The …show more content…

nurture is furthered by the inclusion of passion-driven villains throughout the course of both works. Frankenstein’s monster is driven by a desire to be loved and accepted by both his creator and others, which exhibits that he was born with a healthy and normal nature. However, after failing to introduce himself to a family, the monster claims that “for the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom” (99). This experience outlines how the monster’s kind-hearted nature is overridden by his awful upbringing, since he tries to be kind to humans, but is led to despise them after they hurt him both physically and emotionally. Somewhat similarly, Heathcliff, although despicable by nature, also turns to villainy after being turned away by Elizabeth. Heathcliff’s true nature is revealed after Elizabeth chooses to marry Edgar Linton, even after telling her servant and an eavesdropping Heathcliff, “It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him” (87). After overhearing this conversation, Heathcliff becomes his true evil self and believes that he is justified in attempting to ruin the lives of the Linton

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