Similarities Between Ourika And Frankenstein

At first glance, many would not imagine comparing the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to the novella Ourika by Claire De Duras. However when analyzed closely, the similarities and differences between Ourika and the creature, prompts many readers to compare the novel and the novella. Both the creature and Ourika fulfill the idea of outcasts, while containing significant amount of differences. Whereas the creature’s anguish stems from society’s rejection of him and the creature pinning his suffering on society, Ourika’s misery on the other hand, arises from her own self-animosity and refusing to accept society’s shortcomings.

Both the creature from Frankenstein and Ourika from Ourika, demonstrate how dangerous society’s superficial view

can be on the individual. Both the creature and Ourika are rejected from their cultures solely based on their looks. Although the creature contains the ideal personality of a human, society still forbids his entry into civilization. The cottagers receiving aid from the creature exhibit how a society cherishes looks more than personality when the creature recounts, “who could have describe their horror and consternation on beholding me” (Shelley pg. 94). The cottagers don’t question the creature, also their supporter, when confronting them; instead they cower in fear from the hideousness of the creature. Society’s tendency to overlook personality for looks serves as the main source of agony for Ourika. Ourika realizes that she is bound for a life away from society when Mme de B admits, “I see the poor girl alone, always alone in the world” (Duras pg. 12). Mme de B clarifies to the readers that because of Ourika’s skin color, society will not accept her as French. The quote specifically impacts Ourika, since her own benefactor claims that Ourika will forever remain an outcast. The two texts ask the reader to reconsider their thoughts on society and culture, and contemplate the criteria to feel “belonged.” However, the interesting part does not come from comparing the creature’s and Ourika’s similarities, rather how their conceptualization of their position impacts on how they view society.
Throughout the novella, Ourika slowly reasons that her skin color is the cause of her hardship, instead of realizing that her pain arrives from society’s rejection of her. Ourika quickly understands that the French culture will no longer accept her as a member of the French community when Mme de B’s friend the marquise exclaims, “What kind of man would marry a negress? Even supposing you can bribe some fellow to father mulatto children, he could only be of low birth. She can only want the kind of husband who would never look at her” (Duras pg13). Regardless of Ourika’s social class, the marquise reveals that Ourika could only marry a husband of a lower lifestyle because of her skin color. Ourika recognizes that the French culture overlooks her social class and focuses rather on the color of her skin. Unlike the creature in Frankenstein that is born without the feeling of belonging, Ourika is painfully removed from the culture in which she was raised. Moreover, Ourika herself begins to loath her skin because of its alienation when she claims, “Till then I had regretted belonging to a race of outcasts. Now I had the shame of belonging to a race of barbarous murderers” (Duras pg.21). Ourika automatically connects the color of her skin to a “race of outcasts.” Through Ourika’s use of negative diction, she supports the idea that the culture is not at fault for her suffering; instead she considers her skin is the root of her isolation. Ourika desperately desires resume her position in a society that superficially outcasts her.
Although the creature’s original intention is to seek acceptance and love from society, he ultimately shifts to craving revenge against his creator.

At the beginning of his life, the creature does not seek to harm the human race, instead wishing to join them. The creature demonstrates his desires when he reveals to Frankenstein that, “I longed to join them, but dared not. I remembered to well the treatment I had suffered the night before” (Shelly pg76). Regardless of his previously interactions with violent humans, he continues to desire the feeling of belonging to a group or family. Like Ourika, once the creature realizes that society will not accept him, he wishes for an interpersonal relationship with a significant other. The creature reveals to Frankenstein that, “I demand a creature of another sex, but as hideous as myself: the gratification is small, but it is all I can receive, and it shall content me” (Shelly pg102). The creature understands that the love he will receive from a female creature will not completely fill the gap of belonging; nonetheless he comprehends that some small feeling of attachment and love is enough to make him happy. Although the creature begins as kind-hearted character desiring companionship, the creature ultimately desires revenge against Frankenstein throughout volume three. The psyche of the creature evolves from one of innocent child looking at the world for the first time, to a vile human wishing to act upon his anger. Importantly, the

novel asks the reader to consider the reasons behind the personality change of the creature.
The creature’s use of violence towards the end of the novel is not a result of his natural violent urges, but as the result of the influence of society.

The creature’s unhappiness at the end of the novel is not from the result of his own self-hate like Ourika, rather he believes that society is the cause of his suffering. During the time when the creature is outside the influences of society, he is free from hate and misery. The creature expresses his gentle nature when he admires cottagers stating, “ I admired virtue and good feelings, and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottagers, but I was shut out from the intercourse” (Shelly pg84). At this point of the novel, the creature only had minimal contact with society evident from the seclusion from the cottagers; therefore he still views humans as amiable creatures. However as the creature continues to encounter other humans, he begins to develop a hateful attitude towards them. At the end of the novel, the creature reveals to Walton, “I cannot believe I am he whose thoughts were once filled with sublime and transcendent visions of beauty… the fallen angel becomes a malignant devil” (Shelly pg160). The creature understands that murder is considered reprobate, however he is shocked that he managed to carry perform all the murders. Since the creature experienced violence whenever he approach any of the humans, the creature slowly began adopting violence as a sort of way to communicate with other vicious

humans. The creature’s sublime thoughts were slowly replaced with thoughts of evil and murder. These thoughts seeped into the creature’s mind, because humans like Frankenstein constantly refused the creature’s simplest of desires.
Ultimately Ourika finally accepts the inherent “ugliness” of her skin and even acknowledges the thought that her suffering was not a product of society, rather from her own self-induced misery. Ourika consistently insults herself because of her skin color revealing, “I exaggerated my ugliness to myself, and this skin color of mine seemed to me like the brand of shame” (Duras pg16). Ourika does not view herself as ugly, however she dislikes the idea that her dark skin represents a visible token of shame. Whereas the creature accepts his hideous looks, Ourika has trouble in coming to terms with accepting the meaning of her skin. Ourika focuses on the pain her skin caused her, rather than reasoning that society dealt her a great injustice. During the conversation between Ourika and the marquise, Ourika gloomily expresses, “nothing has purpose in my life. Not even my unhappiness” (Duras pg41). Ourika uses the combination of her social situation and her missed opportunity with Charles to constantly condemn herself. Ourika believes that her misery is from her forbidden love with Charles, however she continues to overlook society’s enforcing restriction on love. Ultimately Ourika finally finds peace in her life when she claims at the end of the novella, “I had chased after the pleasure of life and neglected true happiness…perhaps God, in casting me into this alien land, wished to bring me to Him” (Duras pg43). Ourika explains that her attempt to renter society or “chasing after pleasures,” led to her immense suffering. Only through her acceptance of God, does Ourika finally find solace with the meaning of her skin color. Ourika realizes that pursuing acceptance in an “alien land” only leads to misery; rather she finds peace when she believes that God accepts her regardless of her imperfections. When Ourika realizes that society was the cause of her pain, she is capable of moving away from it and accepting peace.
Ourika and the creature both view the idea of outcasts differently. While the creature attempts to integrate itself into society and ultimately finds society guilty of his miseries, Ourika on the other hand, views her different color skin as the problem of her issues, regardless of her inability to directly blame society. The idea of outcasts is determined by society; therefore humanity used the idea of looks to pass judgment on both the creature and the Ourika.