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In the novel,” Frankenstein”, by Mary Shelley, social acceptance is presented throughout. In modern society, as well as the society in “Frankenstein”, people judge others for their appearance. For instance, the creature longs for a companion because no one would want to become his friend. By not feeling socially accepted, the creature feels as if he does not belong. Many look at the creature's appearance and are frightened. The creature was viewed as evil and unintelligent, by many based on his looks. Even in the real world today, many human beings want to be socially accepted in spite of their physical appearance just as the creature in the novel. The creature throughout the novel feels as if he does not belong, and longs for a companion
As human nature, we tend to judge too much. We judge others by the color of their skin, their weight, if they have acne or not, and how they dress The Creature, from Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, is judged throughout the entire novel. He looks different,
Human companionship is one of the most basic needs of humans that can be seen in the Creation story. It is tricky for any human to find the perfect companion especially if one is one of a kind. In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein two characters exemplify this need. Dr. Victor Frankenstein and The Creature are in search of companionship, and they will go to great lengths to achieve it.
When the monster dwells on the fact that he has no friends, money, and property because of the way he looks he claims, “I was besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man”(Shelley 102). With the monster’s emotion toward his first encounters, he struggles with accepting who he is because he feels the hatred from others. The words “deformed and loathsome” express the disgusted and discomfort that clouds the thoughts of each human during their first encounter. He recognizes his differences in comparison to others and begins to become self-conscious when he attempts to come out into the community. In the same aspect, humans today feel the same way when they look different than the ones around them.
Many innovations throughout the modern world have made life significantly easier, safer, of higher quality, and are said to be done for the "greater good of humanity". However, these accomplishments come at a cost, as expressed through the concepts of creation and responsibility that lie at the core of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. It is through these concepts that Shelley explores how society has changed during Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution, with lessening importance on shared knowledge and the "public sphere" and more emphasis on individual achievement and identity, leading to a fractured and isolated society. In this paper I argue that Mary Shelley's Frankenstein criticizes the impacts of Industrial Revolution and Romantic era-inspired individualism on the community and individual, using Victor Frankenstein's disruption of the reproductive process and subsequent relationship with his creation as examples of potential negative consequences.
“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” These are the words of, once president of the United States, John Francis Kennedy. He relays a message of strength and a lecture on what it means to perform one’s duty as a member of a modern, accepting society. Likewise, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein exploits one of mankind's most persistent and destructive flaws that has never died down over the thousands of years of our existence, prejudice. From his very beginning, the creature was abandoned and left to question his very existence. Nearly every character in the novel assumes that the monster must be dangerous based on its outward appearance, when in truth the monster is essentially warm and open-hearted. Continuously the monster
Though portions of my investigation will focus particularly on the role of friendship (or a lack
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
In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein”, the monster’s account of his life from the day of his “birth” is distinct to the audience. As the monster constructs a narrative of his life from the day of his “birth” throughout his development in the novel, he has a request for his creator, Victor Frankenstein, too—to create a female partner for him. Although Victor Frankenstein does not fulfill the task he was requested to do, the monster persuaded him to agree to and to fulfill the task of creating a female partner for him. The monster uses ethos, organic imagery, and tonal shift to persuade his creator, Victor Frankenstein, to fulfill the task.
Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, follows the story of Victor Frankenstein, his self-driven seclusion from society due to his fixations on life and death only stimulating his madness: “I paused, examining and analyzing all the minutiae of causation, as exemplified in the change from life to death, and death to life… I became dizzy with the immensity of the prospect… that I alone should be reserved to discover so astonishing a secret” (Shelley 38). Frankenstein always had a passion for gaining knowledge. His feelings and actions were based on reasoning, which deeply contrasted against his more romantic-thinking family. In his years leading up to going to university, he found a new passion for alchemy. While attending the University of Ingolstadt, he became entranced with the studies of alchemy along with natural philosophy and modern sciences. This ardor would eventually be his downfall after his fixation on life and death in relation to science led to the construction of an eight-foot behemoth. Frankenstein exemplifies the effects of
In Shelley’s novel the creature created by Victor Frankenstein is faced with a difference which society uses as a prejudice against him, his external appearance. In both cases, the differences faced are constantly being oppressed due to the expectation of society to conform to normalcy. When the creature is created, he longs to be accepted by the human race but eventually finds that he is too ‘ugly’ to be accepted by them, similar to how members of the LGBTQ community long for the same kind of acceptance. After arriving to civilization Shelley writes from the creature’s point of view “The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped to the open country,” (Shelley) demonstrating the harsh treatment humans displayed. Aggression and violence, in both cases, are used because of human ignorance towards what they do not
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley portrays an individual in a unique situation trying to overcome daily interactions while being faced with inconceivable misfortunes. Created by Victor Frankenstein, who set out on a journey to bring life to scrapped pieces of waste, he was then abandoned and left to fend for himself in a world he was abruptly brought into. After being abandoned by his creator for his less than appealing looks, this then sparked his inevitable desire for revenge. Eventually leading to the destruction of those associated with his creator. Knowing that he will never fit in, the monster began to act out in hopes of getting back at his creator for what he did. His vulnerability due to missing guidance and parental figures in his beginning stages of life contributed to his behavior. The books and article Family Crisis and Children’s Therapy Groups written by Gianetti, Audoin, and Uzé, Victim Of Romance: The Life And Death Of Fanny Godwin by Maurice Hindle, and Social Behavior and Personality by Lubomir Lamy, Jacques Fishcher-Lokou, and Nicolas Gueguen support why the monster acts the way he does. The monster’s behavior stems from Victor’s actions at the beginning of his life and therefore is not to blame. The creature in Frankenstein is deserving of sympathy even though he committed those murders because the lack of parental guidance, lack of family, and lack of someone to love led him to that. All in all his actions were not malicious, but only retaliation for what he had been put through.
Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein expresses human nature specifically through the character of the “Creature” and his development. The Creature has an opportunity to explore his surroundings, and in doing so he learns that human nature is to run away from something so catastrophic in looks. The Creature discovers that he must limit himself in what he does due to the response of humans because of his deformities. I feel that Mary Shelley tries to depict human nature to running away from the abnormal, which results in alienation of the “abnormal.” Even today, people have a prejudice against someone or something that is abnormal, and these people will act differently towards this abnormality that is put in front of them. In the novel, Shelley seems to suggest a conception of humanity that is deeply influe...
Throughout every individuals life there are experiences of unfair judgments based on someone’s appearance. While this is never a good thing, it is an action that everyone takes part in, whether it is purposeful or not. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s message is very clear as she illustrates the cruel events that take place in a society focused only on outside beauty. The central message that Shelley communicates with Frankenstein, is that while appearance is just one of an individuals many characteristics; it is always a factor they are judged on regardless of all the other qualities they may possess.
Mary Shelley book Frankenstein, is a dark romantic novel that was published in the 19th century. Social prejudice based on physical appearance impacts a person's character negatively. Individuals make misjudgments based on physical aspects which affect how they treat the individual. Mary Shelly brings out the theme of appearance and prejudice in the novel Frankenstein. "The monster created by Victor Frankenstein highlights societal prejudice (Russell)."
Friendship is one of the most common human desires found all over the world in every different type of people. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this deep-seeded need is explored, especially as it manifests itself in the hearts of three great men. Captain Walden writes to his sister about the loneliness that he is experiencing on his journey at the very start of the book. Then, as the story progresses, a similar want can be found in Victor despite his tightly woven relationship with Henry Clerval. The Creature is constantly denied his lust for companionship demonstrates the horrible consequences of incessant loneliness. His amiable nature combined with his grotesque appearance proves to be a horrific collaboration that serves only in gaining rejection as he is shunned, quite irrationally, over and over again by all living beings. The Creature's suffering could only be abandoned if he were able to encounter an unprejudiced and completely tolerant friend. Shelley masterfully conveys the importance of a kindred spirit and the overall necessity of loyalty between people.