Examples Of Human Influences In Frankenstein

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is ‘one of the pioneering works of modern science fiction’, and is also a frightening story that speaks to the ‘mysterious fears of our nature’. Mary Shelley mocks the idea of “playing God”, the idea that came from the Greek myth of Prometheus, of the Greek titan who stole Zeus’ gift of life. Both the story of Frankenstein and Prometheus reveal the dark side of human nature and the dangerous effects of creating artificial life. Frankenstein reveals the shocking reality of the consequences to prejudging someone. The creature’s first-person narration reveals to us his humanity, and his want to be accepted by others even though he is different. We are shown that this ‘monster’ is a ‘creature’ and more of a human

Mary Shelley’s ability to create such multidimensional characters in Frankenstein proves that writing is a powerful tool that has the ability to provoke vastly different opinions amongst readers. Even though each individual reading the story is reading the exact same words, their interpretation of those words often leads to opposing views in regards to the fate of the characters. The creature, in particular, has been a popular topic of discussion when conducting a close read of the novel due to his arguable versatility as a victim and villain. The concept of the villain has evolved over the years, however its basis still rests upon the simple fact that as a character in the story, their actions are a result of malicious intentions

Now the creature knows that it is not only his creator, Frankenstein, who rejects him, but an entire village. He was left “miserable …. from the barbarity of man”. He is not only learning that society dislikes him, but that it is ‘normal’ to attack others. He hasn’t known kindness in his entire life. He doesn’t even know that it exists. The second contact he has with humans, they are being violent. They are not demonstrating any sort of reason, teaching the creature that it is normal to be violent and impulsive.

Easily one of the most notable themes in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the role of nature versus nurture in developing children, recurs throughout the novel with the two main characters, Frankenstein and his creature, believing in opposite sides of this theme. Favoring nature, Frankenstein maintains that the creature was always evil from the moment of creation, regardless of the creature’s experiences. However, the creature, in his narrative to Frankenstein, argues that “[he] was benevolent and good; misery made [him] a fiend” (106). In adherence with John Locke’s concept of tabula rasa, the creature was born with a blank slate, and only through his experiences does he gain knowledge and personality. Struggling to persevere in the human world, Frankenstein’s creature merely wants humans to welcome him as one of them. The change of the creature from looking “upon crime as a distant evil” because “benevolence and generosity were ever present” in him to seeking revenge on Frankenstein results from a culmination of horrible experiences (103). While it may be hard to see the creature as a trustworthy narrator because of how he has acted and his ulterior motives, he does present physical evidence to support his tale. Facing rejection in different forms, he becomes truly evil, giving up hope of companionship as a result of his trials and lessons. From the moment of his creation, the creature encounters abandonment, violence, isolation, and rejection everywhere he turns.

For as long as man has encompassed this world, the divisive enigma of humanity has prevailed. Seeping its way into each generation, while sparking heated conversations, it has become evident that there is much we do not know about what truly makes us human. Regardless of our genetic composition, philosophers often ponder the deeper meaning of humanity. We know that, biologically, recreating the genetic makeup of a human does not yield humanity, so what is the missing aspect? Humans -have the ability to contemplate their own existence in this world. Awareness of existence. This driving force enables us to analyze situations while placing ourselves within them. Our involuntary ability to understand the impact of our actions and the affect they have on others causes us to be inherently human. Our actions evoke strong emotions within us that allow us to learn through our experiences. We retain the resonated feelings of certain occurrences and apply them to others in order to deduce outcomes. Often this facet of mankind is taken for granted, yet we are reminded, through both literature and hypothetical scenarios, of its importance. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, constitutes as one of these profound reminders. Shelley develops a theoretical story in which the humanity of Frankenstein’s monster is questioned. Despite having the accurate organs and framework of a human, Shelley causes the reader to seek the missing aspect that is preventing the monster from being human. Likewise,

“Nurture vs. Nature”, are some individuals destined to become evil? Or does the environment and experiences of the individual shape who they are? In Mary Shelley’s novel “Frankenstein” there is a character (the creature) that these questions apply to. Through her use of diction, changes in perspective, and imagery, she was able to make the creature seem more human than creature by making the reader sympathize with the creature.

In Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein the creature created by Victor Frankenstein is often misunderstood and mistreated because of his appearance. The people around him around him hurt him and make him filled with anger, causing the creature’s character to flip and out lash and swear vengeance on anyone he sees. This makes the reader see the creature as a morally ambiguous character because he constantly switches between both categories of good and evil. The creature being an ambiguous character helps support the meaning of the work as a whole which is good character can be manipulated by outside forces.

Social values such as relations with other humans and family values are neglected by Frankenstein. This is made evident early on when Frankenstein becomes absorbed in the creation of his creature and neglects his family, friends and social life. He says “Company was irksome to be... I abhorred society.” As such Shelley is able to symbolise how relentless pursuit of one thing can lead one to neglect everything else. On the other hand, the monster embodies this very value of humanity that is lost to Frankenstein. The monster, unlike Frankenstein, tries to integrate into society. But in doing so he challenges social conventions due to the fact that he was a “fiend with unparalleled barabrity” trying to form relations with humans. However like Frankenstein he too is rejected from society but due to his grotesque appearance. Shelley reflects the humanity expressed by the creature through his love, admiration and self-sacrifice which are characteristics believed to define humanity during the romantic era. Through the acts of the monster helping and regarding the De Lacey family in a positive light before they reject the creature and Frankenstein’s lack of compassion for the monster, Shelley is comparing society’s ability to be civil, compassionate and barbaric. Today these social values of compassion and relations with others continue to be current. Although, today society as a whole is more accepting of individuals on the fringe of society. These changing values and perspectives can be attributed to the differing historical and social context of

The creature witnesses the worst in humanity when his creator and every person he encounters, abandons him and leave him isolated from the rest of society. Desertion leads to the conflict because no one accepts and stand by the creature which in turn, fuels his need for revenge. Frankenstein lives to create this new, glorious discovery, however the very person he gives the creature life, leaves him companionless. The creature curses his creator and asks “why did [Frankenstein] form a monster so hideous that even [he] turn[s] from [the creature] in disgust” (130). In this situation, the parent abandons his son. The one person who is there to support and love one throughout all, leaves his creation due to the regret and revulsion he associates the creature with. Moreover, the creature stands alone with no understanding of where he comes from and where to go next. He is “absolutely ignorant [of his creation and creator], but [he] kn[o]ws that [he] possess[es] no money, no friends, no kind

Is an individual innately monstrous, or do experiences faced in society affect how one will ultimately behave? The way society perceives an individual, whether positively or negatively, plays a major role in how one will react to certain situations. In this essay, I will discuss the similarities and the one difference between Frankenstein and Edward Scissorhands. I will also discuss how Mary Shelley uses imagery in Frankenstein to emphasize the power of love versus rejection.

Like most horror stories, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has a wretched monster who terrorizes and kills his victims with ease. However, the story is not as simple as it seems. One increasingly popular view of the true nature of the creature is one of understanding. This sympathetic view is often strengthened by looking at the upbringing of the creature in the harsh world in which he matures much as a child would. With no friends or even a true father, the creature can be said to be a product of society and its negative views and constant rejections of him. Although this popular view serves to lessen the severity of his crimes in most people’s eyes, the fact remains that the creature is in fact a cold-hearted wretch whose vindictive nature

Throughout the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, the creature is subjected to countless acts of violence and rejection. For a monster to develop, one must have been formerly exploited either by an individual or their society. The creature is not only a physical product of science, but his atrocious behavior is also an explicit result of Victor’s actions toward him. The creature was not born a monster, but slowly morphed into one as he experiences violence and rejection from his society.

With the Creature remarking the words, “and I shall again be virtuous”, Shelley is able to support the nurture argument through showing that the monster was once virtuous but misery, lonesomeness, and abandonment made him evil. Prior to this scene, the Creature is characterized as being a vicious monster who terrorizes the human race, while Frankenstein is seemingly docile in nature. With the Creature remarking, “Be calm!” (Shelley 118), there is a power shift occurring between the two characters. For once, the Creature is able to tell his parental figure what to do. When the Creature remarks, “Have I not suffered enough, that you seek to increase my misery?” (Shelley 118); this inquiry makes one question their prior beliefs about the Creature. Until this passage, he has been characterized as a ravaging villain. Frankenstein's creation has a passion for revenge as a way of coping with the isolation and mistreatment he experienced. One cannot judge his actions when he wasn’t given the proper guidance from his creator. The Creature, instead, has to rely on his environment to give him the tools to succeed in society. For instance, the Creature is able to learn how to read through hearing some of the most beautiful literature which allows him to discover powerful novels like Paradise Lost. This influences the

The creature was constructed from old body parts and many unknown chemicals, then brought to life by electricity. Frankenstein could not even describe his own creation in a positive way. “[T]he beauty of [his] dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled his heart” (Shelley 35). If the creature’s own father could not accept him, how would the rest of society. The reader sees that Frankenstein ran from his own creature at the sight and that the rest of society rejected him as well.

The human soul is a greatly debated subject, not only about whether it exists but also about whether the nature of the human soul is towards good or evil. In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the topic of the human soul’s natural state and malleability is discussed. The novel follows Doctor Victor Frankenstein through the creation of a superhuman creature that he immediately regrets making. The creature begins as a kind being but through a series of events becomes hateful and begins to destroy Frankenstein’s life. Romanticism is a major theme in Frankenstein as the raw beauty of nature is often described in great detail. Mary Shelley uses mirroring language between Frankenstein and the Monster to prove that although innately good, human nature is highly malleable and when under the control of a passion for revenge is inclined to evil.