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An Analysis Of Frankenstein Is To Blame For The Monster In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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De Villeneuve’s Beauty and the Beast is one of the most well-known and enjoyed fairy tales in the world. It tells the story of a handsome prince, transformed into the form of a hideous beast to match the intentions of his heart. Sometimes the most obviously ugly or depraved monsters are not the real monsters in the story at all. Beauty is fickle, and the designs of the soul reflect a person’s true attractiveness. Humankind’s prejudice towards beauty has been seen throughout literature and entertainment for ages, toying with the haunting reality that we are not as “good” as we believe. In Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein, young Victor Frankenstein creates a repulsive creature, who when left to his own devices experiences humanity’s obsession …show more content…

As the novel progresses, the monster begins to realize the true extent of his hideousness. He expresses that he is “...unable to believe that it was indeed [him] who was reflected in the mirror; and when [he] became fully convinced that [he] was in reality the monster that [he is, he] was filled with the bitterest sensations...” (Shelley, 121) When the monster is confronted with his reflection, he finally understands his horrible treatment. The constant rejection and hostility he has experienced is starting to take a toll on him. He is losing all sense of self-worth and any hope that he will ever find a place in society. The monster understands humanity’s tendency to dismiss all those who do not conform to societal boundaries or reflect the idealized “beauty.” Mankind is afraid of the “other” and the difference. We find comfort in our standards and rules. We see the few outcasts, living on the fringe of our lives, as a necessary evil for the greater good. The monster eventually tracks down Victor and begs him for another creature like

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The monster has to deal with solitariness and reclusiveness because he is an outcast and is not welcomed in society. Both of these characters find a sense of healing within nature. Victor states, “These sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me the greatest consolation that I was capable of receiving. They elevated me from all littleness of feeling, and although they did not remove my grief, they subdued and tranquillized it.” (Pg. 92)

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Despite his attempts of interegrating himself into society and seeking companionship elsewhere, the monster was rejected and shunned at every turn. When he first encountered humans, they were fearful and hostile towards the monster. Even when he tried befriending some townspeople, they eventually reacted with terror upon seeing his appearance. This never-ending rejection reinforces the monster’s sense of isolation and fuels his anger towards society even more. To try and alleviate this loneliness, the monster demands Victor to create him a potential mate.

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The monster is a character who is rejected by society and has no place in the world. However, he also finds comfort in nature. Shelley writes, "I wandered like an evil spirit, for I had committed deeds of mischief beyond description, horrible, and more, much more (I persuaded myself) was yet behind. Yet my heart overflowed with kindness, and the love of virtue. I had begun life with benevolent intentions, and thirsted for the moment when I should put them in practice, and make myself useful to my fellow-beings" (Chapter 16).

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The theme of monstrosity has long fascinated readers throughout literary history, invoking a powerful mix of fear and fascination. This underscores the idea that appearances alone do not determine one's true nature and challenges readers to look beyond the surface to uncover the complexities of character. Monstrosity is a theme explored in both Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Marie de France's Bisclavert. They both explore how despite a person’s outward appearance; it is their actions and characters that define them as a person. Despite their differences in setting, plot, and genre, they both delve into the complexities of monstrous characters and their profound impact on society.

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925 Words | 4 Pages

The Monster, through Victor, speaks of his time after he fled from Victor. He observes a family and their sadness and misery. He is curious of their source of misery because “[he] thought (foolish wretch!) that it might be in [his] power to restore happiness to these deserving people” (Shelly 102). The monster tells his original view of himself, he shows his budding ego.

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999 Words | 4 Pages

Moreover, the monster desires a society that is free of prejudice against him, he is faced with rejection when he attempts to engage with others. One statement by the monster genuinely reveals this theory behind his actions as he stated, “shall I respect man, when he contemns me” (Shelley 136). This demonstrates that the monster held a disdain for humans due to frequently being discriminated against due to his physical

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725 Words | 3 Pages

Frankenstein’s beauty George Eliot once said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” George Eliot was a prominent author in the 1850s who wrote about human struggles and a more realistic view of society. This quote is ubiquitous but contains the same amount of truth as it does popularity. It is not fair to judge people by appearance since that does not determine their personality. In addition, Mary Shelley explores this topic in the book Frankenstein.

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Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein From The Perspective of Young and Modern Mind. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is a novel of deep ideas and dark themes. It’s a great representation of the complexity of human emotion, the innocence that accompanies the naivety of newborns (in this novel, the monster Frankenstein), and humans' disregard for the consequences of their actions, only focusing on their goal and never looking at who or what it may harm. The struggle shown in this novel depicts the tangled web of human feelings as well as their nature, and as if to be ironic, the monster experiences and shows many of those human feelings throughout its journey.

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The monster depicts his otherness when he wonders: “Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned” (Shelley 85). The monster evidently remains in isolation and is dehumanized. The monster attempts to get integrated into his society but his appearance and lack of social skills hinder his success. The monster strives to be accepted but is incapable of acceptance. The monster reiterates this feeling of isolation as he says: “I felt as if I were placed under a ban- as if I had no right to claim their sympathies – as if never more might I enjoy companionship with them” (Shelley 108).

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(Shelley) Victor takes the monster and secludes or hides him from the world so he would not frighten others. Due to his abandonment, the monster feels alone and he will never be good enough to be accepted by others into society. After feeling this way for an extended period of time, feelings of anger and revenge develop in the monster. He feels let down and there is more to life than living in the unknown and by himself with no one around.

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Frankenstein, a work by Mary Shelley, is a story about how man creates life so he can carve a new era of society, but ultimately faces the repercussions from attempting to defy the laws of nature. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses the themes revenge, nature, and isolation from society to create meaning for her readers. For example, Revenge is a powerful force that will consume the minds of those it inhabits. The monster begins its life with a warm, open heart. However, after it is abandoned and mistreated first by Victor and then by the De Lacey family, the monster turns to revenge, it became blinded, and “...feelings of revenge and hatred filled [its] bosom…

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People are like geodes, on the outside, they might not be the most inviting, but deeper down, they can be an interesting, friendly, and kind person. Unfortunately, this idea is not well reflected in society, considering that many people prefer to advertise visually attractive people over less visually stimulating individuals. This conflict is one that author Mary Shelley discusses about in the story, Frankenstein, where, the conflict is clearly embodied through a certain character. In the story, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley informs the reader of a creature created by Victor Frankenstein, who is said to be hideous looking and inhumanly tall. The creature’s appearance and how he is treated throughout the story demonstrates how society tends to

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971 Words | 4 Pages

Many people have heard the saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’ but what they do not realize is that the opposite of this happens all the time. Very frequently, people tend to assume things about others based on their looks, whether it's their outfit, hair, makeup, etc. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, society ‘judges a book by its cover’ by assuming the monster is a bad guy, who only wishes to harm people, but actually just wants a friend. The ostracizing of the monster in Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein seen through incidents with Felix, William, and the portrait of the lovely woman reveal the central theme of the negative effects that judging someone based only on appearance can have.

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534 Words | 3 Pages

The monster feels the opposite about himself. He says, “when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am, I was filled with the bitterest sensations of despondence and mortification”(pg. 112). This relates to the theme because it shows that the monster feels inferior compared to the humans because he looks ugly in their eyes and now in his. He knows he won't be accepted.

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Frankenstein, a book written by Mary Shelley is an eloquent novel that begins with the protagonist Robert Walton, who embarks on an expedition to the North Pole. It was a long journey and he was isolated from his family, especially his sister who he continuously wrote letters to on his expedition. These letters are specifically about him meeting a man named Victor Frankenstein who he meets after his ship was stranded and he brought him aboard to help him because he was suffering from the cold. Victor Frankenstein then takes over the role of the protagonist of the book for the majority of it. Victor starts off his story by telling us about how he spent majority of his life studying Alchemy.

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