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Examples Of Cruelty In Frankenstein

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Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a classic novel that explores the consequences of cruelty, both towards oneself and others. Through the course of the story, the theme of cruelty functions as a crucial motivator and major social and political factor, driving the plot and the development of the characters. This essay will analyze how cruelty functions in the work as a whole, the impact it has on the characters, and what it reveals about the perpetrator/victim relationship. One of the most striking examples of cruelty in the novel is the treatment of the creature by his creator, Victor Frankenstein. After Victor brings the creature to life, he is immediately repulsed by his creation and abandons him. Victor's cruelty towards the creature has far-reaching consequences, setting off a chain of events that ultimately leads to tragedy. This act of cruelty is a powerful motivator for the creature, who seeks revenge against his creator for abandoning him. As the creature explains, "I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on" (Shelley 117). Victor's cruelty towards the creature ultimately leads to the deaths of several innocent people, highlighting the dangers of unchecked ambition and the human desire for power. …show more content…

Despite the creature's attempts to do good deeds and help those in need, he is consistently met with hostility and violence. The creature is subjected to ridicule and scorn, further exacerbating his feelings of isolation and alienation. As the creature notes, "I had no one to guide me or to direct me. I was alone. I remembered Adam's supplication to his Creator. But where was mine?" (Shelley 139). The cruelty of society towards the creature reflects the societal norms and values of the time, highlighting the dangers of conformity and the destructive nature of

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Victor’s abandonment causes him to have to face the consequences of his greed for creating life, for after he abandons the creature bad things start to happen to him. An example of this is the death of William, Victor’s younger brother. The creature “grasped his throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead” (134). The creature uses his strength to harm people Victor loved, forcing Victor to have to face the consequences of his corruption and belief that he could defy God and create a new race. The creature continues with his path and murders Victor’s long-time friend Henry Clerval (171).

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The creature is wondering why they would attack him as he was kind and shown it through helping the cottagers and not killing Felix even though he could have. The creature's experiences with society show that it did not matter if the person is kind to society, what matters was being like society and in the creature’s case it is his appearance that gets him outcasted even though he did many kind deeds to the

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In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, The creature may be known for his monstrous and unforgiveable acts, but it is his creator, Victor, who is the true monster. Mary Shelley was an English novelist, best known for her gothic novel “Frankenstein”. In “Frankenstein” the question of who is the true monster, Victor or the creature, is a prominent theme throughout the story. While the creature's actions are certainly gruesome and horrific, it is the Monster who ultimately holds the title of the true monster. Through his neglect and mistreatment of the creature, Victor demonstrates a complete disregard for the life he has created.

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Despite the creature's remorse, Victor denies its plea for a companion, pushing it to seek revenge (Shelley, Chapter 17). Victor's refusal to grant the creature's request for companionship reflects his ongoing cruelty and lack of empathy. His rejection perpetuates the creature's feelings of worthlessness, intensifying its resentment towards humanity. Victor's denial of companionship mirrors society's rejection of the creature, reinforcing the notion that it is a product of its circumstances. This rejection strengthens the creature's belief that it can only find solace in vengeance against its callous creator.

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The creature expresses his suffering from Victor's neglect and rejection. The creature's experiences evoke sympathy and underscore the importance of compassion and empathy between family members. The creature builds to that by stating, "Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy monster, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us" (Shelley 102). The creature's observations about Victor's neglectful behavior as a parent are significant because it reveals the importance of proper parenting. The creature points out that parenting should not involve neglect or rejection, and this realization is made even more critical due to Victor's upbringing.

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He leaves the creature in a wretched state as he feels sadness and anger more often than a normal man. Schoenfelder et al. illustrate this idea by explaining that those who experience improper close relationships early on in life will experience issues with mental health and romantic relationships (Schoenfelder et al.). The creature feels excessive amounts of anger which would lead to a poor mental state and caused him to be an issue to

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Victor's abandonment turns the creature into a child who is desperately in need of love. “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on. Even now my blood boils at the recollection of this injustice” (Shelley 275). Victor's unjust actions hurts the creature because he does see Victor as a fatherly figure. The creator continues to show his love for Victor when he says, “I have devoted my creator, the select specimen of all that is worthy of love and admiration among men, to misery” (Shelley 275).

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By denying both main characters the sensation of domestic affection, or any other kind of social belonging, Mary Shelley highlights the importance thereof. The resulting isolation became the driving force behind both Frankenstein and his creation’s abominable actions which, in turn, shows that trying to avoid isolation and seeking the feeling of social belonging is the primary message of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and of

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The creature becomes defensive. "Life...is dear to me, and I will defend it" (Shelley 96), this is ironic because not only does the creature kill others showing his selfishness, which he is mirroring Victor 's earlier selfish intentions for creating the creature, but earlier he was suicidal. Now the creature has to ask permission for a better life from a person that doesn 't even seem to value it. The creature also reminds

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Wherever the creature went there was always someone that rejected him because of how he looked and would get scared and run away. When he would try to do something thong good, something bad ended up happening to him. Each time his hatred for his creator grew more and more. He then wanted to get revenge on his creator. The creature would be considered human because he acts like a human.

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