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Frankenstein the human and the monstrous
Essayon frankenstein's creature
Character analysis of the monster in Frankenstein
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Throughout this novel, we learn the views of the creature that Victor Frankenstein created. His views on society, justice, and injustice. When he is first created, he seeks to be accepted by society despite his appearance. However, the events he experiences shape his views. Victor Frankenstein, the DeLacey family, and the father and daughter he meets throughout his journey do not accept him.
The Creature approaches his creator Dr. Frankenstein with an ultimatum, this ultimatum is that he either makes him a companion or he dies and an example of this would be when the creature says “you my creator, abhor me; when can I gather from your fellow creature that owns me nothing? They spawn and hate me.” (Shelley 184) Dr. Frankenstein listens to the Creature and agrees to create a companion for him. While Dr. Frankenstein is almost done with the Creatures companion he begins to regret his decision and concludes to not finish the project destroying everything in front of the Creatures eyes.
In Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the creature 's acquisition of knowledge leads to his diversion from benevolence to pure hatred towards mankind. The works of Victor Frankenstein, the monster was created by old body parts and strange chemicals, animated by a spark making him come to life. The Creature enters life as an eight-foot giant only to have been created with the intellect of a newborn. Abandoned by his creator and confused, the Creature attempts to integrate himself into society only to be shunned away in disgust by humanity. The Creature then makes his way and lives next to a human family which is essentially the start for the creatures detestation towards humanity.
When he finally creates the creature, he runs, consumed by “breathless horror and disgust” (Shelly 35). He - in his sickly state - failed to see the true nature of what he has made, and immediately regrets it. Furthermore, when the creature confronts Frankenstein, Frankenstein shows cruelty to his creation, screaming, yelling and flat out refusing to listen to it, “ Begone! I will not hear you.”
The use of the word monster in the book also correlates to appearance, and when the creature is called a monster, he feels forced to act like one. After being rejected by society because of his appearance the creature cries to Frankenstein, “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust” (Shelley 93). This shows that the creature internalized all of the hate he received from his appearance, to the point where he viewed himself as a monster. When he internalizes all this negativity about himself that stems from his appearance, and begins to see himself as a monster, he then begins to behave as one.
If children lack guidance they can also tend to lash out and go down dark paths and this is what happened to the creature. When the monster goes to look for his creator he stumbles upon a young boy who says he is Frankenstein's brother who he then viciously attacks and kills out of hatred for Frankenstein. This shows how Frankenstein's unethical abandonment and lack of supporting his creation caused the monster to resent his creator when then in turn led him down a dark path. If the creature had the right guidance then he could have been everything that Frankenstein wanted but instead he was a product of his own environment and since he was treated so badly without anyone to love or care for him he turned
The creature’s mental knowledge is very small-minded and intolerant, causing his understanding of justice to be exceedingly narrow. The monster’s isolation from society is forced by its fate. Nobody could with handle the hideous looks given by the creature 's appearance, this made it nearly impossible for the creature to have any interaction with any sort of human. To illustrate, the creation said while reciting his tale to Victor “And what was I?
The creature wishes to live in peace, but because he does not look like a normal human, he can not live in peace. Additionally, Frankenstein does not help the creature or nurture him with love, thus, he causes the creature to develop a deep resentment towards Frankenstein. The creature, whom is optimistic until now, says, “ Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live?” (161).
The moment Victor Frankenstein successfully infuses life into his creation he is overcome with horror and disgust. Without further examination he is certain to have created a monster, not a human being (Shelley 35-36). However, despite his grotesque appearance, Frankenstein’s creature was not born malicious. During the first stages of his existence, unbeknownst to Frankenstein himself, his acts are motivated by innocence and virtue, which even earns him the title “good spirit” (79). Frankenstein did not create a monster.
Due to neglect and immediate abandonment during the beginning of his life, the creature develops a hostile attitude and seeks revenge on Victor Frankenstein. In response to the cottage dwellers attacking him, the creature exclaims “cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence of which you had so wantonly bestowed” and reveals his feelings “of rage and revenge” (Shelley 135).
Whereas the real monster throughout the story is no other than Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein displays many of the characteristics any monster would have. He was cruel and manipulative in order to become and valued like God. However, the odds were not in his favor after rejecting the monster the minute he came to life, "A flash of lightning illuminated the object, and discovered its shape plainly to me; its gigantic stature, and the deformity of its aspect, more hideous than belongs to humanity, instantly
Mary Shelley shows the endless amount of revenge and that it is driven by pure hatred and rage. The monster was not created to be vengeful, he was kind hearted but when he was poorly treated by Victor and then by the Delacey family, he turned cold. In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley displays the immorality and destructive effects that revenge can have through Frankenstein and his pursuit of the creature. Immediately after the monster had awoken, hatred thickened and would drive the plot to be all about revenge. The creature illustrates this hatred as he says to Victor, “Everything is related in them which bears reference to my accursed origin; the whole detail of that series of disgusting circumstances which produced it is set in view;
However, upon realizing had created an abomination as he finished, he flees, “…now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 35). After a long and grueling process, Frankenstein regarded the creature as horrid, malicious, heartless, inhuman, and uncouth – simply, a monster. He wanted to create life so bad that it became an obsession for him as he would go to any extreme to reach his goal.
The monster is said to be a replica of Frankenstein. The monster has no control over his aggression and continues to murder his master’s loved ones. Although, this aggression is spurred on from the rejection and sorrow that humanity has placed on him (Cantor 117). The creature’s ultimate sorrow is caused by the denial of a companion
Once the creature begins to go out on his own and learn about life and society, during his first interaction with other people he learns that he will be immediately judged based on how he looks. To start, when Frankenstein first sees the creature, he quickly runs away without any interaction and exclaims “no mortal could support the horror of that countenance” (Shelley 36). This interaction made the monster realize that even his creator could not avoid the habits of the society he lived in, and immediately ran away from him in fear because he didn’t believe he was attractive. Then after that, the creature still has enough hope to go into a village and meet other people, but he is immediately met with children that “shrieked” and one woman who “fainted” just at the sight of him (Shelley 74). In every situation where the creature attempts to interact with others, he is shunned immediately, before even being able to say a word.
