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Examples Of Human Nature In Frankenstein

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Humanity Through Shelley’s Eyes In Frankenstein, the author, Mary Shelley, portrays humans as inherently evil, and they exhibit principles that support her claim. This is contrary to what the character De Lacey stands for. His view is therefore a foil to that of the author, and his points are repeatedly proven wrong, at least in the novel’s context. The monster’s interactions with humans show Shelley’s negative view on human nature. She also shows the principles of treachery, discrimination, and injustice which further display the evil in humankind. Throughout Frankenstein the monster’s negative interactions with people prove Shelley’s view on human nature. This view is opposite to that of De Lacey, who believes that, “The hearts of men, …show more content…

These exhibit further her belief in the natural evil of mankind. One of these is the levels of injustice in human society. This is most evident in the trial of Justine. Justine is a loyal servant of the Frankenstein’s, but is falsely convicted of murder. Both Victor and Elizabeth believe her to be innocent, and Elizabeth even testifies. She calls Justine, “The most amiable and benevolent of human creatures” (56). This is the ultimate injustice, as the most happy, innocent girl is to be killed wrongfully. This idea of injustice is present in all of Gothic literature where people are seen as inherently bad. Death is also a major theme in gothic literature. Shelley includes this idea of injustice to further show the evil tendencies of mankind. Another principle is that of human discrimination, especially based on physical appearance. This is apparent in the human reactions to the monster. Whenever he first appears to a person they immediately are scared. This is evident in all of his interactions, even with the his creator. When describing the monster, Victor says, “A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch” (36). Victor judges his own creation as hideous, and runs away from him. If even the monster’s creator cannot find any beauty in him, then clearly there is discrimination towards.the monster. Shelley conveys this very obviously, and clearly believes that this discrimination is present in real life as well. Also in the novel is the principle that people can and will take advantage of other’s generosity. This is evident in the Turk’s exploitation of Felix. After Felix breaks the Turk out of jail, Felix’s family is arrested. However, when he leaves the Turk to help them, the Turk goes away, and takes his daughter whom was promised to Felix. As the monster says of the Turk, “[He] became a traitor to good feeling and honor and had quitted Italy with his

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Shelley’s novel introduces a foil character, Justine, who is accused of the murder of William, Victor Frankenstein’s younger sibling. After hearing the news of William’s death and Elizabeth’s guilt tripping to believe she led to William’s death, caused Victor to flee back home from Ingolstaldt to Geneva. Along his journey back home, he visited the site where William had died and there Victor saw a glimpse of his creation, his monster that he himself had brought to life. Victor was convinced his creation had ran loose and killed his brother, but once Victor had arrived home, he gets informed that Justine, their house servant, murdered William. She later gets trialed and is sentenced to death, although she is innocent.

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Uncovering Injustice: An Analysis of Social Inequality and Power Dynamics In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the idea of justice, or rather its absence, is navigated deeply throughout the story. This is shown through the exposure of the failures of the system and the general lack of truth within this setting. Through the perspectives of crucial characters like Justine Mortiz and the monster, Shelley uncovers the social inequalities and prejudices that deprive individuals of their basic human rights. Yet there are characters like Victor Frankenstein who are treated differently due to their higher status. This is a society where wrongdoings remain unpunished while innocence is punished and revenge is the only factor to end the suffering.

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If Victor were to call himself moral and benevolent, Victor should have confessed about his creation. Victor needs to come clean in order to save Justine, a vital part of the family who is portrayed as innocent. This scenario feeds into Shelley’s use of romanticism, where there is often a “damsel in distress” who needs to be rescued by an all-powerful man. However, in Frankenstein we see Shelley constantly showing the reader how Victor repeatedly puts himself before his family, society, and even his health. As a result of this, we see Victor suffer from extreme guilt and sadness in many points of the text.

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In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” the character of the creature is often considered to be the monster. Despite this initial impression, once explored more deeply, it is apparent that Victor himself is the one who commits monstrous acts based on his inherent nature. Rather than his upbringing or environment influencing his actions, he acts outrageously instinctively, characterized by his cruelty and selfishness. By examining Victor's motivations and actions, it becomes evident that he is the true villain and the Creature is a victim of Victor's influence. Thus, Victor’s innate nature, rather than his upbringing, is what propels him to commit his monstrous acts.

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Rarely are we purely good or purely evil and the same goes for many characters in literature whose complexities are often used to establish and develop a meaning of the work as a whole. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein’s creation is at the heart of the novel being the origin of every plot point and proves to be the most morally ambiguous character. The creature’s moral ambiguity, especially in regards to social interaction, works towards revealing that without proper guidance, we are prone to imperfection. With absolutely no instruction or education from his creator, the creature runs into the wild blind to what he may encounter being as ugly as he is and how to go about these foreign circumstances. His

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Essay 2 Introduction Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is not just a tale of horror; it is a profound exploration of the destructive nature of prejudice, a theme that resonates through the ages and remains relevant in today's society. This essay will argue that the creature's tragic narrative, driven by societal rejection based on his appearance, serves as a stark reflection of the ongoing challenges of prejudice in modern times. Shelley masterfully uses the creature's experiences to critique the superficial judgments that divide humanity. Body Paragraph 1: Prejudice Against the Creature In Frankenstein, the creature is immediately met with horror and violence because of his appearance. This is poignantly illustrated in his own words: “I had hardly

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Shelley contrasts the monster through one of his victims, Justine. Frankenstein recounts Justine very highly throughout the novel. She herself is shown to be like the monster in the sense that she was not part of the same social class as Frankenstein and his relatives. However Frankenstein states that she is "Frank-hearted and happy" and so paints her as a equal. This is a contrast from what he does with the monster, as he condemns the monster as the perpretator after the death of William.

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Frankenstein, a critique on society composed by Mary Shelley in the nineteenth century, depicts the tumultuous tribulations that Victor Frankenstein must endure during his quest to subdue the horrors of his creation, an endeavor to brilliantly reincarnate the deceased. Shelley through the story of Dr. Frankenstein, paints strong criticisms against current culture: depicting social constructs and actions such as justice, everyday activity, and revenge as flawed and shallow, too dependent and altered by bias; the author’s commentary on a functioning society also manifests the dominance that prejudice and bias plays into life, thus creating a space for improved introspection, as well as advanced philosophical ideologies. The justice system within

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After observing the De Laceys and learning about their values, the Creature identifies with them, believing that it can be accepted and loved (Shelley 90-91). However, the De Laceys' violent reaction demonstrates that even the kindest of humans are incapable of accepting the Creature due to its appearance, further isolating it from society. This rejection reinforces the creature's belief that it is inherently monstrous and unworthy of love. The creature's longing for companionship is evident when it states, "I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me" (Shelley 147). This repeated societal alienation leads the Creature to embrace the monstrous identity imposed upon it, as evidenced by its vow to take revenge on Frankenstein and humanity: "I will revenge my injuries: if I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear; and chiefly towards you my arch-enemy, because my creator, do I swear inextinguishable hatred" (Shelley 135).

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511 Words | 3 Pages

Victor Frankenstein creates a being that is initially kind and gentle, but eventually becomes vengeful and destructive. The question that arises is whether the creature's behavior is a result of his inherent nature or the way he was treated by society. In the novel, the creature is rejected by society and is never given the chance to experience love or acceptance. As a result, he becomes bitter and resentful towards his creator and the world around him.

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Although a man of refined and compassionate upbringing, Shelley makes it clear that Victor Frankenstein is not exempt from the monstrosity of the human desire to harness power. Frankenstein’s fascination with electricity is not inherently ill-willed or inhuman, but it is rather his application of that science to play a life-giver that crosses the line; essentially, his delusional hunger to create a “new species” that would “owe their being to me” (Shelley 39). This lust to dominate life and death, as well as the innate desire to be a sovereign figure to a particular group, is what Shelley continuously poses as monstrous and horrific. In fact, Frankenstein openly admits to Captain Robert Walton when retelling his story that he “lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit,” implying that his disregard for the consequences of challenging nature is what ultimately deprived

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1025 Words | 5 Pages

While Shelley doesn’t paint the monster as an innocent victim, the monster’s reasoning for his actions allow the reader to sympathize with his underlying misery, which leads the reader to question how the novel would have turned out if the monster was shown even an ounce of

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427 Words | 2 Pages

The consuming and remorseful tones in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein demonstrates Victor Frankenstein’s evolution from a character who is optimistic about the creation of his experiment to a lonely miserable person who is bitter and in anguish with making unpredictable decisions in his life. Frankenstein was initially exuberant and curious that his creation would impact the world in a useful way, but became hopeless when the monster was born due to his preconceived notions based on his external image. Some might state that the creature is the true monster since he sought revenge and destroyed the lives of innocent people; however, Frankenstein is the genuine villain, considering that he abandoned and neglected the creature and never gave him a chance, because of his physical characteristics. Frankenstein reacts with hatred and disgust revealing that he feels regret and wants to end his creation; making them enemies. For example, Frankenstein wants the creature to “be gone” and if not he “may trample [him] to dust” ending the monsters existence (Shelly 123).

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Seeing humanity in a different point of view digs deeper thoughts into oneself. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the idea of humanity is stressed and expanded. Readers see the point of view of the creation throughout the book, ever since he was born. The creation learns about humanity through observations of people and villagers, especially the DeLaceys and the Frankensteins. He sees love from the Delaceys with Felix and Safie, later on requesting for a companion from Victor.

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Literary Analysis: Frankenstein Are humans inherently evil,or so caught up in their own interest they do not care for anyone else’s sake? It has been hundreds of years that this question has rotated the minds of humanity. In Mary Shelley’s,”Frankenstein” we see just how much misery loves company- she uses the theme of revenge so intensely we feel it move from emotion to action. Not only do we see revenge in the Monster when he kills Victor’s brother,we see it once again in Victor when his form of revenge is the denial of happiness and the cycle continues when the Monster lets his rage lead him leading him to another cold blooded murder.

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