Nature Versus Nurture: The Evolution of Frankenstein’s Monster It is natural for a human or other animal to evolve and adapt to the environment around themself, both physically and socially. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the creature evolves in a similar manner, and almost reaches a human state by doing so, despite not being human. These adaptations are mainly caused by the social rejections he faces and the isolation through which he has to suffer, as he is neglected by his creator as well as everyone around him. Over time, as he becomes more wretched and more miserable, he evolves to both feel hatred and understand his alienation. As he evolves, he becomes more and more human-like, and he not only feels self-awareness, but uses this awareness …show more content…
Due to his appearance, his creator rejects and runs from him, while the people he encounters do the same. As such, he is forced to live alone in the wilderness, isolated and alienated from society. He begins to learn and read from many sources, including religious texts, and upon encountering his creator, says “Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous” (77). Here the creature is comparing himself to Adam in the Bible — they are both alone and isolated. However, instead of having his creator care for him, his creator instead neglects him, causing him to become a “fallen angel,” which is synonymous to Satan. The monster not only understands that he is alienated, but that he is completely abandoned, and he says “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” (189-190). Here he proclaims himself to be abandoned, like an unwanted child, or an abortion. Even moreso, he claims that others believe he should never have existed, and that he is merely an accident. This consequently furthers his feeling of injustice, which makes his “blood boil.” All of this points to the idea that all of his pent up anger and hatred is an effect of his environment, and not just his nature. Overall, Frankenstein’s monster evolves to understand his alienation and his surroundings’ beliefs that he is a wretch, comparing himself to both Adam in the Bible and to an unwanted accident, even though it is clear that he has gained the ability to act more human and less wretched over time. This