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Frankenstein: Evil By Nature

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Evil by Nature? Monster stories have surfaced in nearly every culture, language, and place throughout humankind?s history. The monster stories take the form of vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and evil beings, and they are all shared themes found throughout various cultures. The common factor between these monsters is that they are all arguably monstrous and evil by nature. Vampires want our blood, zombies ghosts want to terrorize us, zombies want our brains, and werewolves want to bite us, however, for the creature in Frankenstein that is not the case. Some people might argue that Frankenstein?s creature was evil by nature, that he was the epitome of a monster, and that his actions were repugnant. I agree that many of the creature?s …show more content…

Had Frankenstein provided nurture during his ?upbringing?, the monster would have been able to put aside any prejudice with victor?s help, and he might have had a shot at benevolence. However, instead of having that nurture, he was left to fend for himself and his nurture consisted of seclusion and confusion. He taught himself to eat and sustain himself, keep warm, speak, and read. If Frankenstein would have taught him those things and given him his company and interaction, a component to becoming a full functioning adult, the creature would not have been an evil and vile creature who directly and indirectly caused the deaths of three people. Furthermore, Victor Frankenstein would not have contributed to the death of the …show more content…

with ?Sad Trash?: Domesticity and the Sciences in Frankenstein, Johanna M. Smith presents insight on the parallels between Frankenstein and the society its author lived in. Smith reveals the cumbersome oppression that Mary Shelly endured at the fault of her gender and she argues that this oppression made its way into the story. For example, the women in the novel never speak directly and ?everything we hear about them is filtered through male narrators? (J. Smith 360). I admire Smith?s assessment and agree that the oppression of women in the author?s life made its way into the novel, nevertheless, my focus is directed towards the idea that society nurtured Mary Shelly by oppressing her and the oppression directly influenced her personality and

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“‘Cooped Up’ with ‘Sad Trash’” Analysis Dr. Johanna M. Smith, the author of the scholarly article “‘Cooped Up’ with ‘Sad Trash’”, is an associate professor of English at the University of Texas at Arlington. In her article “‘Cooped Up’ with ‘Sad trash’” her approach to the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one that takes a feminist viewpoint. In her article, Smith divides her argument into two sections, one that focuses more on the notion of an unpayable debt of gratitude, and the other that focuses on Victor Frankenstein’s transition from alchemical science to chemistry and how that relates to the “tensions and conflicts of contemporary gendered science” (324). Both articles, although presented as two separate entities, flow together magnificently and

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As the monster grows older, his comparison to victor becomes more and more evident, and their likeness creates a conflict between the two characters. In the first few chapter of Shelley’s novel, Victor describes growing up in great detail. From his loving parents, to his great friendships, Victor Frankenstein had a very happy childhood. He even goes as far as stating that “no human could have passed a happier childhood than myself.”

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The creature thinks of Frankenstein to be an “Unfeeling, heartless creator” (121). After punished from helping a young girl, the creature declares, “This was then the reward of my benevolence!” (123). Although Frankenstein grows up surrounded by care, he develops to provide none. And although the creature never receives care, he strives to be benevolent.

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This quote from Frankenstein is extremely important and significant in this novel. Firstly, Victor brags about how good his childhood was compared to everyone else, explaining how he grew up. Victor also describes his parents as indulgent, or having or indicating a tendency to be overly generous to or lenient with someone, as well as describing his companions as amiable, or having a friendly or pleasant manner. Victor’s parents, also Victor’s creator, gave him an enjoyable childhood. However, Victor, the monster’s creator, gave the monster an absolutely terrible childhood, due to the fact that the monster had no one to look up to.

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This you alone can do, and I demand it of you as a right which you must not refuse to concede’” (156). The monster did not end up receiving this gift, as well, and the same can be said about Frankenstein’s pursuit for glory. Though Victor had a loving childhood that never rang with solitude, he still coveted respect and admiration from humanity, only not for his similarities with them—like the monster tried for—but with his superiority. This contrast perfectly displays to the audience

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After successfully creating the monster, Frankenstein is perplexed by what he has created. Due to the monster’s annoyance with Frankenstein, he acts back against Frankenstein mostly due to his lack of parenting and responsibility. Shelley’s novel strongly connects with the act of parenting. It is clear that Victor Frankenstein did not complete his role as a parent. Due to this, it further led the monster to misbehave and feel as if he does not have a purpose in life.

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Anyone that is treated like they are evil and unwanted for no reason you cannot blame for becoming evil. The moment the Creature was given life he was already being treated like a Monster or mistake ”I beheld the wretch-the miserable monster whom i had created. ”(Mary Shelley Frankenstein 32)

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“Victor's inability to know his creature relates directly to his lack of responsibility for the creature's welfare or actions” (Frankenstein). If the monster had the guidance of a paternal figure, such as his creator Victor Frankenstein, the novel could be different. The monster finds his first victim when he discovers William is a Frankenstein, as an impulse to the neglect he faced by his creator with the same last name. “Victor denies to him the affection, the emotional and physical support, the nurturing, the “mothering”, thay every newborn child requires' (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley et al). The monster was left as a “baby” having to learn right from wrong, how to survive, and basic traits on his own.

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In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor used the things he was learning to create something new. Although Victor created the creature, the creature in Frankenstein is more monstrous because he chose his path which was revenge. Since the creature was not accepted by society it led him to destroying many people's lives so he could take revenge on Victor. The reason the creature is a monster is because a monster is someone/something that has an abnormal appearance, cruel actions, is inhumane, and lacks empathy.

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As time moves on in the novel the reader can see how both people,Victor Frankenstein and his monster grow in their own ways and how their hatred for each other 's grows till it led to the downfall and even death of one of the characters. In the novel Frankenstein there were two ways in which education was obtained one was by books and schooling and the other was by experimentation and observation. While Frankenstein was more of a book Lerner he did have some moments of learning through experimentation. His monster on the other hand learned most if not all of his education through experience, experimentation, and observation.

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Mary Shelley was the daughter of one the first and most important advocates for feminism, Mary Wollstonecraft, and writer of the novel Frankenstein published in 1818. Growing up Mary Shelley was strongly influenced by her mother's writing. After her mothers passing, her father continued to expose her the feminist works from a very young age. These radical and feminist views changed her way of thinking and shaped her work and life (study.com, 2003). The representation of women in the novel Frankenstein, no doubt inspired by her mother's Vindication of the Rights of Woman, are complex and contradictory ,on one hand, she presents an argument for the importance of women in the household, but on the other hand, women are depicted in traditional

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The word evil can be defined as profoundly immoral and malevolent. A person’s actions can often fit under the category of evil, but that does not necessarily make that person truly evil. The work of literature Frankenstein by Mary Shelley exhibits a monster that fits many stereotypes of being evil. He looks terrifying, commits horrible crimes, and purposely does things that will bring despair to others. Contrary to this, the monster himself is not actually evil.

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1135 Words | 5 Pages

Frankenstein created the creature so he could manipulate the power of life, not to learn from the experience. He is so immersed in his studies, fascinated by the creation of life. He studies what the human body is made up of and how it falls apart. Victor completely disengages from the world when away at school after his mother dies of scarlet fever.

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In order to define a monster, we need to know what a man isn't. A man is somebody who is moral, someone who follows his moral obligations. Very different from our definition of a monster, who is someone without morals – they (almost) entirely disregard morality. Morality is the decisions one makes when one is not the only one who will be affected by the choices they make. Those who do not follow what society dicates is good and well will be seen as a monster, someone who has departed from the customs set by everyone else.

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Both of the characters Frankenstein and the creature had contrasting motives throughout the novel. Frankenstein wasn 't really seeking for a main thing as the creature was seeking for companionship. In "Frankenstein: Creation as Catastrophe" Paul Sherwin states "Creatures utmost desire is that another reciprocate his need for sympathetic relationship. " The creature just wanted someone to love him and care for him. Someone that he could depend on.

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