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Frankenstein Nature Vs Nurture Essay

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In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” the timeless debate of nature and nurture takes center stage through the character of Victor Frankenstein’s creation. While the novel at its roots is a gothic horror mixed with scientific ambition, it also shows what truly shapes an individual’s identity and behavior. Through the plight of the monster, Shelly wants readers to contemplate the extent to which inherent qualities versus environmental influences determine one’s destiny. “Frankenstein argues that while inherent traits may play a role in shaping a person, it is ultimately the nurturing or lack thereof, and the environment that significantly molds an individual’s actions and ultimate fate. Victor Frankenstein’s abandonment of his creation immediately …show more content…

One pivotal moment that highlights this dynamic occurs when the monster reflects on his initial encounters with the De Lacey family: "I had admired the perfect forms of my cottagers—their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions; but how was I terrified when I viewed myself in a transparent pool!" Shelley, Chapter 13. Here, the monster's admiration for the virtues of the De Lacey family contrasts with his horror upon realizing his grotesque appearance. This moment encapsulates the conflict between the creature's inherent desire for acceptance and the harsh reality of his physical appearance, which sets him apart from humanity. As the narrative unfolds, Shelley continues to explore how the monster's experiences shape his understanding of himself and the world around him. Despite his initial aspirations for benevolence and companionship, the rejection and mistreatment he faces from society ultimately drive him to embrace a darker path. This transformation shows the impact of environmental influences on individual behavior, as the monster's journey is shaped by the cruelty and prejudice he

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“I shall relate events that impressed me feelings which, from what I was, have made me what I am” (Shelley 80). In the second volume Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, the monster’s story during his years of isolation shows the complexity of his character; this complexity makes him an enigma. In order to uncover the mysteries behind this enigma, we must analyze the factors that played a role in his development. Looking at the monster’s development, we can see parallels between the monster and feral children. Much like feral children, the monster was abandoned—during the early period of his life—and was placed under extreme circumstances, which he was forced to endure—having to fend for himself.

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Nature is the predetermined traits that people are born with, while nurture is the influence that affects people after they’re born. The debate surrounding Nature V. Nurture is how much of a person’s traits is predetermined and how much is influenced by the environment. Mary Shelley's believes in nurture more than nature. Victor Frankenstein has certain traits that he’s born with. Frankenstein is born into a prestigious, wealthy family.

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It is then revealed how he had suffered inequality in the nearby villages of Ingolstadt, as well as a cottage in Germany. In reaction to the monster’s deformity and shape, the actions taken against him, overall, were made out of fear and discrimination. In his account of the nearby villages of Ingolstadt, the monster claims that “the whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until grievously bruised by stones and other kinds of missile weapons.” (Shelley 73) The monster was left feeling miserable, as he reflected upon “the barbarity of man.” (Shelley 73) Aroused by fear, with the accompaniment of outrage and violence from others, which

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The vivid description of the monster’s emotions highlight the impact that society’s actions towards the monster had on his motivations for revenge and acts of violence. Society’s hostile actions towards the monster lead the monster to feel completely isolated and alienated from society. He is seen as ‘the other’. He was not seen as a creation, a creature, or a living being, but as a monster. All the monster required was love and companionship.

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He anguish he faces daily is heavy on the heart and mind, which makes you question what society is really made up of. As we transition to the creature we will compare the creatures' abandonment, self- isolation to Frankenstein's experiences. To see what bond to they share with each other, what the author wants us to understand…. The creature has one of the saddest existence in the novel; he is introduced to the reader as a horrid monster who was born out of curiosity and ignorance.

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Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” is an example of nature vs. nurture. The book follows the character Victor, who was brought up with plenty of attention and love. Victor also had many cronies. Victor had plenty of nurture, yet he became evil. Along with isolating himself, Victor let a girl die.

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His physical appearance is frightening and bizarre, which makes him an outcast among normal humans. The Monster's desperation for human connection is exemplified by his attempts to interact with other humans. With the lines “ I had never yet seen a being resembling me, or who claimed any intercourse with me. What was I?”(Shelly) Shelley effectively conveys the value of family and community in shaping identity.

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For years there has been an occuring debate about nature vs nurture. Some argue that people might naturally be bad or good while others argue that they are nurtured to be the way they are. Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, visually uses this concept and shows that truly both of these factors impact who beings turn into a scientist who was loved to the greatest extent that grew to be broken and a creature that was tainted from birth without a chance to change. This story set in the 1700s sets the scene starting with the scientist abandoning the creature and continuing to neglect it until it is too late. The novel by Mary Shelley called “Frankenstein” presents a monster that was abandoned by a broken scientist, its creator.

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Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?” (Shelley 119). The creature is obviously embarrassed about the way he looks. But that is only because of the way people judged him solely on the way he looks. De Lacey is the only person in the novel that treats him with any sort of kindness and that is only because he is blind and cannot see him.

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While the Creature seeks companionship and acceptance, society's rejection pushes him towards vengeance and violence. This is shown when he is in the De Lacey house and he gets shamed without causing any harm. When the beast says, “I will be an outcast in the world forever.” , we are able to see the ethical dilemma of how individuals and society should treat those who do not conform to societal norms. Due to his looks, the creature was judged as an evil beast that only causes harm and fear.

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The most telling of the creature’s humanity is the deep remorse due to the death of Victor Frankenstein. The creature realized that all the destruction he caused did not bring him any peace. He understood how he had fallen from virtue, from before as a creature that had been filled with beauty and majesty of goodness. His tragic fall illustrates how one can fall from grace due to peer perception.

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In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, it can be argued that the creator, Victor Frankenstein, could be considered the “monster” rather than the creature itself. Victor’s creation was made in greed and obsession. Not only did Victor steal the body of a murderer, he stole the brain of his most influenced professor. After the birth of Victor’s creature, he realizes that his creation was abnormally strong and potentially dangerous. With this strength, Victor becomes scared and wants his creation dead.

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In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, it explores the theme of “the monster”, and how it subverts traditional ideas of who and what a “monster” is. This essay will discuss the ideas of how the novel explores contradicting themes like the nature of beauty and ugliness, as well as the characters and events and the consequences of their actions. The relationship between outward appearance and inside aspirations is seen to be related in the novel's discussion of certain extremely significant principles. The creature in the novel is seen to be the “traditional” monster that we all associate with in novels.

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“I became dizzy with the immensity of the prospect which it illustrated” (Shelley 31). He hadn’t been out for a long time and when he had finished the creature, all that work turned him into an unstable person and one who neglected others and his own

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Mary Shelly uses the characterisation of the creature and the conflicts that he encounters to convey that society makes us who we are as shown by hatred, rejection, and violence. The monster has a conflict with himself. He feels hatred toward himself as he sees humans as wonderful and perfect. He says, “I admired the perfect forms of my cottagers–their grace, beauty, and delicate complexions”(pg. 112).

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