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Frankenstein Parental Neglect

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Frankenstein, Mary Shelley's novel, analyses the implications of parental neglect and the negative impact it has on people and society as a whole. Shelley constructs a cautionary tale that represents Wollstonecraft's opinion that the unhappiness that plagues society frequently arises from the neglect of parents, drawing inspiration from her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft's, powerful book on women's rights, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Through the characters of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, the issue of parental neglect appears in Frankenstein, demonstrating the tremendous influence of inadequate parental direction and nurturing on the creation of identity and the human mind. The protagonist and "parent" of the narrative, Victor …show more content…

Despite the fact that he created the creature, Victor rejects him, leaving the creature without affection, direction, or a sense of belonging. This desertion drives the monster to seek vengeance, causing pain and despair to spread across the story. Victor's failure to fulfil his parenting obligations highlights the consequences of ignoring one's children's demands and emotional well-being." Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather a fallen angel" (Shelley 89). This phrase conveys the creature's yearning for a parent-child connection with Victor, which mirrors the need for affection and acceptance that is generally linked with adequate parental …show more content…

Wollstonecraft emphasised for the need of effective child education and supervision, emphasising the impact of parental responsibility on the formation of a person's character and values. "The foundation of domestic tyranny in most men is laid in the indifference of mothers towards their daughters" (Wollstonecraft 61). Wollstonecraft's argument is consistent with Shelley's depiction of parental neglect, implying that neglect of mothers, in particular, can have serious ramifications for individuals and society as a

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Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, displays throughout the novel, that the parents and guardians should be held accountable for the actions of their children. Mary uses Victor's creation as a center of attention to display the outcomes of neglect and abandonment and the impact of those actions on their priorities. As one neglects and abandons their child, the one being neglected becomes socially awkward and ignorant of society's norms. In the novel, Mary uses imagery to display Victor's harsh attitude toward the creation.

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Mary Shelly’s novel, Frankenstein, a modern Prometheus teaches that like a youth in modern society, the creature’s development was influenced by both internal and external factors. Parenting a child has many similarities in creating a creature like in the book Frankenstein. Victor wants the glory and success of creating a creature or human that was once dead and bringing it back to life. What he doesn't understand is the love and care he will need to control this creature and that is what he fails to do as a parent of this life. Mary Shelley did a good job of taking things from not a big deal and exaggerating it into a problem.

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”(Millhauser). This violent rejection is a repetition of Victor’s lack of acceptance for the monster and attention to his family. Victor knows that the monster will never be able to live within society and that his ability to create life is the only hope the monster has of achieving companionship. Victor's own aversion to companionship surfaces as he, “ fails to give him the human companionship, the Eve, the female creature, that he needs to achieve some sort of a normal life.” (Mellor).

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