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Frankenstein Society's Myopia Character Analysis

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Frankenstein: Society’s Myopia
“The eye is the window of the soul”
~Hiram Powers
Throughout Frankenstein, the creature’s eyes constantly display his feelings and insight. Also, the creature descends into violence as society refuses to accept him for his gruesome image. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley juxtaposes the blindness and despondency shown in the creature’s eyes with the fear he induces in others due to his hideous superficial appearance, leading to his transformation from a curious, innocent creature into a dangerous pariah.
Shelley illuminates the creature’s grief through his eyes however, his intimidating demeanor and sheer size overshadow his innate innocence and leads to Frankenstein’s misunderstanding of his creature’s true, harmless …show more content…

For instance, after Frankenstein abandons the creature, the creature locates Frankenstein and decides to confront him, “He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me” (Shelley 46). Shelley emphasizes the inhumane appearance of the creature and the creature’s eyes’ which contrast to the clear and thoughtfulness of human eyes. The defined fear Frankenstein has towards his creation results not from his incomprehension of the gentleness of the creature’s nature but the ferocity accompanying his aura. Also, Frankenstein attempts to understand his creation and decides to consider the creature as a scholar: “…knowledge might enable me to overlook the deformity of my figure; for with this also the contrast perpetually presented to my eyes had made me acquainted” (Shelley 88). The creature himself understands people cannot see his peaceful intentions that are encapsulated in his terrifying, inalterable body. Overall, because the creature is unable to physically fit into society, he decides to separate himself willingly and cause harm to those who cannot accept …show more content…

First, the creature has not learned basic knowledge about life and “thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain” (Shelley 81). Shelley uses the fire as an example of how the misunderstanding of volatile things confuses and angers the creature. Furthermore, the creature explains his confusion in interpreting what he sees: “Darkness then came over me, and troubled me; but hardly had I felt this, when, by opening my eyes, as I now suppose, the light poured in upon me again” (Shelley 79). The creature becomes aware of what he truly is and understands that society will not accept his intelligence because of his form. As a result, the creature decides to fit into society’s picture of him leading to him murdering Frankenstein’s family and those who cause his creator the most happiness. Consequently, the creature does not have strongly developed morals and decides others should suffer as he suffers from their ill formed assumptions based on his

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