Frankenstein: The Monster In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The renowned literature Frankenstein, written in 1818 by Mary Shelley is one of the most influential gothic novels, as well as has inspired many genres of horror films, plays, and stories. In the novel Frankenstein, her characters are unable to recognize the creature as a human rather than a monster due to his frightening image. Mary Shelley’s story displays how society places an immense amount of judgment based off one 's physical features. She suggests that one 's appearance can indicate their inner self-worth due to society’s influence and harsh opinions. When the creature had first came to life, his creator shrieked in horror from his appearance, which made Frankenstein traumatized and resulted in him seeking vengeance. The

Throughout the novel there is no difference between someone 's outer and inner beauty, ultimately one 's physical appearance ends up influencing how others character 's perceived them. “Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay, To mould me, Man, did I solicit thee, From darkness to promote me?” (Milton, Book X, 743–745). The following quote appears in John Milton’s Paradise Lost, when Adam grieves over his fallen condition. The creature within Frankenstein, can identify his feelings and compares himself to both Satan and Adam. However, like Adam, he feels shunned by his creator, although he strives to be good. The reader can notice how Frankenstein displays many emotions: vengeance, love, compassion, and rejection, which a monster or animal could never have the capacity to feel or recognize. The creature can identify what pain is, by observing the cottagers, “They were not entirely happy. The young man and his companion often went apart and appeared to weep. I saw no cause for their unhappiness; but I was deeply affected by it. If such lovely creatures were miserable, it was less strange that I, an imperfect and solitary being, should be wretched. Yet why were these gentle beings unhappy?” (Shelley, 113 ). The following quote shows how Frankenstein has the ability to recognize

Within Mary Shelley’s gothic novel, the viewer can identify how although society calls him a monster they still distinguish him from a human standpoint. Which can be witnessed through Shelley ’s language; her word choice illustrates that even though the characters label him a monster, they still hold him accountable the same way they would a human. A critical piece of language that classifies him as human is when Victor refers to him as a murderer, “I repaired to a criminal judge in the town, and told him I had an accusation to make; that I knew the destroyer of my family; and that I required him to exert his whole authority for the apprehension of the murderer” (Shelley, 202). The choice Victor made to call him a murder rather than a predator shows that the creature is more closely related to humans rather than animals. Furthermore, the creature is referred to as a murderer, meaning that he has developed the mental capacity to commit a crime. Whereas, animals are unable to premeditated murder in order to seek revenge. A predator would kill either for instinctive or survival reasons; however, the reader can discern that the creature kills simply for vengeance against Victor. As the novel continues, the creature kills Victor 's family members off one by one, so that he will be as isolated as well understand the creatures pain. The creature views himself as an abortion; this motif exposes that all his crimes have been due to his suffering. Which Walton