How Does Mary Shelley Use Punishment In Frankenstein

Any individual is a natural product of their upbringing, and thus, their past. Individuals that are brutalized or abandoned in their past become proactively violent as a defense mechanism, like an abused dog that bites the hand that feeds it. Mary Shelley exemplifies this in Frankenstein through the use of the monster, whom having experienced punishment for simply existing becomes a malicious creature that seeks revenge on his creator. An individual is taught how to behave by their rewards or punishments for their actions. The monster, in his seemingly youthful state, is inherently good. When a young girl nearly drowns, the monster saves her, but what he receives is a shot to the shoulder. This immediately teaches him that his altruistic acts will not be met equally. Being punished for an action the monster believed was an act of kindness teaches him simply to not act kindly, as it will only bring pain, physical and mental. This lesson that the monster learns contributes to his natural production. By being shown that altruism and kindness are of no use to him, there are only two other options, neutrality or malice.

Some of these feelings are innate, such as empathy and compassion, but what one thinks and how they act on these feelings is learned. The monster feels compassion for the DeLaceys, but having been taught a painful lesson on compassion for others with the young girl, he only acts on it in secret. The monster wishes someone felt compassion for him, but with his lesson he remains in secrecy. However, once again, when he does show himself, he is met with anything but compassion. In this, the monster is taught to feel hatred, as it is only what he