Human Nature In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

In the English literature classic, Frankenstein, author Mary Shelley tells the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a student of science who miraculously brings a conglomerate of deceased body parts back to life. Throughout the novel, Shelley provides narratives and observations from the perspectives of Victor, the creature, and Robert Walton, as well as intentionally including symbolic plot events that demonstrate the characters’ hesitation toward situations that they are unaccustomed to, in order to convey the stance that it is human nature to fear what is unfamiliar.
The first example of Shelley’s portrayal of the dismay caused by an unfamiliar environment is when Victor voyages to Ingolstadt for his studies. Preceding his departure from Geneva,

Before this moment, Victor had expressed excitement that “a new species would bless [him] as its creator and source…” (Shelley 42). Once his experiment finally succeeded and the creature showed signs of life, he expresses immediate regret, remarking that “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart” (Shelley 45). Although not directly stated, it can be easily inferred that this regret stems from the creature’s inhuman and grotesque appearance. Even though Victor had already become familiar with the corpse of his work, he had not yet become acquainted with it in an animate state. The creature’s sudden emergence from the dead was difficult for Victor to process because he was not sure what the creature would do next. This uncertainty ignited the persistent fear that he had of the creature, reiterating Shelley’s assertion that it is natural to be fearful of

In a letter to his sister, Robert laments about his sailors ordering him to turn the boat around and return to England, rather than staying in the Arctic “and lead them into fresh dangers…” (Shelley 207). As their vessel is trapped between large masses of ice with a threat of never returning home, it makes sense that “each day’s expectation delayed fills [the crew] with fear”, wanting to avoid any future peril (Shelley 206). That being said, their destiny is undetermined and their desire to avoid danger is rooted in the fear of the unknown. The sailors would rather abandon their voyage, which may end in eventual success, than live in fear of being confronted with an uncomfortable or deadly