ipl-logo

Importance Of Appearances In Frankenstein

496 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social critique of victorian era

People never take the time to get to know someone, they always judge by appearances. In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly, rejection, and alienation are clearly exposed throughout many characters, especially throughout Frankenstein's creature. The creature is alienated from a society based on the fact that he is different. People in today's society, as in Frankenstein’s, are still first judged based on their appearances and not on their desire to do well to others. Children at school get bullied, teased, and isolated because of their physical appearance. Even babies have been abandoned because they are born with physical defects. This kind of behavior has serious consequences, not only for the person being judged but for those who do the judging. …show more content…

This reveals to us that the creature lives in a society that is judgmental and is aware of the creatures suffering, but ignores it because he is not "normal." "Let me go; he cried; "monster! Ugly wretch (Pg. 130)!" In this quote, the creature is being judged based on his appearance. The creature wasn't trying to harm William, but the creature gets fed up with his insults, and reacts violently. He starts to turn into the monster, that everyone sees him as. "And what was I? Of my creation and creator, I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property (Pg. 108)." In this quote, the creature begins to accumulate this new sense of self. The creature becomes aware at this point, that he is a monster with nothing to his name. He starts questioning his existence. He is not welcomed in the

Show More
Related
847 Words | 4 Pages

The creature is no different than humans in the way that humans can kill, be kind or be violent and miserable, which the creature shows and experiences. As the creature learns more he encounters villagers with "gentle manners" and some barbarous villagers" who treat him like trash. If humans are so called humans because of their sympathy and compassion, then humans shouldn 't be considered humans if they kill or become violent. The men the creature meets are just as defective as he becomes. Just like any human around the creature 's "heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy", but he also experiences "misery" and "violence" he is "filled with an insatiable thirst for vengeance" (190).

Read More
731 Words | 3 Pages

Have you ever judged a person by how they look? Or Ran away from your problem but they seem to come back and haunt you? Well in the book Gris Grimly 's Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein had created a creature so horrible looking that he ran away from it. Everyone believed that he wasn’t a human being, but I believe that everything he 's done was the most humane thing he could have done. The creature was a kind and "benevolent soul" that cared for everyone until he would be turned away from humanity all because he looked different.

Read More
516 Words | 3 Pages

Frankenstein’s Monster is not categorized as evil by his malicious behavior and is sympathized with due to his creator abandoning him and the role of nature versus nurture taken place II. Monster’s Nature and alienation A. Monster originally had an inquisitive nature yet gentle nature a. Information on the German family was “each interesting and wonderful to one so utterly inexperienced as [he] was” (105) B. With the rejection and alienation from society, the only interactions the monster experiences, he becomes full of hatred a. Rejected by De Lacey family by his looks and labeled a monster b. Tries to save a child but is shot by child’s father C. Reader may feel sympathy towards the Monster’s actions because the readers know that his true nature was not evil and he was misjudged III.

Read More
397 Words | 2 Pages

In his attempt to assimilate, the Creature begins to learn language and admire the concept of a family and forms the same human desires that people possess: a family, a companion, a home, and an identity. However, as he tries to interact with people, he learns that his ugly appearance prevents him from integrating into society. The elements of the Gothic are present here, as the Creature's isolation is a principal trope of Gothic fiction. According to Ashley Craig Lancaster’s text, “From Frankenstein's Monster to Lester Ballard: The Evolving Gothic Monster,” “…the Monster drifts away from society as a creature driven first by kindness, then by hatred, and finally by desperation, only to continue to live alone” (Lancaster 139).

Read More
648 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout this novel, we learn the views of the creature that Victor Frankenstein created. His views on society, justice, and injustice. When he is first created, he seeks to be accepted by society despite his appearance. However, the events he experiences shape his views. Victor Frankenstein, the DeLacey family, and the father and daughter he meets throughout his journey do not accept him.

Read More
1845 Words | 8 Pages

When he sees his reflection, he sees the difference in appearance between himself and everyone else around him. He watches a family for a period of time, and tries to communicate with them. They, too, are scared away by his appearance. He becomes angry with humans and further isolates himself (Shelley 91-110). Even though the creature had committed murder, he didn’t know that he was doing wrong.

Read More
1218 Words | 5 Pages

The Consequences of Physical Appearance in Frankenstein The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a science fiction story about a creature created from non-living matter, by a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein. The conflict between society and Frankenstein’s creature is largely perpetuated by a split between those considered attractive, and those who are not. The conflict and language use in Frankenstein demonstrate that most of society judges others based on their physical appearance, which leads to excluding those who fall outside the accepted definition of beauty and sometimes life-threatening consequences for both groups.

Read More
1530 Words | 7 Pages

First, the creature reveals emotions of his “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust. God in pity,

Read More
669 Words | 3 Pages

Frankenstein's description of the creature present him as disgusting and horrifying. The description of the creature makes him feel as if he is unwanted, his father rejected him, so he became an outsider and was isolated from the rest of society, since he believes no one cares for him. In society nowadays, there is a large fear of social interaction due to the overprotection of parents. For example, psychiatrists are concerned with child development patterns of adolescents who were overprotected during their childhood and do not know how to properly interact with

Read More
764 Words | 4 Pages

When he reached a village, immediately: children shrieked, and one of the women fainted. The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped to the open country and fearfully took refuge" (Shelley 95). Initially the being had been delighted by the sight of the village, but he was brutally driven from it for no reason other than his appearance. Because he appeared abnormal, they assumed he was evil. Just as society fears the creature, the creature fears society.

Read More
1804 Words | 8 Pages

The monster depicts his otherness when he wonders: “Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned” (Shelley 85). The monster evidently remains in isolation and is dehumanized. The monster attempts to get integrated into his society but his appearance and lack of social skills hinder his success. The monster strives to be accepted but is incapable of acceptance. The monster reiterates this feeling of isolation as he says: “I felt as if I were placed under a ban- as if I had no right to claim their sympathies – as if never more might I enjoy companionship with them” (Shelley 108).

Read More
987 Words | 4 Pages

He is aware of his otherness and knows that he is “shut out from intercourse” (84) with the people he holds so dear. It can be argued that this is the point where the creature’s humanity is the strongest throughout the course of story. He has a basic understanding of human societies, he speaks and reads their language, shows compassion and, most importantly, seeks their company and friendship. In his knowledge that social belonging is the missing component to his own happiness, he confronts the people he secretly observed only to, once again, be met with fear and anger (94-95). He comes to realise that he

Read More
1363 Words | 6 Pages

Beauty and ugliness is often used to justify the reaction of others in the novel, Frankenstein; in which the relation between external appearance and internal desires are shown to be related. The theme of how appearance affects judgement is often demonstrated through the characters response to the monster’s physical being. Shelley depicts this situation through Dr. Victor Frankenstein, the Delacey family, and through the monster himself. The use of appearance to determine judgement is shown to be a negative habit. By automatically associating ugliness with evil, and beauty with innocence, society unintentionally develops a negative being in those considered ugly, while at the same creating an illusion of innocence over beautiful individuals.

Read More
1179 Words | 5 Pages

He was formed through behavioral views and experiences due to the lack of education and learning the morals of society. To society standards his physical appearance was not accepted and created a feeling of confusion within the monster causing him hateful feelings towards humans after being shown cruel actions. He received constant judgment and rejection due to his appearance, "His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of pearly whiteness; but these luxuriance 's only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same color as the dun-white sockets in which they were set, his shriveled complexion and straight black lips" (Shelley, 58), yet the monster did not have any opinion of his own self but what was given from Victor and the society. The creation refused to continue to let this happen and reacted with anger, just like anyone other human would. The confusion and rage continues for the monster when society treats him with cruelty after meeting a family in the wilderness and they run away from him.

Read More
929 Words | 4 Pages

The gothic fiction novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley centralizes on humanity and the qualifications that make someone human. The content of the novel Frankenstein depicts a monster displaying human traits that his creator Victor does not possess: empathy, a need for companionship, and a will to learn and fit in. Throughout the novel Shelley emphasizes empathy as a critical humanistic trait. The monster displays his ability to empathize with people even though they are strangers. On the other hand Victor, fails to show empathy throughout the novel even when it relates to his own family and friends.

Read More

More about Importance Of Appearances In Frankenstein

Related Topics

Open Document