Malevolent Mold In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Society’s Malevolent Mold

Mahatma Gandhi once said,“ I have also seen children successfully surmounting the effects of an evil inheritance. That is due to purity being an inherent attribute of the soul.”Are people born to be monsters? Or is it that society shapes the way we are, act, and feel. People can be cruel when it comes to judgement and appearances. Society leans on stereotypes and acts accordingly upon them. It’s almost as if society relies solely on what they see on the surface to make their judgements. People are born innocent; their upbringing molds them into what they become the rest is left to personality traits they are born with. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the creature was automatically born into a world of hatred.

“Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which alone I am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend” (69). He sees goodness from the outside, while in confinement. From the beginning, our personalities and who we will become are set, we have traits passed down and we will always act how we act. Only until something dramatic occurs do we remain forever changed. Psychological studies show that it takes significant misfortunes like a major tragedy in one's life to change personalities. PsycNet says, “The individual is likely to meet his world in terms of the personality structure which is already formed. This does not imply that changes do not occur, but they are more likely to occur at times when the individual is faced with conflicts, since stresses often necessitate the development of new modes of behavior in meeting one's environment.” The creation says, “ I am malicious because I am miserable” (104). The creation was made kind and compassionate; he helped a family out with chores and saved a girl from drowning. “ The feelings of kindness and gentleness, which I had entertained but a few moments before, gave to a hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” (101). Sure he was called