Nature Vs Nurture Frankenstein

The nature versus nurture debate dates back to 1869 with Francis Galton who argued nature and John Locke who argued nurture. The concept of this debate is to determine what shapes a man's personality. Are we born with all of our characteristics and our personalities, with little room to change or does our environment shape our personalities? Many philosophers have grappled with this debate, as well as authors. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, she consistently explains that the creature's behavior is due to nurture - or lack thereof. She argues that the way he is rejected time and time again has made him bitter. This is a reoccurring theme throughout the entire book, and it is not limited to the explanation of only the creature’s behavior,

Victor Frankenstein had found the creature so hideous after bringing him to life that he could not even bear to return to the place he had last seen the creature, his home. “I did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited,” (Shelley, 27). Shelley uses this very first abandonment of the creature as the foundation for her argument that the creature was not inherently evil, but society made him that way. On the nature side of the debate, it is argued that we will still have the same characteristics if we are isolated and rejected or if we are surrounded by people and accepted with opened arms. Nurture, on the other hand, argues that we will turn out much differently if we isolated or not and that human interactions are imperative to the development of our personalities. Shelley is attempting to convey this message to the readers and by having the creature abandoned early on, she is able to further develop her

The creature has already killed those who are important to Victor, and is now explaining to Victor that he is not hurting Victor and these people because he wants to, but he is doing it because he feels he has no choice. In order for him to be happy again, he wants a companion whether it be a female version of him or Victor, and he is just trying to get the attention of Victor so that he can do that. Once a companion is granted to him, he has no intentions of hurting anyone again. “I am malicious because I am miserable,” (75). Shelley is really showing that the lack of nurture and sense of belonging of the creature is what has caused him to turn to murder, and it is what makes him vengeful. He is lonely, and doesn't know how else to catch the attention of Victor to help him, thus he “turns”