Victor Frankenstein How I Did It Analysis

How I Did It, By Victor Frankenstein Since the first people walked this earth, humans have judged others based on what little knowledge they have, creating an utterly false “reality” of the other in their own mind. Of course, this was a good survival trait back when civilized society wasn’t at all advanced and most people had to fend for themselves. In our modern time, this trait isn’t as necessary to our survival: we have the ability not to make rash/quick decisions based off of pure initial judgement. Yet, most if not all of society still is entrapped by this primitive mindset. Even human literature reflects this idea, purposefully or not. In “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, the idea of society turning an individual into what society perceives

The first of which was when he attempted to reveal himself to the DeLaceys, whom he a grown attached to, learned to speak from, and learned how to interact with other humans from. After spending an unspecified amount of time with this family, he finally decides to reveal himself to the old man, telling him that, “[He] and [his] family are the friends whom [the monster] seek[s]...” but then Felix entered and, “[Dashed the monster] to the ground and struck [him] violently with a stick…” (96-97). Why this experience is so traumatic for the monster is because he had grown attached to this family and trusted them on some level. Never before has he had his trust broken, which is why he reacts so strongly to it, swearing vengeance on all of humanity. Despite this, on his way from the DeLacey’s he spots a little girl who is drowning in the river, and proceeds to save her claiming, “[He] rushed from [his] hiding place [to save her]... but when [a] man saw [him] draw near [the man] shot [him]...” (101). Unfortunately, this only reinforces the monster’s beliefs regarding humanity, and helps him justify the killing of Victor’s close