Frankenstein And Delacey's Relationship Essay
Frankenstein is not only a work of fiction, but a work of art. It portrays scenes of terror, romance, and sadness in telling the wild story of the scientist Victor Frankenstein. In the novel, the DeLacey family’s and Safie’s relationship with the monster play a big role in the monster’s education and development in his values as well as his view on humanity, specifically Frankenstein. From the minute the monster meets the DeLacey family, he is intrigued by them. His first few words about the family describe how the “silver hair and benevolent countenance of the aged cottager won [his] reverence, while the gentle manners of the girl enticed [his] love” (Shelley 60). He starts to fall in love with the family, observing their every move, whether
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it’s Felix cutting firewood or the old man playing his instrument. The DeLacey family is his only way of learning from the outside world.
The monster constantly watches the DeLacey’s, longing to associate with these people. He starts to learn what is important to the family and what they value most. He learns the importance of kindness when Felix and Agatha give up their own dinner for their father. He copies their example, just like a baby would its parents. He wants to feel like a part of that kindness and a part of that family, so he starts cutting up the wood for Felix. In addition, he gradually starts doing other chores for the family too. He collects wood and brings home kindling to be used for many days. The monster’s love for the characters grows stronger every day. Through his consistent love for the DeLacey’s, the monster learns many other values and morals besides kindness. He learns to appreciate what he has because he sees the DeLacey family living in total poverty, but still living with pure hearts. He is able to relate to the family because he lives with nothing as well. Through his second-hand interaction with the DeLacey’s, the monster learns the true goodness of human nature. He states, “when they were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathized in their joys” (62). He learns to feel emotion through
observation. The monster is just as human as the DeLacey’s. He is able to tap into his human emotions and his desperation to make human contact shows the similarities between human emotions and the monster’s emotions. He explores his human emotions saying how he “longed to discover the motives and feelings of these lovely creatures” (Shelley 63). He learns the importance of having a family. Like the DeLacey children, the monster only has a “father.” But, he recognizes the contrast between the healthy relationship the DeLacey’s share with their father and the non-existent one he has with Doctor Frankenstein. Not only does the DeLacey family teach the monster values and morals, but they also teach him language and education without even knowing it. When Safie comes to live with the DeLacey’s, she has trouble communicating with the family because she is foreign-originally from Turkey. She begins to learn French through Felix, who teaches her with love and patience. The monster also learns the language for the first time and strongly relates to Safie in that way. Because of Safie, he is able to learn writing, reading, and language. In addition, the monster relates to Safie emotionally. She also only had a father and was left alone by him when the government threw him in jail. The monster obviously knows the feeling of isolation, being left by Frankenstein after he was created. Additionally, Felix, Agatha, and the old man all treat Safie with respect and love, always making sure she is comfortable. The monster, seeing they still accept her even with her cultural differences, starts to have hope for himself that even though he is different, they will accept him too. The monster hopes that through his newfound knowledge and virtues, “they would compassionate [him] and overlook [his] personal deformity” (Shelley 71). The monster is self-conscious about his appearance and hopes that the DeLacey family of all people, with their good virtues and hearts, will accept him for his internal value and character. Furthermore, Safie and Felix’s relationship is what plants the idea of a companion in the monster’s head. He sees how happy they are in love, and later he realizes he wants that for himself, which leads him to ask Frankenstein to make him a woman monster. The monster saw that Felix had been filled with sorrow before she came and after her arrival “Felix seemed ravished with delight when he saw her, every trait of sorrow vanished from his face” (Shelley 64). This gave the monster the idea that he could feel newfound happiness with a lover too. In the end, when the DeLacey family rejects the monster, he rejects everything they ever taught him. He throws away the morals he learned from the family, shaping him into a true monster, filled with hatred and revenge. His violent act of burning the DeLacey home and killing Frankenstein’s family shows how quickly the DeLacey family’s rejection affected him. In conclusion, the DeLacey family and Safie molded the monster in a very positive way and a very negative way, making him a bright and knowledgeable creature who in the end, becomes very capable of seeking sinful revenge.
it’s Felix cutting firewood or the old man playing his instrument. The DeLacey family is his only way of learning from the outside world.
The monster constantly watches the DeLacey’s, longing to associate with these people. He starts to learn what is important to the family and what they value most. He learns the importance of kindness when Felix and Agatha give up their own dinner for their father. He copies their example, just like a baby would its parents. He wants to feel like a part of that kindness and a part of that family, so he starts cutting up the wood for Felix. In addition, he gradually starts doing other chores for the family too. He collects wood and brings home kindling to be used for many days. The monster’s love for the characters grows stronger every day. Through his consistent love for the DeLacey’s, the monster learns many other values and morals besides kindness. He learns to appreciate what he has because he sees the DeLacey family living in total poverty, but still living with pure hearts. He is able to relate to the family because he lives with nothing as well. Through his second-hand interaction with the DeLacey’s, the monster learns the true goodness of human nature. He states, “when they were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathized in their joys” (62). He learns to feel emotion through
observation. The monster is just as human as the DeLacey’s. He is able to tap into his human emotions and his desperation to make human contact shows the similarities between human emotions and the monster’s emotions. He explores his human emotions saying how he “longed to discover the motives and feelings of these lovely creatures” (Shelley 63). He learns the importance of having a family. Like the DeLacey children, the monster only has a “father.” But, he recognizes the contrast between the healthy relationship the DeLacey’s share with their father and the non-existent one he has with Doctor Frankenstein. Not only does the DeLacey family teach the monster values and morals, but they also teach him language and education without even knowing it. When Safie comes to live with the DeLacey’s, she has trouble communicating with the family because she is foreign-originally from Turkey. She begins to learn French through Felix, who teaches her with love and patience. The monster also learns the language for the first time and strongly relates to Safie in that way. Because of Safie, he is able to learn writing, reading, and language. In addition, the monster relates to Safie emotionally. She also only had a father and was left alone by him when the government threw him in jail. The monster obviously knows the feeling of isolation, being left by Frankenstein after he was created. Additionally, Felix, Agatha, and the old man all treat Safie with respect and love, always making sure she is comfortable. The monster, seeing they still accept her even with her cultural differences, starts to have hope for himself that even though he is different, they will accept him too. The monster hopes that through his newfound knowledge and virtues, “they would compassionate [him] and overlook [his] personal deformity” (Shelley 71). The monster is self-conscious about his appearance and hopes that the DeLacey family of all people, with their good virtues and hearts, will accept him for his internal value and character. Furthermore, Safie and Felix’s relationship is what plants the idea of a companion in the monster’s head. He sees how happy they are in love, and later he realizes he wants that for himself, which leads him to ask Frankenstein to make him a woman monster. The monster saw that Felix had been filled with sorrow before she came and after her arrival “Felix seemed ravished with delight when he saw her, every trait of sorrow vanished from his face” (Shelley 64). This gave the monster the idea that he could feel newfound happiness with a lover too. In the end, when the DeLacey family rejects the monster, he rejects everything they ever taught him. He throws away the morals he learned from the family, shaping him into a true monster, filled with hatred and revenge. His violent act of burning the DeLacey home and killing Frankenstein’s family shows how quickly the DeLacey family’s rejection affected him. In conclusion, the DeLacey family and Safie molded the monster in a very positive way and a very negative way, making him a bright and knowledgeable creature who in the end, becomes very capable of seeking sinful revenge.