Preview

Monstrosity In Frankenstein

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1710 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Monstrosity In Frankenstein
What makes a monster? Is monstrosity purely physical or is monstrosity a term used to denote immoral behavior? However one chooses to answer this question one must inevitably speak about the “monster” in relation to other beings in a given society at a particular time. In this essay I attempt to not only capture the “monster” as an engineered body, but also highlight the connection and possible tension between scientific knowledge and the morality of scientists and society during the Scientific Revolution/Enlightenment period. Traveling back in time to the 1700’s I will show readers that all that is needed to create a monster is an engineer, parts, a spark, society and a little science. Lastly, I will reflect on how advancements in science …show more content…
No longer were monsters a product of supernatural forces, monsters were created. Yet, in order for a monster to become a monster, it cannot exist in isolation. Relating my idea of the connection between knowledge and morality in the Scientific Revolution/Enlightenment period to the monster and his body in Frankenstein, I argue that society’s knowledge of the monster is formed in one of two ways; one, through scientific creation or two, through social construction. Now, it is through (1) physical features which differ drastically from others or (2) immoral actions that one becomes a monster in their own society. In part, “monsters” are products of their own environment. What makes the creature in Frankenstein a monster is that he is both a scientific creation and his physical features and his actions of murder deviate from society’s expectations. Throughout the novel Frankenstein’s creation is never given a real name. Instead, he is called; a “demoniacal corpse, wretch, daemon, devil, monster, ogre, the being and creature” (36, 68, 102, 164, 165). Besides not having a name, Frankenstein’s creature is also described using the term deformity and monster. After society’s constant negative response to his physical appearance, the creature himself …show more content…
With the development of genetic modification scientists have created a chicken that has a dinosaur leg in a reverse evolution experiment, a goat that produces spider silk, featherless chicken, glow in the dark cats, sheep and monkeys and recently in February 2016 British scientists were granted permission to genetically modify human embryos. Just as Etienne Geoffroy St. Hilaire and his son Isidore Geoffroy St. Hilaire created malformations in chicken embryos, scientists in the 21st century are creating malformations in animals in the name of science – for “the good” of human beings. Wherever a person situates themselves in time, whether it is in the 18th century or 21st century, people need to understand that there will always be consequences for what we choose to do with the knowledge we gain. Knowledge can create and knowledge can destroy- both in the physical realm and in the moral realm. Morally speaking, knowledge can change how individuals (and collectively human beings) view themselves in the world and how individuals view other animals and material things in the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    But, it is these processes that clearly show flaws in their own philosophy. As an Enlightenment Era scientist, Victor has all of nature at his disposal, to experiment and conduct tests on however he likes. His deeds show this; the torture of animals in order to discover the “inner workings of the natural world”, without remorse he digs up countless corpses in the night in search of ‘perfect’ body parts to put together and form his creature. The problems in this approach to science are evident in the cruelty and horrific acts that its moral code condones. These acts have been committed without emotional or human attachment, values that are fundamental in Romantic ideals. In describing these events and directly attributing them to Enlightenment ways, Shelly describes the realisation society is coming to that its values must change. In staying true to the scientific values of the time, Frankenstein exposes their flaws and as a result unwittingly challenges…

    • 1809 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Frankenstein is a book written in the early 1800’s that references technology that is just now being created. These technologies present the human race with a multitude of ethical issues that would not even have been thought of when this book was written. However, most are brought up throughout this book. Other ethical issues that have to do with this technology are also prominent in the story, although most of them originate from the creation of the monster. The monster is created by Frankenstein and it kills some of his close friends and family, but the retaliation by the monster stems from Frankenstein abandoning it after it was created.…

    • 1316 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Frankenstein’s monster demands that Frankenstein creates him a female companion. Frankenstein agrees to this in the hopes that he will be left in peace. However during creation of the female, and the monster watching him work, it dawns on him the reality of the hideous act he is embarking upon. Overcome by the image of the monster and the idea of creating another like him, Frankenstein destroys his work. The monster is distraught over Frankenstein’s actions and explains the misery he has been through whilst perusing him - he explains that he will make Victor pay if he refuses to create him his female mate.…

    • 1878 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    For my paper, I have chosen to write about the theme of playing God throughout the book of Frankenstein and how it ultimately affects the person doing it. Throughout the course of the story, Victor and his creation try to take on the role of God, especially through the creation and destruction of life. I will mainly be speaking of Victor’s creating of the monster as his role as “God.” The monster’s role as “God” is mainly fulfilled through his murders, or his destruction of life. The eventual demise of both of these characters is directly stemmed from their attempts to create and destroy life. Not only are the two individuals killed due to this toying with life, but also the journey leading up to their death is all but pleasurable. From the moment that Frankenstein’s monster’s eye opened, the rest of both of their lives consist mostly of depression and pain. This pain eventually leads to a pursuit of one character after another. The two chase each other in a pattern, beginning from the creation of the monster. The monster chases Victor for a period of time, and it is not until Victor’s wedding night that the roles of the chaser vs. the chased are switched. These ideas will help with the main construction of my paper. The two main sources through which I will be drawing information to help me type this paper include Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and “What is a Monster?” by Peter Brooks. However, I do plan on going back to the databases and looking for help if I get stuck in my writing.…

    • 2301 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Destiny was too potent, and her immutable laws had decreed my utter and terrible destruction” is the monster’s destiny to be evil? Mary Shelley wrote “Frankenstien” which she later published in 1818. The novel was based on a crazy scientist who saw lighting strike before his eyes. This gave him an idea that he can bring someone back to life. He spent many years creating this creature! Later after creating this creature he abandeed him causing the monster to seek revenenge. The monster did this by killin of victor’s family. could society and abandoment cause the monster to act out ? does society play an important role in the monster life? Is the monster heart broken or just looking for love? Does society make you evil or are you just born evil?…

    • 918 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    With Frankenstein now dead on Walton’s boat, the Monster visits to recognize the loss of his creator and only companion. Walton witnesses the Monster’s sudden appearance and recognizes his hideous figure. He writes to Margaret that “I shut my eyes involuntarily and endeavoured to recollect what were my duties with regard to this destroyer. I called on him to stay” (209). Walton, indeed, like others, has a natural inclination of disgust towards the Monster due to his appearance; however, it is only he who has taken the time to ascertain the Monster’s story, and with this knowledge he no longer runs away scared from the beast but instead recognizes him as a living being. Walton understands this to be part of his “duties”. As a moral person it is his job to hear him out, not to simply label the Monster as, just that, a “monster”. Walton not only acknowledges the variation between the Monster and himself, but also their similarities; he has heard the Monster’s tale of sorrow and pain, he has heard of his previously kind heart, and he has heard of his terrible choices. But, Walton has not heard any of this from the creature himself. And thus, here we are, he called on him to stay. Walton is the only one to not act on human nature, to not reject differences as inferior. If human nature had its way we’d all be…

    • 1400 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Humans as a species are prone to make mistakes, not all of which are forgivable. Doctor Victor Frankenstein, the mad mind behind the grotesque creature known as Adam, or “The Creature”, a being brought back from the undead, without a soul and purpose in this world. When Dr. Frankenstein dwells into for lack of a better word black science, he becomes obsessed with the thought of cheating death and taking back one's life. Through secret experimentation on deceased animals he perfects the formula, with the permission of his mentor he illegally digs up corpses to find suitable body parts for his undead creation. As Frankenstein gives life to Adam, he realizes the that he has created a monster without a soul, so he dips out like a…

    • 494 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    If everyone’s life is a story, Mary Shelley’s is a best selling novel, literally. However, the horror aspect is not what draws readers in, but the timeless relatability and insight into the scientific world. The most captivating part is knowing that the novel is based off the author's tragic life. Mary Shelley uses her own hardships, fears, insights, perspectives and passions to form the basis of Frankenstein and construct the characters of Victor and his monster.…

    • 1580 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray define monsters as disturbing criminals that initiate sinful acts. When labeling someone as a monster, they are automatically categorizing them based off of their appearance. Although, humans fear to further investigate what a monster really is. Literary works have been able to incorporate fictional characters to reflect the human's worst side. If Dorian Gray and the Creature are truly monsters, then why is society negatively influencing them with idealistic factors.( THESIS)…

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, although the creature is physically grotesque, Victor's actions and emotions are monstrous. Both Victor and the creature become isolated from society. However Victor's isolation is caused by his own greed for knowledge, whereas the creature has no choice, as he is rejected from society. Victor's inhumane nature is evident when he refuses to comply with his son's request for a mate. Even though both Victor and the creature commit horrible crimes, only the creature is capable of taking responsibility for his actions. Although at first glance the creature in Frankenstein is evil, the true villain is his creator, Victor.…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A baby is born helpless in the world, innocent and naïve. In the quest for personal development, nature itself was the enemy for Frankenstein’s monster. Mary Shelley compares the helpless creature to that of a baby, and without the help of his creator, has to teach himself about the outside world around him. By using naturalistic sensory imagery and the creature’s personal grown and development, whether he is learning to differentiate between his senses or how to walk, the monster is emphasized as a newborn child.…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The commonly-held maxim, “Never judge a book by its cover,” while widely spread, is often overlooked, or in most cases, simply ignored. The creature’s wretched and unattractive appearance is what ultimately decides how others will respond to his presence, despite his intelligent mind and gentle demeanor. Victor Frankenstein states exactly this when he initially perceived the monster, exclaiming, “Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance!” (44). This disgusted and judgemental reaction by Frankenstein,…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Frankenstein, readers see problems that can arise when mankind tries to be a godly figure. Victor Frankenstein’s creation of his monster puts him at a parallel to God when he creates a…

    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many novels consist of a good guy and a bad guy, but who is the true victim? In Mary Shelley’s gothic novel Frankenstein the creature demonstrates that he is the true victim. To begin, the being has no one to relate to. Also, he does not have a family, and is not accepted by society. Therefore, Victor Frankenstein’s monster is the true victim throughout the novel.…

    • 879 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    When the thought of Frankenstein crosses my mind, I tend to think of a big, frightening, and unintelligent monster. This could be due to the fact that in many media outlets that are available today, monsters are more often than not, portrayed as harmful and destructive beings. However, upon reading this classic story, I became aware of the fact that Frankenstein is actually the name of the doctor who created the famous creature. Furthermore, the being which he creates is almost always referred to as a demon or other demeaning words. Therefore, I am able to carefully assess that the monster in question was deliberately not given a name, and that the author is trying to express something much deeper when discussing this famous entity.…

    • 1348 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays