The Monster In Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's Frankenstein
The book “Frankenstein” by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley discusses Victor Frankenstein's life before the creation and after. The monster wasn’t made for mass destruction but godful life. Seeking revenge for rejection from mankind, the creature creates loneliness in Victor’s life. The question “Is man born evil or is evil created in man by society” is answered in the book because the creature wasn’t born evil. Over the years he grew a dark side because of no guidance, rejection, failure, and jealousy. To begin with, the monster faces rejection as soon as he’s created. Victor was disappointed in the creature because he had a repelling appearance so he ran from him. The monster wasn’t evil at this point because once animated the creature holds
his hand out to Victor smiling. Victor says, “....I beheld the wretch...His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks” (Shelley 48). Not only did the creature face rejection from Victor but also the DeLacey family. The creature watched the DeLacey family for almost a year and was experiencing love from observing them, he says, “...such as I had never before experienced, either from hunger or cold, warmth or food; and withdrew from the window, unable to bear these emotions” (Shelley 91). Overtime an Arabian woman named Safie comes to the DeLacey family cottage for Felix. While Felix taught the woman the creature was learning as well. After some time, the creature waited for a day that the old blind man was alone so that he could talk to him to gain his acceptance of him. While doing so, Felix and everyone else showed up. The creature says, “ ...he struck me violently with a stick...I quitted the cottage and in the general tumult escaped unperceived to my hovel” (Shelley 115). The family then moves out of the cottage leaving the creature feeling rejected again by mankind. The creature burns down the DeLacey families cottage and garden out of spite. Furthermore, after rejection with the DeLacey family the creature comes up with a plan to find his creator and ruin his life. Not knowing geography the creature makes his way to Geneva where Victor is. Along his way through the forest he notices a little girl seeming to run away from whatever had been chasing her. As the little girl is running she slips into the river. The creature rushes from his hiding place, saves her, and drags her to shore. As this is happening the person whom the girl playfully fled from sees the creature and darts towards him, tearing the girl from the creature's arms. The creature says, “...but when the man saw me draw near, he aimed a gun, which he carried, at my body, and fired” (Shelley 121). After this incident the monster is enragged because he had saved a human and his reward was being shot in the arm. The creature then says, “The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” (Shelley 121). Finally, the creature is jealous of all the characters who have a companion that accepts them for who they are. When the creature asked of Victor to create another of his kind he says that they will leave the area together and flee to South America. If Victor didn’t do what the creature asked he would kill another who is close to him. So when Victor says, “Begone! I do break my promise; never will I create another like yourself, equal in deformity and wickedness” (Shelley 143). On the day of his wedding night to Elizabeth, she is found dead. “She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hanging down, and her pale and distorted features half covered by her hair” (Shelley 166). This shouldn’t have been such a surprise to Victor sense it’s even after Elizabeth’s death because Victor killed the creatures companion. Given these points, the creature wasn’t born evil. Society didn’t accept the creature because he was morbid and taken as a sin to life. The monster went out of his way to obtain education in any way he could so that he could talk to someone instead of them being scared of his appearance. Not only that he went out of his hiding to save a little girl from drowning because the creature does have emotions. Towards the end of the book the creature is jealous of mankind because everyone has someone.
his hand out to Victor smiling. Victor says, “....I beheld the wretch...His jaws opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks” (Shelley 48). Not only did the creature face rejection from Victor but also the DeLacey family. The creature watched the DeLacey family for almost a year and was experiencing love from observing them, he says, “...such as I had never before experienced, either from hunger or cold, warmth or food; and withdrew from the window, unable to bear these emotions” (Shelley 91). Overtime an Arabian woman named Safie comes to the DeLacey family cottage for Felix. While Felix taught the woman the creature was learning as well. After some time, the creature waited for a day that the old blind man was alone so that he could talk to him to gain his acceptance of him. While doing so, Felix and everyone else showed up. The creature says, “ ...he struck me violently with a stick...I quitted the cottage and in the general tumult escaped unperceived to my hovel” (Shelley 115). The family then moves out of the cottage leaving the creature feeling rejected again by mankind. The creature burns down the DeLacey families cottage and garden out of spite. Furthermore, after rejection with the DeLacey family the creature comes up with a plan to find his creator and ruin his life. Not knowing geography the creature makes his way to Geneva where Victor is. Along his way through the forest he notices a little girl seeming to run away from whatever had been chasing her. As the little girl is running she slips into the river. The creature rushes from his hiding place, saves her, and drags her to shore. As this is happening the person whom the girl playfully fled from sees the creature and darts towards him, tearing the girl from the creature's arms. The creature says, “...but when the man saw me draw near, he aimed a gun, which he carried, at my body, and fired” (Shelley 121). After this incident the monster is enragged because he had saved a human and his reward was being shot in the arm. The creature then says, “The feelings of kindness and gentleness which I had entertained but a few moments before gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” (Shelley 121). Finally, the creature is jealous of all the characters who have a companion that accepts them for who they are. When the creature asked of Victor to create another of his kind he says that they will leave the area together and flee to South America. If Victor didn’t do what the creature asked he would kill another who is close to him. So when Victor says, “Begone! I do break my promise; never will I create another like yourself, equal in deformity and wickedness” (Shelley 143). On the day of his wedding night to Elizabeth, she is found dead. “She was there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her head hanging down, and her pale and distorted features half covered by her hair” (Shelley 166). This shouldn’t have been such a surprise to Victor sense it’s even after Elizabeth’s death because Victor killed the creatures companion. Given these points, the creature wasn’t born evil. Society didn’t accept the creature because he was morbid and taken as a sin to life. The monster went out of his way to obtain education in any way he could so that he could talk to someone instead of them being scared of his appearance. Not only that he went out of his hiding to save a little girl from drowning because the creature does have emotions. Towards the end of the book the creature is jealous of mankind because everyone has someone.