'The suffering in Frankenstein is undeserved'. How far and in what ways do you agree with the view of Shelley's presentation of suffering?
‘The Suffering in ‘Frankenstein’ is undeserved’ – How far and in what ways do you agree with the view of Shelley’s presentation of suffering?
Frankenstein’s characters suffer in a couple of ways, psychologically such as through loneliness or through emotional pain of the death of close ones, and physical suffering. Shelley herself was an only child, so could have been considered lonely when she was younger, and her mother died, which is obviously a death of a close one. While suffering is deserved by some of the characters as they bring it upon themselves, some of the characters are not deserving of their suffering as it is thrust upon them.
The creature’s suffering is, at least initially, the most undeserved. He is brought into the world by Frankenstein and is then left, and becomes lonely. He is also treated badly by people for the way that he looks, which is not something he can help. The creature says “There was none… who would pity or assist me… I declared ever-lasting war against the species… and against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery”. These are the reasons he gives for changing the way he was – kind and good - as society had gone against him. This starts with the destruction of Felix’s house after the creature is beaten for visiting his father. It is here that he takes vengeance, and continues his vengeance elsewhere by killing those close to Frankenstein. As the being takes revenge after being hurt by the De Lacey family, he must have been born good, but society changed him because he had not done anything wrong before this point. This would mean that on one hand, he doesn’t deserve to suffer as he did because it is the fault of society that changed him. However, because he had a moral compass and free will, he should know what he was doing was wrong, and could therefore be deserving of the suffering he endures. He murders, among others, a young boy called William. William did not want to befriend the creature as
Frankenstein’s characters suffer in a couple of ways, psychologically such as through loneliness or through emotional pain of the death of close ones, and physical suffering. Shelley herself was an only child, so could have been considered lonely when she was younger, and her mother died, which is obviously a death of a close one. While suffering is deserved by some of the characters as they bring it upon themselves, some of the characters are not deserving of their suffering as it is thrust upon them.
The creature’s suffering is, at least initially, the most undeserved. He is brought into the world by Frankenstein and is then left, and becomes lonely. He is also treated badly by people for the way that he looks, which is not something he can help. The creature says “There was none… who would pity or assist me… I declared ever-lasting war against the species… and against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery”. These are the reasons he gives for changing the way he was – kind and good - as society had gone against him. This starts with the destruction of Felix’s house after the creature is beaten for visiting his father. It is here that he takes vengeance, and continues his vengeance elsewhere by killing those close to Frankenstein. As the being takes revenge after being hurt by the De Lacey family, he must have been born good, but society changed him because he had not done anything wrong before this point. This would mean that on one hand, he doesn’t deserve to suffer as he did because it is the fault of society that changed him. However, because he had a moral compass and free will, he should know what he was doing was wrong, and could therefore be deserving of the suffering he endures. He murders, among others, a young boy called William. William did not want to befriend the creature as