What Frankenstein Can Teach Us About Human Nature

If there is one theme that the gothic novel Frankenstein expresses it is humanity. Throughout the text we are shown example after example of the little things that define humanity: curiosity, love, and mistakes. The story starts out with one of the most basic instincts of human nature – curiosity. Curiosity drives the character of Victor Frankenstein to devote his life to science. He spends hours upon days of his life in the pursuit of knowledge, finally coming across his major discovery, "After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter" (Shelley 28). Spurred by the excitement of his discovery, and curious to discover more, Frankenstein at once begins another project – building a human being out of lifeless body parts. Curiosity continues to drive him through months as he works on this project, and without this innate curiosity, the story would have no foundation – the monster would not have been created and therefore no plot would exist. We see curiosity not only in Frankenstein's devotion to science, but also in the monster's curiosity about the world around him. He learns to speak eloquently, and describes to Frankenstein his delight in discovering the world:
I was delighted when I first discovered that a pleasant sound, which often saluted my ears, proceeded from the throats of the little winged animals who had often intercepted the light from my eyes. I began also to observe, with greater accuracy, the forms that surrounded me, and to perceive the boundaries of the radiant roof of light which canopied me (Shelley 56).
He also spends time watching a family of cottagers, curious about the way they live and love. Through the monster's curiosity in the family we witness the next emotion common to human nature: love. The monster watches a family of cottagers and sees their love for each other. Love is a unique