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Appearances Can Be Deceiving

2006-04-17T01:56:53-04:00

Petrarch once enlightened, “Rarely do great beauty and great virtue dwell together.” Unfortunately, sight is the main sense of mankind which is why many people in the world are judgmental and can’t see pass the outside shell of people. Without man’s idealistic limitations of colors and shapes of a person’s outside appearance, the world would be more virtuous rather than the cesspool it is becoming as time progresses. It would not idolize sexual attraction, cuteness, and conceit like it does now. If there were no set ideal characteristics about the outside appearance a person has to have, then there probably would not be as much separation and isolation due to ugliness, disability, or an awkward physical characteristic. There are people however that love the direction the world is going, these people make decisions everyday about how they are going to judge and treat people. They decide whether or not they approve or reject the way the person acts and exudes their way of life. A perfect example of this can be seen in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, when the reader first meets the creature and sees how he is the ugliest character of the novel on the outside but ironically, the creature was much more likeable and decent than his creator, until his view of man had vanished by the hatred and injustice served to him. So many different themes can be addressed by this prompt but the ones that stick out are Nature vs. Nurture between the creator and the created and how appearances are not everything. During the creature’s lonely journey, he is never given the chance to engage in any conversation except with Victor. During the creature’s creation, the reaction of Victor, his “dad”, is so dreadful. This reaction actually makes the reader forget that it is the birth of a human being which is seen to be one of the most precious occurrences in the life. This is why the theme Nature vs. Nurture sticks out to the reader because one would think that Victor should have a paternal bond to the creature. This bond is further expected not only because of the time and effort put into the creature but also the fact that it is an extension of his mind. “The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the

Danger Of Knowledge

2004-03-02T22:04:08-05:00

English 1302 19 February 2004 Response Paper #2 Danger Of Knowledge Through the theme of dangerous knowledge Mary Shelly is conveying a message, with the characters of Walton and Victor. The desire to make history. An attempt to go beyond accepted human limits and to access the secrets of life. Both Victor and Walton possess an insatiable thirst for privileged knowledge the things that are unknown to the common man. Walton states “ I preferred glory to every enticement that wealth placed in my path” (Shelly 8). At the risk to everyone near to him Walton sought glory in his attempt to surpass previous human explorations by endeavoring to reach the North Pole, only to find himself perilously trapped between sheets of ice. Victor states “ It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things, or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquires were directed to the metaphysical, or, in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world” (Shelly 38). Devoting his life to the creation of life, which eventually results in the destruction of everyone dear to him. Though they both explore entirely different realms, Walton and Victor are both bound by a common cause. Each longs to further the knowledge of mankind and to glorify his own name. Walton seeks knowledge of the secrets of the natural earth, in the company of a crew of men on the same mission. Just as Victor seeks knowledge of the secrets of a metaphysical nature, the principle of life. Though Victor starts his quest for knowledge at the university of Ingolstate it is in the secrecy of his apartment that he brings his creation to life. It is only under the cloak of darkness that this can take place. Whereas Walton assumes that his crew has the same passion as he does; he believes that they would willingly sacrifice their lives for the cause. They both go beyond accepted human limits to achieve what they want for themselves. Having an insatiable thirst for, I; would say ‘God’ like knowledge the things that are unknown to the common man. Victor goes from being an innocent boy fascinated by the mysteries of life, to a guilt

Humanity In Victor Frankenstein’s Monster

2002-09-24T14:00:00-04:00

What happens to a person when he is borne unto a world, is taught its culture, values and norms, and then through a series of experiences, realizes that despite the presence of others, that he is totally unlike them and that he is truly externally and internally alone? In many respects, Mary Shelly’s monster in her short story, “Frankenstein,” addresses this. In birth, the creature is described near the beginning of chapter four of the first volume as one whose “yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath,” of one whose “hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing,” of one who had “teeth of a pearly whiteness and watery eyes that “seemed almost of the same colour as the dun white sockets in which they were set” (935). In this section, the creature is described and referred to as a man. By looking beyond the obvious difference from one actualized from Christianity’s God, a being not of human origin, one does see him as such. However, merely an image of one does not constitute his humanity, at least in most peoples’ view. His external image becomes, as Cynthia Hamberg states in her web page on her description of him, as “the cause of all his problems” because “[p]eople are frightened when they see him, which keeps […] him from making contact with them” (“My Hideous Progeny: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein – Character Descriptions”). And so, as he is brought into the world of the living, he already is externally differentiated and is set up to be ostracized and be set at the margins because of his physical difference. With relation to “true” human beings, one only needs to look to oneself and recall those moments of loneliness when one felt estranged because of lack of physical relation with others, whether with others of one’s sex, body type, skin color, or other physical feature, to get an inkling of the creature’s forthcoming feelings and emotions. And if not with one self, then to those many people with physical “ambiguities” and disabilities who feel betrayed, shunned and criticized for not being like the norm. This disdainful dejection that Frankenstein’s monster feels consequential to his general public’s (his creator, the De Lacey’s, Clerval, and others he encounters) refusal to accept him because of his appearance (because of fear) and often times also because of their association of him with the

The Monster Behind the Scenes

2002-08-18T14:00:00-04:00

Throughout the last century, the movie and theater industries have been creating and recreating movies about Frankenstein, the monster. He has been depicted as a gigantic, ugly monster with incredible strength that walks around searching for his next victim. In the original book Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Monster is not depicted as a complete savage, but is shown to be more of a person. The Creature is intelligent and is an outcast from society. Regardless of the Creature’s horrific appearance, he was very a very intelligent individual. When the Creature is telling Frankenstein about how he first learned about communication, he says, “This reading had puzzled me extremely at first, but by degrees I discovered that he uttered many of the same sounds when he read as when he talked. I conjectured, therefore, that he found on the paper signs for speech which he understood, and I ardently longed to comprehend these also; but how was that possible when I did not even understand the sounds for which they stood as signs?” (98). The Creature is able to recognize patterns in the speech of DeLacey. He is then able to infer that symbols on the paper represent the words that DeLacey has been using. Much like his creator, Frankenstein, the Creature yearns for knowledge. The Creature later recounts the story when Safie begins to learn French. He explains, “Presently I found, by the frequent recurrence of some sound which the stranger repeated after them, that she was endeavouring to learn their language; and the idea instantly occurred to me that I should make use of the same instructions to the same end. The stranger learned about twenty words at the first lesson; most of them, indeed, were those which I had before understood, but I profited by the others” (102). His intelligence begins to develop very rapidly at this point, as he is able to discern between certain words and start to learn new ones along with Safie. How a monster that was just recently brought to life can learn to speak is an amazing feat. The Creature later recounts how begins to comprehend French when he says, “My days were spent in close attention, that I might more speedily master the language; and I may boast that I improved more rapidly than the Arabian, who understood very little and conversed in broken accents, whilst I comprehended and could imitate

Acceptance vs. Appearance

2002-04-10T14:00:00-04:00

The major theme in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is the great emphasis placed on appearance and acceptance in society. In modern society as well as in the society of Frankenstein, people judge one solely on their appearance. Social prejudice is often founded on looks, whether it is the color of one’s skin, the clothes that one wears and even the way a person carries himself or herself. People make instant judgments based on these social prejudices. This perception based on appearance determines the behavior towards the person. In Frankenstein, the society of that time is similar to our own today. It is an appearance-based society, and this topic is brought to the limelight by the hideous figure of Victor Frankenstein’s monster to a common human being. Every human in society wants to be accepted in an intellectual way, regardless of his or her physical appearance. Human beings all want to be accepted in society for their intellectual and physical abilities. Granted some humans aren’t recognized for their abilities but acceptance is necessary. If a person is not accepted by society, he or she becomes an outcast like the monster in Frankenstein. The monster seeks acceptance immediately upon getting his new life. "Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room and continued a long time traversing my bedroom chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep.” This quote stated by Frankenstein portrays that the monster's own creator will not look at him for its appearance is too revolting. Unlike a normal human being, the monster has no family, no acceptance. When the monster views the people in the cottage, it wants to learn the language to be accepted. After it was rejected, the monster demanded the help of Frankenstein to create a female counterpart. Someone that would understand the emotions of being an outcast, it would give the monster someone to be with in this lonely, cruel world. Acceptance is still a constant in today’s society. It’s a major part of social life, especially during high school and college. It determines one’s popularity as well as what friends one has. Humans do activities in numbers, therefore becoming accepted by a group of people. Acceptance as well as striving

Frankenstein: The Letters and Chapters 1 & 2

2002-02-18T13:00:00-05:00

A first impression of Walton would be to say that he is extremely ambitious. He desires to go to the North Pole to “accomplish some great purpose”. He has his own theories on what should be there, and will not rest until he has proved them. This is somewhat a ‘Godlike’ ambition, in that he wishes to be praised for discovering something new which will benefit everyone else in the world. The language used is also very much like Old Testament, Biblical; “Heaven shower down blessings on you”. The image of Walton being ‘Godlike’ is enhanced by this. However, he is disrespectful of his family, as he goes against his fathers “dying injunction”, which had “forbidden” him from embarking on a “seafaring life”. He seems to be very egocentric, and not aware of anyone else or their feelings. He is deliberately disobeying his father to pursue a personal ambition. He is leaving his sister in England, and at the end of each letter he writes that he may not see her again, “Farewell my dear, excellent Margaret”, “Remember me with affection, should you never hear from me again”. Each time she receives a letter from him, she will be hopeful of his return and safety, and then he writes “Shall I meet you again?”. This is selfish of him, as it will worry her even more about his expedition. Again this ‘Godlike’ theme reoccurs as he is doing what he wants to do. Having only been educated about this passion through his own reading, he cannot really be sure of what he will discover once he reaches his destination. His beliefs that “snow and frost are banished” from the North Pole seem as eccentric as believing that the earth is flat. But of course he doesn’t see it this way, he needs to prove his own theory. After failing at being a poet he doesn’t want to fail as a scientist and explorer either. He is confident in his beliefs and will stop at nothing, not even employment as an “under-mate in a Greenland Whaler”, to get where he wants to be, and hopefully find what he wants to discover. In the second letter, Walton writes about his desire for a friend. As he has left all his acquaintances in England, he no longer has anyone to convey theories and ideas to, “participate” in his “joy”, or comfort him in

Frankenstein - Themes

2001-06-29T14:00:00-04:00

Analyse the themes and the way they are presented in the novel Mary Shelley discusses many important themes in her famous novel Frankenstein. She presents these themes through the characters and their actions, and many of them represent occurrences from her own life. Many of the themes present debateable issues, and Shelley’s thoughts on them. Three of the most important themes in the novel are birth and creation; alienation; and the family and the domestic affections. One theme discussed by Shelley in the novel is birth and creation. She does this through the main character, Victor Frankenstein, who succeeds in creating a ‘human’ life form. In doing this, Frankenstein has taken over the roles of women and God. Shelley discusses how Frankenstein has used his laboratory or ‘workshop of filthy creation’ (page 53) as a kind of ‘womb’ as he has worked on his creation. He also refers to his task as his labour, suggesting that he has literally given birth to his creation. After so much time spent in painful labour (Page 51) The passing of time from when Victor first began his creation and finished it is also significant. Winter, spring, and summer passed away during my labours (Page 54) The length of the three seasons is nine months, representing the time a natural human baby takes to be formed in its mother’s womb. This once again suggests that Frankenstein has found a way to take over the role of women, and they become powerless, weak and flimsy. They no longer have a purpose in life, as Victor Frankenstein can now create new life forms – a process which women needed to be involved in previously. An example of women’s powerlessness in the novel is the condemnation of Justine for a crime she did not commit. Had she been a man, she would probably have been set free. Frankenstein succeeds in removing the only powers that women had, as well as stripping God from his role. Through the theme of birth and creation, Shelley criticises Victor not only for creating the new being, but also for abandoning it when it comes to life. Victor first wishes to create the being because he thinks: A new species would bless me as its creator and source … No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs. (Page 52-53) He seems to want to create a being which would be his child, as a child loves

Characters in Frankenstein

2001-06-29T14:00:00-04:00

Examine the way in which characters are portrayed in the novel. In the novel Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley, the characters have been portrayed effectively. Much of the interactions between characters, and characteristics of the characters have been based on events which have occurred in Shelley’s own life, or they represent what she believes is important. For example, Victor is portrayed as having a strong passion for science, and a poor understanding of relationships. Elizabeth is shown as a stereotypical woman of the time, who is also very powerless. The monster is depicted as being both beautiful and ugly, and someone who the reader feels sympathetic towards. Through the portrayal of her characters, Shelley has created a very effective novel. Shelley portrays Victor Frankenstein as a person who has become enrapt in the strong scientific movement of the time. She created him in response to what she saw happening around her – science was becoming a religion to some people, as it provided answers to their questions about the world, and started a fascination that humans could create anything that they wanted to. In her novel, Victor is one of these people, and wants to be the supreme creator or scientist, and therefore take over the role of God. To do this, he creates a being, thinking that ‘a new species would bless me as its creator and source …No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.’ (pages 52-53). Victor then abandons this creature which he has made, and this is one of his main crimes. After Victor has done this, his monster murders all those who were close to him, and this represents Shelley’s beliefs on how dangerous the worshipping of science could become, and the need for other focuses in life. Victor Frankenstein is also portrayed as somebody who is isolated from others, and terrified of relationships. As a child, his only friends are Elizabeth and Clerval, and they are in fact, the only true friends he has throughout his entire life. He isolates himself from society during the time he is creating the monster, claiming that, ‘I must absent myself from all I loved whilst thus employed’ (page 147). He claims that this is necessary if he is to discover the secret of life. One reason why Victor isolates himself is due to his fear of sexuality. When he creates the monster,

Frankenstein - Social Responsibility

2001-04-29T14:00:00-04:00

Mary Shelly wrote Frankenstein in a time of wonder. A main wonder was whether you could put life back into the dead. Close to the topic of bringing life back into the dead was whether you could create your own being, like selective breeding but a bit more powerful. Close to where Mary lived there was a man named Vultair was experimenting putting electricity through Frogs to see if they could come back to life. With that going on close to her as well as the fear of a revolution and the pressure on her to think of a ghost story it is not surprising she thought of a horror story that would still be popular in the 21st Century. Now I have explained where the story came from and why it is as it is I will explain the social responsibility it brings up and how it is still important today. Looking after something you create is one point it brings up. Frankenstein created his creature so he should have looked after it but instead just because he didn’t like the way it looked he ran away. He never taught his creature anything so for all the creature knew it could have been okay to kill people and suchlike. That relates to today as some children who were not taught right from wrong by their parents watch films like Scream and I know what you did last summer where murdering seems cool as it involves Jennifer Love Hewit, Sarah Michelle Geller and Neve Cambell getting killed. The children watch these and think “I want to be like that scary guy with the mask” and they go and try to kill someone. If they do they get charged for the offence but many people think that the children’s parents should be blamed as they never taught the child right from wrong and they didn’t stop the child (sometimes as young as eight or nine) from watching the video which is rated eighteen or fifteen. When the filmmakers hear about how their film was responsible for a death they never (except for once) take the film away from the public and what they usually do is make a less violent sequel, which isn’t really helping anyone and less violence still is some violence. Teaching a child right from wrong is another point it brings up but I feel I have covered this point in the

Frankenstein: Appearance and Acceptance

2001-04-22T14:00:00-04:00

Reliance on Appearance and Dependency upon Acceptance in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Today’s Modern World. One of the main themes in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the importance of appearance and acceptance in modern society. In today’s society, and also in the society of Frankenstein, people judge one often solely on their looks. Social prejudice is often based on looks, whether it be the color of someone’s skin, the clothes that a person wears, the facial features that one has and even the way one stands. People make snap judgments based on these and other considerations and they affect the way that they present themselves to one, and also the way that the treat the judged person. In Frankenstein the society of that time is much like our own today. It is an appearance based society, and this is brought to the forefront by the extreme ugliness of Victor Frankenstein’s monster to a common human being. On of the most blatant parallels in Frankenstein and today’s modern world is that of racism. These parallels are shown from the very first moments of Frankenstein’s creature life. One of the first things Victor says about his newly alive creation is that “His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath;” (Shelley 42) and he viewed his creation with “breathless horror and disgust...” (Shelley 42). Here one finds that like the vast majority of people then and today, Victor notices the color of his creatures skin first and judges it to be horrible. Also in this novel, the example of racism is again brought to our attention with the history of the cottagers. Safie’s father, a Turkish merchant living in Paris, was sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit. The reason for this injustice is clear, the reason for it is “...that his [the Turkish merchant] religion and wealth rather than the crime alleged against him had been the cause of his condemnation.” (Shelley 107). Obviously, if this foreign merchant had been a good Catholic Frenchman he would not have been sentenced to death. We today can see numerous examples today of racism in the justice system, think of Louis Riel being hung because he was a Metis, and also think of the modern classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird in which a black man is unjustly sentenced in a racist southern town. However, in one of the biggest acts

Frankenstein - Theme of Appearance

2000-04-25T14:00:00-04:00

The Unjust Isolation of Frankenstein’s Creation and Other Reasons to Never Become a Model: Societal Prejudices in Shelley’s Frankenstein A Swiss Proverb once enlightened, "When one shuts one eye, one does not hear everything". Sadly, vision is the primary sense of mankind and often the solitary basis of judgment. Without human’s limitations of the shapes, colors and textures of our overall outward appearances, the world would be a place that emphasizes morals, justice and intelligence rather than bravado, cuteness, and sexual attraction. For if there were no predetermined ideal models defining the beautiful possibilities of the human body’s variation, one would never suffer isolation due to one’s disability, unattractiveness, or unusual physical attribute. Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, sheds light on the eternal illusory and importance of appearance through the tale of an unwanted creation that is never given a chance. Ironically, the supposed beast was initially much more compassionate and thoughtful than his creator, until his romantic and innocent view of the human race was diminished by the cruelty and injustice he unduly bore. Not only does the creature suffer the prejudice of an appearance-based society, but other situations and characters in the novel force the reader to reflect their own hasty crimes of judgment in an intelligent and adult fashion. The semi- gothic novel includes several instances of societal prejudice that include the isolation and outcast of Frankenstein’s creation, the creature’s biased opinion of the cottagers, and the unbalanced and inappropriate classification of Victor. Throughout the course of the creature’s isolated and pathetic journey, he is never given the opportunity to participate in human interaction, as he so deeply deserves. Upon his creation, the reaction of Victor, his maker, is so vividly appalling; one forgets that this is actually the birth of a human being. His ‘father’, Victor, is so selfish and has such a lack of responsibility and foresight, that he creates a human being for the simple purpose of recreation, intellectual stimulation, and the thrill of ’the chase’. Frankenstein himself refers to his own creation as, "…the life which I had so thoughtlessly bestowed" (88; ch.1; vol. 2). Victor is solely interested in the beneficial aspects on the surface of creating, just as his interest in the exterior ‘monster’ is superficial. Not only is Victor’s quest selfish, but his goal is frivolous as well. Victor’s initial opinion of his creature is that of disappointment, although he succeeds in

Frankenstein

2000-02-15T13:00:00-05:00

The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has plenty of revenge in its context. The revenge in this novel will be shown in the paragraphs to come. Although there was a lot of revenge, there was also kindness shown, not only by the creature, but also by some of the other characters. This novel is great because of these changes in feelings. The creature, at first, was good and kind, next, he was starting to become aware of his hatred toward Victor, and finally the revenge starts to come into play. The creature, when he was brought to life, was very kind and loving. “I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend” (p. 84). Soon after this benevolence and kindness, he began to learn about murder and bloodshed. This is about the time it went down hill. “For a long time I could not conceive how one man could go forth to murder his fellow, or even why there were laws and governments; but when I heard details of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased and I turned away with disgust and loathing” (p. l04). The hatred became pointed at Victor. Victor brought him to life, and as soon as he brought him to this world, he left him with no supervision. This creature could not in any way be happy. He was just too different from everybody else. He pondered upon this, and the hatred grew toward his creator. “From this moment I declared everlasting war against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery,” (p. l2l). The revenge against Victor became an every day occurrence in his mind. His revenge grew, and in a matter of time he would explode. “My daily vows rose for revenge—a deep and deadly revenge, such as would alone compensate for the outrages and anguish I had endured” (p. 126). The revenge that he had held inside all of this time was now being unleashed. He took his first victim. “You belong to my enemy to him who I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim” (p. l27). After the first victim, hi confronted Victor. He forced Victor to make a female creature like himself—ugly. If Victor did not come through with this, the creature would start to hurt his friends and family. Victor thought about it for a long time, and came to the

Frankenstein

1999-11-24T13:00:00-05:00

Morality. It has been questioned by people, honored by people and revered since the beginning of time. Yet even today not one person can say what is morally right. It is a matter of opinion. It was Dr.Victor Frankenstein's opinion that it was alright to create a "monster". Frankenstein's creation needed a companion. Knowing that his first creation was evil should the doctor make a second? With the knowledge at hand, to Dr.Frankenstein, it is not at all morally correct to bring another monster into the world. Looking at this probelm with his family in mind, the doctor begins his work on the second monster. The first monster threatened Frankenstein and even his family. The monster angrily said to Frankenstein, "I can make you so wretched." (pg. 162) Trying to scare Frankenstein for not creating his mate the monster resorted to threats. If the good doctor does create a companion for his first creation he may be endangering others. "The miserable monster whom I had created," (pg.152) says Victor upon looking back at his work. If there is another monster there will be twice the power and possibly twice the evil, which could hurt or kill his family. When and if Frankenstein commits the moral sin of creating another monster he may be rid of both monsters forever. "With the companion you bestow I will quit the neighbourhood of man,"(pg 142) promises the morally corrupt monster to the doctor upon the completion of his partner. When the doctor, if and when he, finished his first creation's mate there is a chance that the monsters will not keep their promise and stay in Europe envoking fear into townfolk. The good doctor, trying to act morally, destroys the monster for the good of the world. The monsters can potentially take over whatever they please. "A race of devils would be propegated,"(pg. 163) thinks Frankenstein to himself in his study. The monsters, if powerful enough, could possibly take over Europe. Frankenstein realizes that he can not possibly doom the world to benefit himself. "Shall I, in coold blood, set loose upon the earth a daemon.."(pg. 162) argues Frankenstein with his creation. It is not morally right for one person to unleash such a terror on the world to benefit only himself and his family. Frankenstein will not let any example change his mind on the point that the monster is and will always be morally

Frankenstein

1999-07-29T14:00:00-04:00

Although humans have the tendency to set idealistic goals to better future generations, often the results can prove disastrous, even deadly. The tale of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, focuses on the outcome of one man's idealistic motives and desires of dabbling with nature, which result in the creation of horrific creature. Victor Frankenstein was not doomed to failure from his initial desire to overstep the natural bounds of human knowledge. Rather, it was his poor parenting of his progeny that lead to his creation's thirst for the vindication of his unjust life. In his idealism, Victor is blinded, and so the creation accuses him for delivering him into a world where he could not ever be entirely received by the people who inhabit it. Not only failing to foresee his faulty idealism, nearing the end of the tale, he embarks upon a final journey, consciously choosing to pursue his creation in vengeance, while admitting he himself that it may result in his own doom. The creation of an unloved being and the quest for the elixir of life holds Victor Frankenstein more accountable for his own death than the creation himself. Delivered into the world, full grown and without a guardian to teach him the ways of the human world, the creation discovers that he is alone, but not without resource. He attempts to communicate to his creator, however, he is incapable of speech. As Frankenstein recounts the situation, he says, I beheld the wretch---the miserable monster whom I had created. He held up the curtain of the bed; and his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaw opened, and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs (Shelley, p. 43). As Frankenstein explains, he declares that he deliberately neglects to communicate with his creation, based on its shockingly hideous appearance. Had Frankenstein taken the time to communicate and care for his creation, with all the knowledge that he possesses of the responsibility of a good parent, the creation would have never developed the sense of vindication and reprisal that lead him to murdering Victor's loved one's. The creation would henceforth account Frankenstein for all his sufferings succeeding his birth. Frankenstein's first of numerous mistaken decisions ill-fating his destiny relies

Frankenstein: Monsters and Their Superiority

1999-05-19T14:00:00-04:00

I saw a creature, naked, bestial, Who, squatting upon the ground, Held his heart in his hands, And ate of it. I said, "Is it good friend?" "It is bitter-bitter," he answered; "But I like it Because it is bitter And because it is my heart." - Stephen Crane This reflects how both Grendel and Frankenstein must have felt during their lonely lives. The monsters simply wanted to live as the rest of society does. However, in our prejudice of their kind, we banish them from our elite society. Who gave society the right to judge who is acceptable and who is not? A better question would be who is going to stop society from judging? The answer is no one. Therefor, society continues to alienate the undesirables of our community. Some of the greatest minds of all time have been socially unacceptable. Albert Einstein lived alone and rarely wore socks of the same colour. Van Gogh found comfort only in his art and the women who constantly denied his passion. Edgar Allen Poe was "different" to say the least, consumed by the morose. Just like these great men, Grendel and Frankenstein's monster do not conform to the societal model. Also like these men, Grendel and the monster are uniquely superior to the rest of mankind. Their superiority is seen through their guile to live in a society that ostrasises their kind. Grendel, though he needs to kill to do so, functions very well in his own sphere. Grendel survives in a hostile climate where he is hated and feared by all do to his frightening physical appearance. He lives in a cave protected by fire-snakes so as to physically and spiritually separate himself from the society that detests yet admires him. Grendel is "the brute existents by which [humankind] learns to define itself" (Gardener 73). Hrothgar's thanes continually try to extinguish Grendel's infernal rage, while he simply wishes to live in harmony with them. Like Grendel, Frankenstein's monster also learns to live in a society that despises his kind. Frankenstein must also kill, but this is only in response to the people's abhorrence of him. Ironically, the very man who bore him now searches the globe seeking the creature's destruction. Even the ever-loving paternal figure now turns away from this outcast from society. The monster journeys all over the world to escape from the societal ills that lead everyone to hate him. He ventures to the harshest most desolate, most uninhabitable