Debating the Real Monster in Frankenstein

You Are What You Are

The controversy between vengefulness and compassion is one that many debate within society. Whether seen on the news or experienced in person, I myself along with the majority of people instinctively assess whether an offender committed a crime out of honesty or true malicious intent. Further, judges are professionally employed with the duty to decide the severity of a punishment depending on the offender’s overall character. Yet even with conclusive verdicts, these decisions almost always remain controversial. Similarly in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the question of “Who is the real Monster?” is a never-ending fierce debate, and one that particularly altered me through my experiences of Frankenfest.
Reading the novel, it initially seemed obvious that Victor Frankenstein’s creation is clearly the “Monster, and that Victor is merely a victim of his own benevolent scientific pursuit. But after watching climatic scenes

I learned that while the Monster wanders around showing feelings of admiration and sensitivity towards others, his outward appearance alone is what causes much hatred to be inflicted onto him – and regrettably, so much hatred to be radiating out. It was clear that the creation serves as an example of a being that is not truly evil, but one that was simply trying to fit into the world. Consequently, he lashed out as a result of society responding exactly the opposite: rejecting him. As I now understood, what makes a monster is not always necessarily dependent on one’s actions, as those actions could strongly be influenced by