Frankenstein as a Critique of Mary Shelley's Society

2418 Words5 Pages

Frankenstein as a Critique of Mary Shelley's Society

Nature plays a large role in the novel, "Frankenstein", both as the

natural world and human nature. The book is clearly not a story

of fun and happiness. It is a sad but beautiful story of

the need for love and acceptance in society. This reflects a lot on

Mary Shelley's life, as you can tell from the language used in

the text that she is writing from experience in many parts of the

book. Civilization in the days of Mary Shelley is very similar to

modern day society, in certain respects, such as the significant

presence of justice and fear of the unknown - both of which play

important and pivotal roles in "Frankenstein".

Right from the moment of the monster's "birth", he is unwanted, and

from that instant, all the way through the book, up until his

departure from society, he leads a miserable life, and his shunned

existence seems of no use to humankind. The very first things to

happen when the monster comes to life is not very welcoming, as Victor

Frankenstein, his creator, say, "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 gives the immediate assumption that the monster's

appearance is too revolting to look at, and straight away readers can

tell that he is not likely to be accepted, wherever he goes. The first

things you see or hear as a young child often stick with you through

life, and make a lasting impression, and especially as the monster is

already fully grown (physically, not mentally), this is going to have

even more of an effect on his existence.

Acceptance is very important in society, and the same perc...

... middle of paper ...

...ur own today, and opened eyes to the

dangers of society and the wonders of nature.

The story of Frankenstein is about a man who creates something that

meddles with the course of nature, and nature comes back to mess with

him, which just goes to show the power of nature. It presents nature

as both beautiful and destructive at the same time. It shows that

there is more to this world than meets the eye, and that all things

are not either good or bad, it simply depends on how you use them. It

reflects on Mary Shelley's social background, suggesting that she

wanted to try and change the world, or at least warn them of the

consequences of certain actions, which are even more important now

than ever. The book is very successful in both horrifying the reader,

but also in discerning the dangers of interfering with the most

powerful force in the world - nature.

Open Document