Creating the Monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Recommended: Effect of child abuse

A newborn child comes into the world with a clean slate. It has no experience, no worries, no prejudices. As the child grows into an adult, he or she is shaped by the world around them. Parents bestow proper manners, and reprimand the child, making sure that he or she grows up into a proper, well mannered adult. This child will associate with friend who have grown up in similar situations, and will have friendly reactions from other people. However, sometimes the parents are not there to oversee the upbringing of their child, or neglect to do so in a nurturing way. Children in these circumstances grow up in a different manner. They do not receive important lessons for life, and may not be kind towards their friends. The reaction of others towards these children will be less than favorable, but will be one of tolerance. Also, there are children that grow up under parents that are abusive, or not nurturing at all. These children grow up in bitterness, without a loving environment to support them. Lacking this support, they tend to turn to violent acts, and shun society. Other people will react to these children with disgust, fear, hatred, and other negative feelings, further driving the child from society, and completely isolating them. From these three examples, we can see that the way that a child is brought up and reacted to by the world greatly affects how they will live the rest of their life. There are various combinations of the above examples, and if we put them together correctly, then we have the upbringing of the creation. Victor Frankenstein’s creation has a very well educated upbringing, mostly by his own hand. He is well mannered, and has good intentions at first. But because of his appearance, people react to him nega...

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...the earth.

In the end, the creature is unable to live in the world of man, driven from them by their rejection and fear, and turning to hatred and anger himself. The creature, who is born as an innocent babe, is time and time again rejected by his creator and father figure, Victor; by the people who live in society; and by the cottage family who he attempts to befriend, but is rejected by in the end. It is the reactions of these people that shape the creation’s life, and slowly rob him of hope. They drive him into utter despair and hatred of the world around him, which is allowed to live in happiness, while he must live on in solitude, never to experience the emotions of happiness or acceptance that the world of men will always have for each other.

Works Cited

Mary Shelley. Frankenstein. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. 1996.

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