Deformity In Dorian Gray

In chapter 1 we find that upon our collision with Mr Hyde, Enfield finds it extremely difficult to give a description. “He is not easy to describe. - Something wrong with his appearance... displeasing... detestable. I never saw a man I so disliked, and yet I scarce know why. [...]- He gives a strong feeling of deformity, although I couldn’t specify the point. He’s an extraordinary-looking man, [...]I can’t describe him. And it’s not want of memory...” As the quote indicates, Enfield proves unable to formulate a clear portrait. He asserts that Hyde is deformed, ugly, and inspires an immediate revulsion, yet he cannot say why. Throughout the novel nobody could come up with an exact description of Mr. Hyde, all that people could offer was that fact that he appeared ugly and deformed in some way, it could be said that as a scientific creation, he does not have a place in society; correspondingly, Frankenstein faces the same issue being built up to 8 feet tall when the maximum height of a human being is typically no more than 6 feet.

Dorian Gray was an attractive man yet he was a monster from within. His monstrosity was not apparent through his exterior but was evident within his mind and thought process, likewise with the creators themselves. The creatures in The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde & Frankenstein may initially appear monstrous however it is fair to say that with the treatment of inequality and cruelty that people in the novels extend to them, people appear more monstrous than the monsters. For example Although Victor created his monster he did not name it, it is addressed to as a “thing”. It is interesting to note that Victor eulogizes his own wonderful childhood surrounded by loving family and then goes on to den...

... middle of paper ...

...eded a host and what better than impressionable Dorian with all the qualities he envies.

In similarity to Basil Victor himself states that he sees his creation as "nearly in the light of my own vampire, my own spirit let loose from the grave". This suggests that he accepts he is the monster but out of his own being. It could be argued that there is an irrational element to Victor, and it could be considered that the creature represents the more rational and probably an even more human side to Frankenstein's persona, whereas Victor is portrayed as the monstrous character. I say this because the way the monster was assembled itself was monstrous. Victors act of creating the monster out of human corpses and electricity. Victor's fearless idea for such an experiment can be seen as monstrous in itself; taking body parts from the dead in order to assemble a new creature.