In theory, the role of a parent is simple: to nurture and care for their child. In practice, the entire life of a parent must be devoted to this goal. A child is in constant need of nurturing and love. A good parent is one who does these things, and a bad parent is one who is neglectful and denies the child of care. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Frankenstein is an example of a bad parent which is someone who is not ready to take on the responsibilities but does so anyway without second thought as to whether it is the best thing for the child. Blindly, Frankenstein creates a child, and then leaves in horror as the poor monster takes its first steps in the world. This child is merely a product of Frankenstein's selfish and naive attitude. Without …show more content…
In his case, he was left without any understand or knowledge of language and communication. With the mind of a baby’s, body of an adult’s, and deformities of a monster’s, all odds were stacked against his opportunities at an emotionally healthy life. From creation, there is an unexplainable connection to a creator. Mothers constantly caress, comfort, and cuddle the child as positive physical and mental associations form for both parties. The monster’s first meaningly physical interaction with another human being was being kicked and attacked by Felix, whom the monster loved: “I could have torn him limb from limb, as the lion rends the antelope. But my heart sank within me as with bitter sickness, and I refrained” (Shelley). Meanwhile, Frankenstein has thought of this living being he created as only a burden and feels hatred, anxiety, and hope that he has terminated his own existence. Because Frankenstein chose to fear his creation rather than help assimilate it into the world, he is to blame for the monster’s misfortunes. Without subtlety, the monster also blames his creator for the wretchedness that has happened to him: “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred” (Shelley). It is up to the parent’s to equip their children with tools that shape personality, social skills, and emotions. As the monster had watched the DeLacey family, he realized how different his life has been from that of civilized humans. He had learned how to speak, how to read, how to write, and history all from these people who had no idea he existed. The DeLacey’s were the only nurturing figures in the monster’s life, yet
As Frankenstein is enroute to his pursuit of gaining more knowledge, he states, “I wished, as it were, to procrastinate all that related to my feelings of affection until the great object, which swallowed up every habit of my nature, should be completed” (Shelley 41). Frankenstein’s decision in allowing his intellectual ambitions to overpower everything else in his life leads him to be blinded to the dangers of creating life. He isolates himself from his society when creating the monster, letting himself be immersed in his creation while being driven by his passions, allowing nobody to be near him. The fact that he allows this creation of a monster to consume his total being reveals how blinded he is to the immorality of stepping outside the boundaries of science and defying nature. His goal in striving to achieve what wants to in placing man over nature makes him lose his sense of self as all he is focused on is the final product of his creation. He starts to realize his own faults as after he has created the monster, he becomes very ill and states, “The form of the monster on whom I had bestowed existence was forever before my eyes, and I raved incessantly concerning him” (48). His impulsive decision to make the monster leads him to abhorring it as it does not turn out to be what he has expected. Because he chooses to isolate himself in creating the
The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley contains the archetype of ‘great/terrible’ parent. The ‘great/terrible’ parent is a character archetype used in many novels and literatures. The ‘great/terrible’ parent is defined as a parent in the novel with either great or terrible parenting traits. The great parent is a caring, compassionate, loving, nurturing character who can either be a father, mother or creator. The terrible parent is uncompassionate, unaffectionate, uncaring, and a loveless character that can also be a creator, mother, or father. The monster created by Frankenstein is a victim of bad parenting because of the wrongdoing of the protagonist Victor Frankenstein. “I, the miserable and abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on” (Shelley, 204). Frankenstein is an example of a terrible parent because he creates a creature which he neglects to nurture and take care off. Instead he looks at it in disgust, mistreats it and abandons it as if it were ...
If there was ever a story advocating the fair treatment of children, it is the tale of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Victor Frankenstein is to blame for his child’s poor behavior. Frankenstein, like many other soon-to-be-parents, irrationally sought to create life, without any conceptualization of the work it would be to rear the child. From the birth of baby, Victor refuses positive nurture of his toddler in favor of friends and his own selfish needs; his unreasonable expectations for baby, give cause to his distance from baby, he ultimately dooms his own child to a life of crime and misfortune.
In a world full of novelty, guidance is essential to whether a being’s character progresses positively or negatively in society. Parents have a fundamental role in the development of their children. A parent’s devotion or negligence towards their child will foster a feeling of trust or mistrust in the latter. This feeling of mistrust due to the lack of guidance from a parental figure is represented in the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his creation in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein. The creature created by Frankenstein was shown hatred and disgust from the very beginning, which led to its indignant feelings toward his creator and his kind.
In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein the protagonist Victor Frankenstein creates a monster. The monster in the novel is deprived of a normal life due to his appearance. Like the creature, some serial killers today are killers due to the same rejection. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley warns that a childhood of abuse and neglect will often result in evil actions.
In Frankenstein, Victor’s monster suffers much loneliness and pain at the hands of every human he meets, as he tries to be human like them. First, he is abandoned by his creator, the one person that should have accepted, helped, and guided him through the confusing world he found himself in. Next, he is shunned wherever he goes, often attacked and injured. Still, throughout these trials, the creature remains hopeful that he can eventually be accepted, and entertains virtuous and moral thoughts. However, when the creature takes another crushing blow, as a family he had thought to be very noble and honorable abandons him as well, his hopes are dashed. The monster then takes revenge on Victor, killing many of his loved ones, and on the humans who have hurt him. While exacting his revenge, the monster often feels guilty for his actions and tries to be better, but is then angered and provoked into committing more wrongdoings, feeling self-pity all the while. Finally, after Victor’s death, the monster returns to mourn the death of his creator, a death he directly caused, and speaks about his misery and shame. During his soliloquy, the monster shows that he has become a human being because he suffers from an inner conflict, in his case, between guilt and a need for sympathy and pity, as all humans do.
...luding intelligence, compassion, and emotions. The monster attempts to make friends with his peer humans, despite his continuous rejection. His efforts show that even the monster experiences vulnerability and desire for companionship. The monster proves his intelligence as he devises a plan to learn the English language by observing his neighbors. Meanwhile, Doctor Frankenstein lacks the human quality of intelligence as he fails to foresee the effects of taking creation of life into his own hands. The doctor also lacks compassion when he abandons his creation, the equivalent of a parent leaving his child. Frankenstein flees from his monster because he actually fears the monster as much as the rest of society due to its frightening stature. Doctor Frankenstein and his creation exemplify the qualities people should exude to consider themselves members of the human race.
In Frankenstein, Victor’s Creation is depressed, due to the fact that he has no friends, and no family. He desires to be like unto man, but has no opportunity to. He compares himself to Adam, from the biblical book of Genesis, as he is, “Like Adam, I was apparently united by no link to any other being in existence; but his state was far different from mine in every other respect. He had come forth from the hands of God a perfect creature, happy and prosperous, guarded by the especial care of his Creator; he was allowed to converse with, and acquire knowledge from, beings of a superior nature: but I was wretched, helpless, and alone. Many times I considered Satan as the fitter emblem of my condition; for often, like him, when I viewed the bliss of my protectors, the bitter gall of envy rose within me” (Shelley 18). The creature wants to be like the rest of humankind so much, but he can’t. He realizes he is more like Satan, the devil of all things, than Adam. When a person, creature, animal, etc., likens himself unto the worst character on Earth, he does not think highly of himself. The creature is in a state of despair. Mary Shelley gives the creature these thoughts to show how important it is that he becomes human. The monster can’t become mankind, which is enough to make him a murderer and have dark thoughts
In the novel Frankenstein, the monster was singled out because of his monstrous looks. The reason he had such looks was because of the unnatural manner of his creation. The monster was created with a mix of stolen body parts and chemicals. One look at the monster would make anyone want to get out of his path. Once the monster came to life he was abandoned by his creator without any direction. He was left to fend for himself and deal with the prejudices that people had without getting to know his situation. The monster also didn't know how to react to the reactions from people which made him start to commit crimes. The monster said, "I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on" (Shelley 19). This eruption of angry self-pity as the monster questions the injustice of how he has been treated compellingly captures his inner life, giving Walton and the reader a glimpse into the suffering that has motivated his crimes. While the monster was wandering the town he encountered a family, and he learned how to speak ...
“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly explores the concept of the body, life, ‘the self’ and most of importantly humanity, which is repeatedly questioned throughout the novel. The definition of humanity is the quality of being humane or in other words someone that can feel or possess compassion. Despite all the facts against the “monster” in “Frankenstein” he is indeed what one would consider being human. Humanity isn’t just about ones physical appearance but also includes intellect and emotion. Some people argue that the “monster” is not a human for he was not a creature that was born from “God” or from a human body. That being said, the “monster” is not only able to speak different languages, he can also show empathy - one of many distinct traits that set humans apart from the animals. Both the “monster” and his creator, Victor, hold anger and feel a sense of suffering throughout the novel. Victor is a good person with good intentions just like most individuals, but makes the mistake of getting swept up into his passion of science and without thinking of the consequences he creates a “monster”. After completing his science project, he attempts to move forward with his life, however his past – i.e., the “monster” continues to follow and someone haunt him. While one shouldn’t fault or place blame on Frankenstein for his mistakes, you also can’t help but feel somewhat sympathetic for the creature. Frankenstein just wants to feel accepted and loved, he can’t help the way he treats people for he’s only mimicking how people have treated him, which in most cases solely based on his appearance. Unlike most of the monsters we are exposed to in films past and present, the character of the “monster” ...
What do parents owe their children in terms of education? In modern times, belief of society is that parental influence is a key factor to a child’s educational success. Parental and authoritative figures serve as role models and provide discipline and resources that are essential to a child’s educational development and prosperity. Mary Shelley refutes this notion in her novel Frankenstein, where she examines the educational success of characters without proper parental roles and who rebel against the authoritative figure’s guidance. Said characters include Frankenstein’s creature and Robert Walton, who become masters of their discipline without any parental nourishment. Moreover, Victor Frankenstein becomes a master of a philosophy which
Throughout Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein pursues, with a passion lacking in other aspects of his life, his individual quest for knowledge and glory. He accepts the friendships and affections given him without reciprocating. The "creature," on the other hand, seems willing to return affections, bringing wood and clearing snow for the DeLaceys and desiring the love of others, but is unable to form human attachments. Neither the creature nor Victor fully understands the complex relationships between people and the expectations and responsibilities that accompany any relationship. The two "monsters" in this book, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, are the only characters without strong family ties; the creature because Frankenstein runs from him, and Victor because he runs from his family.
A predominant theme in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is that of child-rearing and/or parenting techniques. Specifically, the novel presents a theory concerning the negative impact on children from the absence of nurturing and motherly love. To demonstrate this theory, Shelly focuses on Victor Frankenstein’s experimenting with nature, which results in the life of his creature, or “child”. Because Frankenstein is displeased with the appearance of his offspring, he abandons him and disclaims all of his “parental” responsibility. Frankenstein’s poor “mothering” and abandonment of his “child” leads to the creation’s inevitable evilness. Victor was not predestined to failure, nor was his creation innately depraved. Rather, it was Victor’s poor “parenting” of his progeny that lead to his creation’s thirst for vindication of his unjust life, in turn leading to the ruin of Victor’s life.
The creature in "Frankenstein" is first wrongly judged by his own creator which sparks the hatred he has of all humans by the end of the novel. He is abandoned by the one who made him and is left confused and clueless. The creature quickly learns many things, most definite though, the unjust prejudice people have towards him because of his unfortunate ugliness. His hopelessness and hatred of humans is solidified when he learns of his creator's feelings of disgust towards him. When speaking to his creator he explains, "instead of threatening, I am content to reason with you. I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind,"(Shelley 170). The society in the novel "categorized him as being a danger to society just because of his monstrous appearance," (www.studymode.com). Eventually he meets one character who he believes may not run from or misjudge him. He befriends DeLacey, a blind man, and has a glimmer of hope that he will not be alone forever. However, all his hope is stripped away when he is immediately rejected by DeLacey's children who, like everyone else, judge the creature unfairly. The prejudice and discrimination the...
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a comparison of Nature vs. Nurture. Some critics argue that the Being is a monster from birth, while others claim that it cannot be limited to such a narrow category. The argument lies in the education of the Being. He is not a born killer, but is created by the rejection of society. The Being is born an innocent creature with ability to appreciate the sublime, but after learning about human emotions, he is transformed into a monster through the emotional rejection he receives from a human family.