Frankestain, by Mary Shelly

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Recommended: Frankenstein on human nature and society

Societies pride themselves for their open-mindedness and forward-thinking, but when put to the test, these ideals are quickly forgotten. No one has the courage to stand up for what is right because of a fear of the consequences. Citizens choose the path of least resistance- turning a blind eye- because they believe that someone else will take control of the situation. However, ignoring the problem is more involved than people want to believe. Not choosing to take action is a choice in and of itself. When the majority decides to not to step up for what is right, the situation will never be solved and the victims will be trapped indefinitely. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, no one takes a risk to stand up for the creature’s integrity and ability to be a productive citizen. Everyone pushes the creature away, including the people closest time him. It is only a matter of time before the creature reaches his breaking point. Although Victor Frankenstein may seem to be directly at fault, ultimately society is the driving force behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or, The Modern Prometheus.
Society’s refusal to accept differences drives the creature toward violence. The standards of normal and abnormal are established at an early age, and no individual is left untouched. The creature, as a living being, has the right to be accepted and loved. However, the instant he tries to integrate in society, someone notices that he does not fit society’s definition of normal and revokes his rights. The creature tries to find food in a village to survive, and encounters a man in a hut: “He turned on hearing a noise; and, perceiving me, shrieked loudly, and, quitting the hut, ran across the fields with a speed of which his debilitated form hardly appe...

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...n should be able to look past the creature’s differences and love him because he is the creature’s father, but he is too vain and rooted in the societal construct of beauty to fulfill his responsibilities. De Lacey is the only person who is blind to society’s expectations, but his son is not and violently removes the creature from his house. If the society is firmly structured around true acceptance, the creature would not have to wear the labels of an outcast, a monster, or a murderer. Society’s constant rejection drives the creature to the tipping point, which would not have to exist if he is given a chance to prove his worthiness.

Works Cited

Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft. Frankenstein. Clayton, Del.: Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classics, 2006. Print.
Winter, Sarah. "The Novel And Prejudice." Comparative Literature Studies 46.1 (2008): 76-102. Print.

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