Comparison Of Frankenstein In The Picture Of Dorian Gray And Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

1206 Words3 Pages

A monster is defined as an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening; so, how can a man be considered a monster? In Oscar Wilde 's The Picture of Dorian Gray and Mary Shelley 's Frankenstein, Dorian and the monster contain overpowering characteristics including the desire to obtain a masculine, physical appearance while maintaining skewed views on inward beauty in which both can be seen as monstrous if taken too far. Dorian and the monster strive for societal acceptance; meanwhile, they do not know how to act in order to receive this acceptance due to underdevelopment in emotion and mental masculinity. Therefore, they end up hurting those people around them. Dorian is obsessed with appearances: not just his own, but …show more content…

Dorian uses his appearance as a facade of masculinity. Because he lacks self confidence in who he is as a person, he sells his soul for a lifetime of youth. He offers the one part of himself that makes a human an individual in order to save the wrapping paper that masks the true gift of personality. He becomes so focused on hiding his lack of self confidence that he wastes the time he could have discovering inward manly traits such as trust, compassion and loyalty. This lack of inward traits allows him to only see the outward beauty of those around him. As he “falls in love” with Sybil Vane, he is mesmerized by her art of acting, not her as a person. Because she searches for love in Dorian in ways not involving only appearance, she loses her ability to act. Her ability to act is the aspect that Dorian falls in love with: not her personality. She loses the trait Dorian has fallen for causing a loss of attraction; “unlike Dorian she prefers the real to the artificial . …show more content…

Because he feels a sense of inferiority due to his frightening physical appearance, he uses the strength of his structure in order to prove his masculinity. His brawn becomes his security; therefore, he uses this comfort zone regardless of the pain it inflicts on others. The monster recognizes “feelings of affection” as he asks Victor “do you dare destroy my hopes” (Shelley 205). Referring to Victor refusing him of a mate, the monster sees that he does feel emotions, but lacks the knowledge on using them. Consequently, the monster begins to rely on the emotion of anger as it is the one that becomes easy to recognize and express. If the monster cannot satisfy his want for love, acceptance and affection, he admits he “will cause fear, and chiefly towards [Victor] archenemy” (Shelley 175). In order to cope with his emotional struggles, he relies heavily on proving to others the destruction he is capable of; since anger becomes his focal point of emotion, he abuses it: causing his emotional frustration to be inflicted upon others resulting in their physical carnage. His mental and emotional inabilities create physical destruction as he proves his masculinity through

Show More
Related

  • Dorian Gray Vs. Frankenstein

    2002 Words  | 5 Pages

    According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, a monster is a “strange or horrible imaginary creature”. But monsters don’t necessarily need to be fictional; even humans can be monsters. The only thing that distinguishes us from fictional monsters are our appearances, human-monsters are hard to detect. Therefore, it’s easy to treat people based on their appearances since the human mind gets deceived by looks.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Victor Frankenstein And The Monster

    1361 Words  | 3 Pages

    The gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley highlights the idea that the real monsters of the world are humans and society, and that most traits that most humans despise are actually within all of us. Frankenstein shows that any human can be so corrupt as to be a “monster”, and that beings society considers repulsive and evil can be human at heart. Shelley exposes human faults such as hubris and irresponsibility through the main character of the novel Victor Frankenstein, who creates a living being and refuses to care for it, sending it into the unwelcoming hands of society. Victors irresponsible actions lead to many deaths and events. As the novel progresses, Dr. Victor Frankenstein and the Monster he creates become more and more similar

    Read More

  • Humanity in Frankenstein; Is Anyone Human?

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    Humans are seen by many as the exemplary species on earth, intended by God to dominate and take control of others. Humanity cannot be characterized as a physical trait; for one can appear to be human on the outside but within are nothing near a human. Within Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, humanity can be considered an emotional experience; an experience where one is always longing for acceptance and naturally conforms to avoid being ostracized or different. The monster is made from human parts and in human likeness, but is not seen as a human being by many. Such is a question raised by many; is the monster human, or is he a filthy demon to which Victor Frankenstein had given life? Although a clear definition of humanity is not expressed in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the monster is in fact human due to its ability to adapt and utilize the human culture and lifestyle in many ways including longing for a companion, discovering its soul and yearning for acceptance.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

    1163 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Compassion In Frankenstein

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Victor’s lack of compassion and sympathy towards the monster causes him to become angry instead of guilty. His cruelness to his creation made the monster kill and hurt the people he did but “when [he] reflected on [the monster’s] crimes and malice, [Victor’s] hatred and revenge burst all bounds of moderation,”(Shelley 325). Without compassion Victor thinks that the only way to stop the monster is to get revenge on him, instead of just giving him the empathy and kindness that monster craved. Victor realizes that "if he were vanquished, [he] should be a free man...balanced by those horrors of remorse and guilt which would pursue [him] until death. ”(Shelley 731).

    Read More

  • Comparing Victor Frankenstein and the Monster in Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'

    510 Words  | 2 Pages

    The monster does not resemble Victor physically; instead, they share the same personalities. For example, Victor and the monster are both loving beings. Both of them want to help others and want what is best for others. Victor and the monster try to help the people that surround them. Victor tries to console his family at their losses, and the monster assists the people living in the cottage by performing helpful tasks. However, Victor and the monster do not reflect loving people. The evil that evolves in Victor’s heart is also present in the monster.

    Read More

  • Revenge Is Not The Solution In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    883 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since this monster killed Henry, Victor knew that his family was now in danger. The monster is very happy that Victor is having to suffer because, Victor is now feeling the loneliness that he feels all the time. Though the monster’s character is not evil, the pain he feels is what he wants his creator to feel. His revenge only increases throughout the book because he is only longing for a fellow companion that Victor can only give him, but yet he is choosing not to create it. The anger that is within the monster is only growing and this is increasing the possibilities of him hurting more people.

    Read More

  • Victor as the Monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Monsters can come in various physical forms, but all monsters share the same evil mentality. A Monster is a being that harms and puts fear within people. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a prime example of how appearance does not determine whether a creature is a monster or not. In the story, Victor Frankenstein tries to change nature by creating a super human being. The being appears to be a monster. Victor becomes so obsessed with his creation and then rejects it. Victor is the real monster because of his desire for power, lack of respect for nature, and his stubbornness.

    Read More

  • Is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Inherently Evil?

    1195 Words  | 3 Pages

    A monster is not a monster unless he intentionally wants to hurt many and his plans are to hurt many. In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the monster is portrayed as an evil, hideous creature through everyone’s eyes. Victor Frankenstein creates a monster and once he brings him to life he abandoned him, leaving him to learn and discover the world by himself. The monster has to learn his way around society while being rejected by society because of this looks. Frankenstein’s monster is seen as evil because the way people treated him caused him to act out. The monster is not inherently evil because he helps others, has emotions, and does not fight back when he is attacked.

    Read More

  • Essay On Monstrosity In The Picture Of Dorian Gray

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    Monstrosity is not just defined by disfigurement, but also by the actions and obsessions of man. Most, if not all, tales of monsters often came about as exaggerations of sins and immoral actions. Others see men who become too obsessed with the idea of overstepping their own humanity and playing God as monsters in society. Frankenstein and The Picture of Dorian Gray reflect this idea. While the painting and the creation mirror the monstrous nature and the sin Gray and Frankenstein enact throughout the course of each novel, both Dorian Gray and Victor Frankenstein are the true monsters.

    Read More

  • Who Is the Real Monster in Frankenstein?

    1708 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the novel, Shelley investigates the idea of monstrosity. She makes the point that a monster does not have to be genuinely evil in order to be considered monstrous. Shelley presents two characteristics of mankind in order to prove her case. The first example is Frankenstein’s creation. Upon first being introduced to his creation, the reader initially labels him as a monster because of his physical appearance. He is portrayed as a man with “…yellow skin scarcely cover[ing] the work of muscles and arteries beneath…watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set…shrivelled complexion and straight black lips” (Shelley 58). Not only does the reader view him as...

    Read More

  • The Consequences Of Frankenstein In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

    1740 Words  | 4 Pages

    Both Victor and the monster suffer tremendously both physically and emotionally throughout their life. Victor’s physical suffering was brought on by his inability to cope with his tremendous guilt and secret. The monsters physical suffering was due to the abuse inflicted upon him by society’s fear of him. Both also suffered emotionally; they were both alone, Victor due to his secret that caused isolation and his inability to admit and disclose what he had done. The monster suffered emotionally because of his creator’s rejection and society’s inability to get past his grotesque looks and accept him for who he was.

    Read More

  • Comparison between Characters of Frankenstein

    1508 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley combines three separate stories involving three different characters--Walton, Victor, and Frankenstein's monster. Though the reader is hearing the stories through Walton's perspective, Walton strives for accuracy in relating the details, as he says, "I have resolved every night,...to record, as nearly as possible in his [Victor's] own words, what he has related during the day" (Shelley 37). Shelley's shift in point of view allows for direct comparison and contrast between the characters, as the reader hears their stories through the use of first person. As the reader compares the monster's circumstances to those of Victor and Walton, the reader's sympathy for the monster greatly increases.

    Read More

  • The Reader's Sympathy for Dorian from Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the beginning of the book, Dorian seems to be an innocent, charming, beautiful young man, and even referred to as “a wonderful creation” (ch 2). Dorian is described as this amazing person, with looks comparable to a God, charm that could swoon any woman, and a mesmerizing persona about him with the ability to draw anyone near, yet he seems to be so imperceptive to himself. His attitude of simplicity causes readers to be fond of him, passing their first judgments that he could not possibly be evil. As the story moves along readers see the first inkling that Dorian may not be so perfect. Dorian comments on “how sad it is…[that he] shall grow old, and horrible, and dreadful. But the picture will remain always young” (ch 2). This statement lets readers inside Dorian’s thoughts, showing how shallow and frivolous Dorian views life to be. He places so much value and esteem on looks alone, forgetting that being painted should be an honor, or at the very least...

    Read More

  • Beauty in The Picture of Dorian Gray

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dorian Gray's life is dictated by his physical appeal. His beauty lies within his youth. Dorian's perception of beauty allows him to love. He is convinced that his beauty allows him to accomplish anything he desires regardless of the consequences and still be loved by his friends. He uses his beauty to mitigate his evil actions. Dorian says, “I don't wish to know anything about them. I love scandals about other people, but scandals about myself don't interest me. They have not got the charm of novelty.” Youth and beauty are the most precious things to Dorian. In his life, beauty is of utmost importance. Then he sees the picture of himself, painted by Basil, absorb his sins and this changed his view. “I hope it is not about myself. I am tired of myself tonight. I should like to be somebody else,” Dorian said. He aspired to have had a good life rather than one filled with artificial meaning and beauty. The moral beauty of Doran lies within the portrait of himself. The portrait imitated his life. He finally realized that beauty cannot help him escape his evil actions. He deeply lamemted his wish that the portrait bore the burden of his age an...

    Read More

More about Comparison Of Frankenstein In The Picture Of Dorian Gray And Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Open Document