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Nature Vs. Nurture In Frankenstein

2045 Words9 Pages

The nature versus nurture debate may be the debate of the century in the psychology world. Both sides hold very plausible theories and reasoning as to why they are right and because of that they are starting to accept the fact that both nature and nurture may play a key role in the development of personality. As the times change and technology becomes more advanced it becomes significantly easier to do long term studies with biological and emotional data being cross referenced. When applying the nature versus nurture debate to the story Frankenstein one can argue that the monsters lack of proper nurturing and upbringing caused him to act out negatively towards the humans he encountered throughout the story. The book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley …show more content…

The monster was looking for companionship in any form he could because he was lonely and had never known the feeling of love. When Victor yet again disappoints the monster by going back on his word to create a mate for him he denies him the right given to every man. The monster becomes outraged and vows to seek revenge. There is no one to blame in the demise of both Victor and the Monster but the creator himself. “From as far back as the 1930s, it has been recognized that discord between parents has a potentially debilitating effect on children’s psychological development (Gordon)”. The actions towards the monster by Victor from his birth caused extreme psychological distress and caused him to be unable to act as expected by society. The article “The Nature of Nurture” discusses that fathers have a more significant effect on the development of a non-biological child than that of biological parents and children. It is also stated that “the role of fathers is increasingly recognized as an important influence on children’s emotional, behavioral, and academic development (Gordon). This information helps to prove that Victor’s actions towards the monster were extremely critical to his development and had Victor treated the monster properly and helped him to assimilate he very well could have avoided all the aggression and anger

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