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Negative Stereotypes In Frankenstein

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Stereotyping in today’s society exists in many forms and is part of our daily lives no matter who we are. This is true even in literature and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein expertly shows the effects of stereotyping. In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein’s creature experiences rejection due to society judging the creature based on his appearance. This leads to Victor’s creature separating himself from society to distance himself from abuse. This abuse is undeserved as the creature proves himself to be a capable and very intelligent contradicting the stereotypes made against him. Eventually, the stereotypes made by society lead the creature to become who they think he is. Frankenstein paints a bleak picture of how society’s stereotyping leads to segregation and suffering with the creature’s journey through life. The society of Frankenstein makes a stereotype based on a single premise, his appearance, and chooses to discriminate and segregate Victor’s creation. This discrimination is evident when “the children shrieked and one of the women fainted. The whole village was roused; … some [villagers] attacked me” (Shelley, 94). This only ended when “[the creature was] grievously bruised by stones … [the creature] escaped to the open country” (Shelley, 94). The creature’s brutal abuse at the hands of these 18th century villagers is similar to modern society’s treatment of minorities. While modern society does not employ sticks and stones against its victims, stereotypes are still a

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