Personality Development As Seen In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Personality Development: Nature Versus Nurture As Seen In Frankenstein Nature versus nurture, an ongoing controversy in modern psychology, is a prominent theme in Frankenstein. For centuries, psychologists and philosophers have been arguing about the basis of personality development and social integration. Many psychologists adopt a biological or natural approach, believing that personality development is a result of individual genetics. Alternatively, other psychologists believe in an environmental approach, which states that an individual will learn how to act based on their life circumstances, surroundings, and interactions. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley successfully validates the nurture side of this debate through her explanation of Victor Frankenstein’s and the monster’s personality development; Both these main characters are vastly different since they each had extremely different lifestyles, which had a profound impact on their personalities. Clearly, the environment has a significant outcome on one’s characteristics, which is the premise of many parenting techniques and debates nowadays. Victor Frankenstein is a primary example of personality development through nurture. In the beginning of the novel, Frankenstein recounts his backgrounds and childhood. He reveals that he was an only child, born into a wealthy and esteemed family. His parents were always attentive and loving, as Victor remembers, “My mother’s tender caresses and my father’s smile of benevolent