The Monster and Exile Every person in life is created with a strong sense of belonging. Whether the belonging is to a person, a place, or a moment in time, they still feel connected and influenced by it. Exile is an action that separates a person from this connected belonging, and can suffer great consequences, but can also enrich their lifestyle. In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the creature creaked by Victor Frankenstein is forced, from the very beginning of his existence, away from his creator and society as a whole. This type of exile turned the creature into what he is, shaping his ideas and mentalities.
In multiple parts, the creature is shown mistreatment by humans after he performs good deeds. For example, he saved a little girl “and dragged her to shore… the man saw [him] draw near, he aimed a gun, which he carried, at [his] body and fired,” (Shelley 61). The creature had done a good deed, out of the kindness of his heart and the actions taken by the old man had once again, shown the creature that he would never be accepted in society due to his figure and how terrifying he appears. Once again, the behavior of mankind led the creature to his only option left, revenge. The creature says, “I only wonder that at that moment, instead of venting my sensations in exclamations and agony… I left the spot where I had committed the murder,” (Shelley 62).
First, the creature reveals emotions of his “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust. God in pity,
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly is many things. It is horror, romantic and well, science fiction. The story dwells into the ugly of not only science but of man, monster and loneliness, as well. The novel is a classic, adored by many and an inspiration to modern culture, all forms of media and so much more. The novel mainly centers on Victor Frankenstein [the young student scientist] and his 'monster’ creation.
As he draws the similarities between himself and Safie’s father, he points out the “barbarous sentence” the merchant has to face. Similarly, the monster faces a sentence after being created: the rejection from his creator and human society without evaluation of his personality. The creature experiences a sense of compassion as he draws his attention towards the cottagers and becomes aware of their transition to becoming outcasts. In this chapter, it exposes the physical conditions that came with the misfortune of the DeLaceys family.
In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses the characters of Victor and the monster in order to support the idea that humanity needs other people to define themselves in today’s world. Without having connections and relationships the idea of being able to define oneself, or even another person, is harder. Today’s society is based on the fact that humanity survives because of these important connections and relationships.
The creature toughly discovers the world on his own and declares war on humanity. Frankenstein’s act as God conducts his life and his creation’s into a series of terrific events. As the novel progresses, Victor and his monster vie for the role or protagonist. At simple site, readers think the monster and Victor are two completely different people, but in fact they share the same desires. The creature ironically becomes Victor’s doppelganger by both wanting affection, their miseries and hate for each other.
The creature is no different than humans in the way that humans can kill, be kind or be violent and miserable, which the creature shows and experiences. As the creature learns more he encounters villagers with "gentle manners" and some barbarous villagers" who treat him like trash. If humans are so called humans because of their sympathy and compassion, then humans shouldn 't be considered humans if they kill or become violent. The men the creature meets are just as defective as he becomes. Just like any human around the creature 's "heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy", but he also experiences "misery" and "violence" he is "filled with an insatiable thirst for vengeance" (190).
The unjust treatment that the creature received from humankind was harsh and unreasonable as he wasn’t allowed the opportunity to prove his intentions were far from malicious. His loneliness, isolation and injustice from those he tried to befriend turned him into an actual monster, evidently his perspective and personality changed after being excluded. The monster had been treated unfairly by humanity “I desired love and fellowship and I was spurned. Was there no injustice in this? … Am I to be thought the only criminal when all human kind sinned against me?”
He is aware of his otherness and knows that he is “shut out from intercourse” (84) with the people he holds so dear. It can be argued that this is the point where the creature’s humanity is the strongest throughout the course of story. He has a basic understanding of human societies, he speaks and reads their language, shows compassion and, most importantly, seeks their company and friendship. In his knowledge that social belonging is the missing component to his own happiness, he confronts the people he secretly observed only to, once again, be met with fear and anger (94-95). He comes to realise that he
Society would never accept him as society treats outcast and people that are any 'different ' atrociously. The monster acquired books of "Paradise Lost", "Plutarch 's Lives" and "The Sorrows of Werter", which "gave him extreme delight" as he studied and exercised his mind. When he came across the DeLacey family, hope sparked inside of him as he believed he would finally be accepted by at least a small part of society. Intelligently enough the monster made his move and approached the blind old man, in which he knew wouldn 't be able to see him or judge him by his distorted appearance. He finally grasps the chance into talking to the old man, De Lacey and he acknowledges that if he fails in being accepted by them he will be "an outcast in the world for ever".
Frankenstein In most fiction stories, there are always two characters that do or do not represent different sides of the same character. Frankenstein is a short gothic horror story written by Mary Shelley. Shelley writes about a scientist who created a being from dead body parts. Victor Frankenstein as the protagonist of the story created a monstrous character that was a reflection of himself.
In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is a scientist who brings a conglomeration of human and animal parts back from the dead. Despite his logical act of destroying the monster’s bride, Frankenstein still imprints hate, and hunts down his monster, making him the villain of his own story. The first clumsy act of villainy Frankenstein commits is when he first creates the monster. This horrid creature, made of human and animal parts, is born without intelligence, but more importantly is born with the ability to learn.
After realizing what Victor had done, he ran away not taking responsibility for what he had made. “The porter opened the gates of the court, which had that night been my asylum, and I issued into the streets, pacing them with quick steps, as if I sought to avoid the wretch whom I feared every turning of the street would present to my view. I did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited, but felt impelled to hurry on, although drenched by the rain which poured from a black and comfortless sky” (161) Victor saw what huge mistake he made and ignored his problem(s) rather than taking accountability that he has created a monster hideous to the human eye. He didn't even return to the apartment. He just fled hoping that abandoning his creation would solve the problem.
Frankenstein In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, a conflict as old as life itself emerges as the story progresses; parent versus posterity in a struggle for reconciliation. Victor Frankenstein and his creation become tied up in a constant battle as the creation seeks his origins, finding a horrifying truth; the creator had abandoned the creation. This central conflict derives from the creation of the creature, inability of Frankenstein to appreciate his creation, and the creation’s need for a parental figure. The conflict addresses themes of the book such as human desires for prestige, acceptance, and the intimacy of a relationship with one’s creator.