FREE ESSAY ON FRANKENSTEIN 72

FRANKENSTEIN 72

In agreement that Mary Shelly's novel, Frankenstein takes its meaning from tensions
surrounding the cultural concerns of human nature, its potentials and limits and forces
that go into the making. The following will support this statement and tie traits from
the book to today's society.
Many lessons are embedded into Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, including how society acts
towards the different. The monster fell victim to the judging of a a person by only his
or her outer appearance. Whether people like it or not, society summarizes a person's
characteristics by his or her physical appearance. Society has set an unbreakable code
individuals must follow to be accepted. Those who don't follow the standard are hated by
the crowd and banned for the reason of being different. When the monster ventured into a
town he had hardly placed [his] foot within the door before the children shrieked, and
one of the women fainted . From that moment on he realized that people did not like his
appearance and hated him because of it. 
If villagers didn't run away at the sight of him, then they might have even enjoyed his
personality. The monster tried to accomplish this when he encountered the De Lacey
family. The monster hoped to gain friendship from the old man and eventually his
children. He knew that it could have been possible because the old man was blind, he
could not see the monster's repulsive characteristics. But fate was against him and the
wretched had barely conversed with the old man before his children returned from their
journey and saw a monstrous creature at the feet of their father attempting to do harm to
the helpless elder. Felix darted forward, and with supernatural force tore [the creature]
from his father, to whose knees [he] clung... Felix's action caused great pain to the
monster. He knew that his dream of living with them happily ever after would not happen
and with the encounter still fresh in his mind along with his first encounter of humans,
he "declared everlasting war against the species, and more than all, him who had formed
the creature and sent him forth to this misery." 
The monsters source of hatred toward humans originates from his first experiences with
humans. In a way the monster started out with a childlike innocence that was eventually
shattered by being constantly rejected by society time after time. His first encounter
with humans was when he opened his yellow eyes for the first time and witnessed Victor
Frankenstein, his creator, rush out of the laboratory. Would this have happened if
society did not consider physical appearance to be important? No. If physical appearance
were not important then the creature would have had a chance of being accepted into the
community with love and care. But society does believe that physical appearance is
important and it does influence the way people act towards each other. Frankenstein
should have made him less offending if even he, the creator, could not stand his
disgusting appearance. There was a moment however when Frankenstein was moved by the
creature. He felt what the duties of a creator towards his creature were and decided that
he had to make another creature, a companion for the original. But haunting images of his
creation (from the monster's first moment of life) gave him an instinctive feeling that
the monster would do menacing acts with his companion, wreaking twice the havoc!
Reoccurring images of painful events originating from a first encounter could fill a
person with hate and destruction. 
We as a society are the ones responsible for the transformation of the once childlike
creature into the monster we all know. The public doesn't realize that our society has
flaws, and that they must be removed before our primal instincts continue to isolate and
hurt the people who are different. With such a large amount of technology among us, some
people may wonder why such an advanced civilization still clings on to such primitive
ways of categorizing people. 
Victor Frankenstein, as he huddled in the corner of his room, with only bed sheets to
offer a hint of security, plagued himself with questions as to how he could create such a
catastrophe. A being of immense proportions, Victor's life-long work, stood lingering
over Victor's bed and the only thought repeating in the creator's mind was how wretched
it is...
His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was
of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of pearly whiteness; but these luxuriance's
only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same
colour as the dun-white sockets in which they were set... (P.56)
This is the beginning of Victor's disclaiming attitude toward his creation and
consequently initiates the monster's condemnation to a life devoid of human
companionship. At birth, the creature appears to not be either violent or vicious, but
unfortunately, the rejection by his creator drives it to a life full of revenge. Rather
than focusing this child-like hatred on Victor, the monster hits its creator where it
hurts; his loved ones. This originally peaceful monster, now bitter and hateful, resorts
to random acts of violence to compensate for its mistreatment.
At birth, when the first spark of life shot through the creature, there is an apparent
natural love and respect for the creator. Victor, on the other hand, fled in disgust at
first sight of  the miserable monster which I have created(57)and hoped to never see it
again. But like a child, Frankenstein's monster returned expecting to be accepted:  And
his eyes, if eyes they may be called, were fixed on me. His jaws opened, and he muttered
some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks...one hand was stretched out,
seemingly to detain me(57). Despite the initial desertion by its creator the monster is
longing for fatherly affection. Victor again flees from the monster and this time it does
not return and disappears for almost two years. From this moment on, Frankenstein's
monster demands retribution for his banishment from civilization.
The last appearance from the creature revealed a loving and needy soul. But two years of
loneliness and solitude has turned the monster into a depraved wretch, whose delight was
in carnage and misery(74) as seen in the murder of William. The creature, in contrast to
his initial feelings, has exhibited anger and frustration toward his situation. This
beast, like a child, uses the most available means of persuasion to get what it wants.
But unlike a little child, who may cry or whine for attention, the massive monster
utilizes its unhumanlike force to put the point across: Nothing in human shape could have
destroyed that fair child(73). Victor concludes that he himself is nothing but the author
of intolerable evils(88) and that he would live in daily fear lest the monster whom I had
created should perpetrate some new wickedness(89). Victor, as well as the reader, has a
strong intuition that the monster will indeed commit additional monstrosities. William
Frankenstein is only the beginning.
Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant did I not extinguish the
spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed(132). The monster, now totally
rejected by man, has reached the point where life seems hopeless. Despite this, the
creature does suggest a remedy for its brooding melancholy; a mate.  I am malicious
because I am miserable...and you my creator should pity me,(140) is the excuse used by
the beast and threatens to work at your (Victor) destruction and desolate your heart, so
that you shall curse the hour of your birth(141) if Victor did not comply. Conscience
overtakes Victor and he refuses to complete the task, knowing full well the monstrous
hell that awaits him. This originally peaceful creature, Victor's conception, now vows to
fully unleash an unholy wrath on the creator's life because revenge remains -
revenge...(162).
...But remember, I shall be with you on your wedding-night(163). These words echo through
Victor Frankenstein's head, making him uneasy and spiteful towards the beast for being
the murderer of my peace(163). But a deeper meaning lies behind this statement by the
monster. The creature does in fact appear on Victor's wedding night, but he is not the
target, Elizabeth his wife is. The monster has administered complete revenge on Victor by
eliminating the creator's dearest love; lifeless and inanimate...her bloodless arms and
relaxed form flung by the murderer on its bridal brier(189). This, consequently, is a
parallel to the isolation from love bestowed on the monster. 
Frankenstein's creation with its childlike emotions emerged as a tender being with no
malice of thought. But the immediate feeling of rejection summoned anger in the beast
that eventually wiped all joy out of its creator's life. The monster, as birth, wanted
nothing more than to be satisfied and loved. Yet, after all revenge had been played out,
the creature felt a sense of fulfillment in accordance to its creator's misery: I am
satisfied, miserable wretch! You have determined to live, and I am satisfied(196), and
with its revenge complete is soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and
distance(215).