Monsters and Monstrosity Free Essay Example

This leads to another point that despite being attacked, the creature never retaliates, ‘I could have torn him limb from limb, like a lion rends the antelope. ‘ But he doesn’t, therefore suggesting that the creation recognises his animalistic features, yet decides not to follow them, juxtaposed to this, Victor does tear his second creation to pieces showing Victor as a monster. Also Felix ‘tore’ the creature from his father’s legs, this again shows an animalistic action in contrast to the creation.

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Making the creature seem less of a barbaric animal, and more human unlike Victor and Felix who become the opposite, almost suggesting that because the creates looks like a ‘monster’ that it is acceptable to do monstrous things to him. So as inhumane and monstrous things are done around him this then emphasises the creation’s stronger more human characteristics. Throughout the novel, the creature is related to a child. It does not remember his beginning, just like children cannot remember their birth.

He also displays a level of naivety and vulnerability just like that of a child.

‘I was cold, and half frightened’, suggested that the creation is aware of what he is feeling but in a childish way does not know how to combat them. Also, the use of ‘half frightened’ suggests an infant way of speech. The creature also shows childish tendencies as he longs for a family and a parent figure to love and care for him, and therefore teach him social acceptability we know this as in the monsters dialogue he says: ‘No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses; or if they had, all my past life was now a blot, a blind vacancy in which I distinguished nothing’.

This shows that the creation is more human than ‘monstrous’ and that in fact the real monster is the person who created, but then did not provide this for him (Frankenstein). This shows that Victor shunned his duties as a parent, to his own ‘child’. Which shows monstrosity, as it is hard to conceive a justifiable explanation for this behaviour in the world we live in. The creature also has a fascination for nature and its surroundings we know this as the creature speaks of ‘… eyes with thankfulness towards the blessed sun, which bestowed such joy upon me.

‘ This shows the creature’s interest and appreciation of nature, which was common in the romantic era in which Shelley wrote the novel. It shows another human side of the creature and therefore less of a monstrosity. This quote also shows pathetic fallacy, as when the sun is shining the creature is happy and joyous – emphasising the creature’s humanity. This then makes the point that if the creation had had the guidance and the love and attention, would he have then committed the crimes that he then committed? Where the crimes ultimately Frankenstein’s fault through lack of guidance?

The disappearance of a parent figure is something that is present in the natural world that we live in. But this is not so in the human way of live. Thus comparing Victor with that of an animal, and therefore monstrous. But we also are made to think that maybe it is not either the creature or Victor that are the monsters in the novel but society itself. As society and it’s stigma is responsible for Victor’s and the people of the novel’s (De Lacey family and others) reaction towards the creature and therefore its mistreatment.

Overall, Shelley presents the ideas of monsters and monstrosity in a controversial way, as rather than agreeing with the almost puerile conception that a monster is based on a being’s hideous appearance, she diversifies this, showing that the more actual human and accountable, Victor Frankenstein. Can be more monstrous than the creation, simply through the choice and actions that he makes. Therefore its actions and not its exterior define the level of monstrosity within a being. Shelley also portrays the idea of monstrosity through blaming society and its stereotypical views that lead to the ill-treatment of beings.

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