Essay: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

In “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley there is an in depth discussion between the importance of human lives and nature throughout the story. Throughout the narrative Mary Shelley creates metaphorical bridges to connect the two using Victor Frankenstein’s life as a catalyst between the different relationships, mainly amongst his friends and family. which are seemingly burned down once he goes to Ingolstadt for university. The destruction of this bridge leads Frankenstein to a new misconception of the meaning of life, being that he no longer has a base to identify with in his own; his marveling achievement is doomed to become a heinous monstrosity. However, this is not to explain the problems that plagued Frankenstein’s life, but to explain the qualms of the true victim, the monster. Due to Frankenstein’s unhealthy obsession to create life on his own, the true victim who suffered the most in turn was the monster, who was only a misunderstood product of his environment forced to live a life of dejection and exclusion from society. From his birth, the monster was immediately hated by his father. As the monster began to learn, on many occasions it spent time trying to find its own purpose and be a good samaritan but with little payoff. Lastly, The Monster yearned for that which all humans innately wish for, the feeling of being loved. However loud his screams, the monster’s cries fell upon deaf ears and molded him into the maleficent force of nature he was throughout the story.
The terrors that strangle our victim begin in Ingolstadt when Frankenstein’s dreams would become a reality. As the platform lowers, a life surge through his new creation, but with each second begins the descent of the newly born Monster’s heart into darkness and Frankenstein’s realization of what he has actually done. Finally both individuals make eye contact for the first time as father and son; one’s heart filled with love and the other with disgust. Frankenstein surveyed the horror he created as he “saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs” (Shelley 42). Upon this realization Frankenstein unknowingly set the pace for the events that would take place later in his life. This being would look upon Frankenstein for guidance and protection instead would be rejected and hated within minutes of his inception. This interaction would be the first to guide the monster’s experiences with humans, and the most important one as well.
Upon his departure from Frankenstein’s lab the monster began to search for the answers of life and “spoke” to Frankenstein along the way. Throughout his journey he began to become more self-aware as he traveled miles across Germany. Even through the difficulty of his past and being shunned by his father, the monster believed himself to be “a benevolent soul; whose soul glowed with love and humanity” (Shelley 82). Despite his appearance the monster sought approval from the world and the inhabitants around him. He was very aware of his appearance, which immediately did not bother him given the fact he had no friendships to speak of as well as no money to survive by himself. Along his travels he encounters a village and a hut, and is immediately is tantalized by the beauty of the creation around him. Yet he continuously falls upon looks of horror from humans around him. This interaction instead takes a turn for the worse as the monster’s dream of acceptance is met by repulsion from the people as they attack him, sending him fleeing towards a hovel confused, scared, and alone. However these interactions did not turn the creature’s heart cold but instead raised questions as to why he is not accepted. Saddened by the experience he still longs for acceptance.
After finding refuge in a hovel the monster finds a family who lives in a cottage not too far away. He becomes interested with them because it is everything he has wanted and never been able to have. The monster uses them as a model for civilization because it is the first time he has ever seen love and companionship. The cottager’s interactions stimulated intrigue within him and he begins wonders to himself: “When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, a monster, a blot upon the earth from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?”(Shelley 167). Desperate for acceptance the monster lunges at the opportunity to take part in their lives in any way he can. He eventually meets with the old blind man of the cottage De lacey and hopes that through this interaction he will find acceptance from those he holds in high regards. But upon Felix and the other members return they too are repulsed by the monsters and force him away.
The monster was forced to live a life of dejection excluded from society at every turn because of Frankenstein’s actions. The monster suffers much loss throughout the story since his creation and the actions he takes are results of the pain he has endured.