Examples Of Ambiguity In Frankenstein

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At times it can be difficult to classify a character as purely good or purely evil. Those individuals who lie in between can be seen as morally ambiguous. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley’s portrayal of Frankenstein’s creature as a morally ambiguous character reveals how people tend to cling to hope in times of despair.
Frankenstein’s creature can be viewed as a pure soul from various actions he took throughout the novel. When he first awoke he was shunned and scared by his creator and thus sought human connection with uncompassionate strangers. “I had hardly placed my foot within the door before the children shrieked, and one of the women fainted,” (74). The creature’s visage horrified those he came into contact with. This destiny which had …show more content…
“The feelings of kindness and gentleness… gave place to hellish rage and gnashing of teeth. Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind,” (101). The creatures hope had finally started to falter. This contempt coursed through him, however, he retreated to the forest for some weeks to allow his wounds to heal. Once they finally had, he commenced his journey and consequently found himself in Geneva, the home of Frankenstein and everyone he held dear to him. Unfortunately, while the creature was resting, William Frankenstein crossed his path and captured the creatures attention. “Suddenly, as I gazed on him, an idea seized me that this little creature was unprejudiced and had lived too short a time to have imbibed a horror of deformity. If, therefore, I could seize him and educate him as my companion and friend, I should not be so desolate in this peopled earth,” (102). His presumed innocence made William a perfect subject. Nevertheless, the creature was mistaken and the child let out a shriek of horror while revealing his family lineage in an attempt to protect himself which only doomed him further. The creature’s malice returned, “I grasped his throat the silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my feet,” (102). The glimpse of hope he had just felt effectively vanished. Overcome with rage and vengeance, he sought another hiding place in which he discovered the
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