Monster In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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From a simple animal like the black bird in The Raven to an extremely daunting creature like the Giant Squid in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the human fascination with monsters is one of the most prevalent ideas depicted throughout all of literature. However, there is a type of monster that both terrifies and mesmerizes all of mankind more than any other, “monsters and the monstrous that justify and perpetuate a variety of questionable acts and beliefs” (Matuozzi). These monsters do acts that fill people with fear for the absolutely unfathomably atrocious crimes that they commit. Additionally, these monsters can be even more horrifying if they look like any other person. Masking them from the public, they not only terrify people for their …show more content…
On the cover Frankenstein seems to be a story of a scientist who completes a great scientific feat by creating life; however, his creation comes back and begins to haunt him. Victor being a great scientist is supported all the way up until when the story begins to be told from the creation’s perspective. Once the created “monster” begins to tell the story of the hardship and struggle he went through, to understand the world around him, it becomes evident that if Victor had not left him to begin with he would not have executed so many horrendous crimes. After hearing the creation’s story one could reflect and see the signs that Victor is not innocent at all, in fact, he is responsible for the killings that the creation perpetrated. The fact that Victor left his creation is not even the biggest sign that he is a monster; moreover, he is even more monstrous for the reasons that he left the creation. If Victor left his creation for no apparent reason it could be reasonably comparable to when a mother or father leaves their child for no apparent reason; however, Victor’s situation is much worse. “...[B]reathless horror and disgust filled my heart. [u]nable to endure the aspect of the creature I had created” (Shelley 35). Victor’s reaction to the way the creation looks and his following actions of leaving the creation displays that Victor is a …show more content…
At first, from a simple, straightforward viewing of the book one may believe that Dorian Gray, the main character, is the monster; however, Lord Henry is the true monster. Dorian Gray is a young man who Basil Hallward describes as “ha[ving] a simple and a beautiful nature” (Wilde 10). He is an innocent man who has yet to be influenced by the sin and immorality that fills the world around him. In fact, he is so innocent that he does not even grasp that there is evil around him making him almost childlike. That is why even though he commits many crimes throughout the story and eventually loses his ability to sympathize with others, he is not the monster in the story. The true monster of the story is Lord Henry. Henry is the monster because he knowingly influences the pure Dorian Gray to commit horrible crimes against other people. Dorian Gray first meets Lord Henry in Basil’s workroom while he is being drawn. Dorian is instantly interested in Lord Henry even after Basil warns him of Henry’s potential negative influence on him. Similarly to how a child would be more likely to do something inappropriate if their parent were to tell them not to do so. After talking with Lord Henry for a while, Dorian becomes uncomfortable with what Henry is saying. Instead of staying and dealing with the emotions, Dorian runs away from his fear and never deals with
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