The Creature In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

In any society, physical appearance plays a major role in interacting with others. Whether it be having a conversation with someone or simply spotting a stranger at the local grocery store, one’s physical attributes are usually the first features that are noticed by humans. Mary Shelley describes a prime example of this scenario in the novel of Frankenstein. One of the main characters that struggles with being accepted by society is the Creature, Victor’s monstrous creation. Due to Victor’s experimentation and his hideous appearance, the Creature begins to feel emotions of alienation and loneliness. These actions are an essential example of Gothicism, in that they show how characters deal with torment and isolation. Through the rejection displayed …show more content…
The Creature begins to question what was Victor’s motivation in creating him in the first place. He addresses Victor and exclaims, “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? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge” (Shelley 155). The Creature feels emotions of rage and revenge because Victor had created him to be physically ugly. This fatal flaw makes the Creature an outcast among the fellow villagers. Due to Victor’s scientific experimentation, he is overcome with alienation and loneliness, which instigates his violent behavior towards Victor. The Creature’s physical flaws result in rejection by society, which instigates his violence. Consequently, the root of his violence is Victor’s scientific experimentation. A critic comments on the Creature’s state, “the progeny was hideous to the eye and thus his creator abandoned him. This is the other major theme of the novel—the neglected being who, because he cannot integrate into society, becomes alienated from common kindness and interaction, and rewards ostracism with violent crime” (Bond). Due to Victor making the Creature so physically unappealing, he is unable to take part in society because he is ultimately …show more content…
He targets Victor with his violence because he feels that it is solely his fault that he is so unattractive. The Creature’s violence is also an example of the dangers of scientific experimentation. Victor denies the Creature’s request of making a second creature due to the fear of the violence being the same in the second creature and ultimately harming society. To conclude, Victor’s scientific experimentation was an indirect cause of the violence portrayed by the Creature due to his feelings of alienation and loneliness rooted from his physical

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Creature In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Justice And The Creature In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein