The Role Of Cruelty In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The essence of cruelty presents itself very blatantly in Mary Shelley’s horror novel Frankenstein through the works of two major characters: Victor Frankenstein and his very own creation. Frankenstein tells the story of a lost creature abandoned by his creator, shunned from society, and abhorred for his very own existence. Through these acts of cruelty committed against him, the creature truly becomes a monster and begins his journey of vengeance in the destruction of his creator and all else who have wronged him. Victor Frankenstein, captivated by the idea of creating life, first comes up with his plan to create another living being in chapter 4; however, he does not realize at this point the power and terror that accompany such an act. Once finally brought to life in chapter 5, the reality of his creation terrifies Frankenstein: “…he was ugly then, but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived” (Shelley 43). Dante Alighieri, an Italian poet in the Late Middle Ages, …show more content…
His comparison of the monster to Dante’s conceptions in “Inferno” show Frankenstein’s fear towards his creation and the things that he might do due to his unnatural creation. He also notes …show more content…
The two meet in the monster’s hut and he reveals to his creator the prejudice he has faced and the loneliness which he has endured: “…no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone. I remembered Adam’s supplication to his Creator. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him” (Shelley 111-112). Here, the monster reveals his thoughts to ask Frankenstein for a partner so that he may not be alone any