Examples Of Nature Vs Nurture In Frankenstein

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Nature or Nurture: What Determines the Creature’s Behavior The argument between nature and nurture has been a huge debate over the centuries. People debate whether a person’s character is the result of nature or nurture. Nature includes characteristics that a person is born with, while nurturing is how a person is raised. In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley makes an impression that evidently supports the fact that one’s surroundings and experiences help shape a person’s character. Frankenstein is a story about a scientist named Victor Frankenstein, who is passionate in exploring humanity and biology. Victor creates a living creature and then later abandons him. What happens when Victor abandons his creation? Victor’s abandonment has a …show more content…
He wanders in the woods alone. Victor and the creature come across each other while Victor is traveling in Mont Blanc. The creature asks Victor to listen to his side of the story. The creature tells Victor, “Be calm! I entreat you to hear me before you give vent to your hatred on my devoted head” (114). Victor follows the creature while he leads the way across the ice, and the creature starts telling Victor his tale. The creature has a rational and calm nature. In David Soyka’s article, “Frankenstein and the Miltonic Creation of Evil,” he explains the creature’s attitude and the way he behaves towards Victor. Soyka says, “While Victor curses the monster as a demon, the monster responds to Victor’s coarseness with surprising eloquence and sensitivity, proving himself an educated, emotional, exquisitely human being” (np). The creature should be mad and hate Victor when he meets him, but instead he is calm and asks Victor in a nice way to listen to his side of …show more content…
According to Wayne Chandler, who has written extensively about Frankenstein, notes that “As Felix is mercilessly beating him, the creature is unable to lift his hand against him: in this way, the reader sees the creature's innate humanity” (np). He cannot afford to hurt Felix, in fact, Felix’s story on how he tries to help Safie’s father gives the creature hope that one day Victor will change his mind and eventually care for him. The creature leaves the cottage and heads to his hovel. The next day, the creature learns that the family abandons the cottage for good. Revenge and hatred fills his mind when he burns the de Lacey’s hut. While traveling to Geneva, he spots a young girl who slips into the stream and drowns. The creature, without thinking, rushes to the stream and saves the girl. Suddenly, a man accompanying the girl snatches her away from him and shoots the creature. This only proves that despite his bitterness and hatred towards humanity, he still has a pure heart to rescue the girl without hesitation. After saving the girl, the creature realizes that he is still recognized as evil, not as a savior. In Jonathan Padley’s article, “Frankenstein and Sublime Creation,” he explains how the creature hates humanity and his creator. He says that “He curses all men and, ‘inflamed by pain,’ he vows eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind’ (np). In all his rejection, he swears that he will

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