Insights Into The Nature Versus Nurture Debate I wonder how I would act if I had a different family or lived in another era. Does my upbringing or natural personality determine who I am? John Milton and Mary Shelley investigate this question in their respective works, Paradise Lost and Frankenstein. The two writers disagree on the “nature versus nurture” debate, but they hold moderate opinions. Milton uses his character Satan to prove that people’s natures predetermine them to act certain ways, though their circumstances do affect their fate, while Shelley shows through the monster that individuals have predispositions, yet external factors impact their lives more. Satan’s reflection that his rank did not create his draw to power and the
