Nature Vs. Nurture In Frankenstein

Human development has been the center of much debate for thousands of years. Scholars often refer to this discourse as the nature vs. nurture debate - nature defined as the genetic disposition of a person, and nurture defined as the exterior influence. This debate has been a major theme in areas from professional psychological fields to fictional works. Mary Shelley is one famous fictional author that addresses this conflict in her well known novel Frankenstein, a tale about a creature that is transformed from a loving and kind being into a horrific monster because of disastrous experiences. Presenting an accurate picture of what is seen in the real world, Shelley conveys in her novel a theory that is backed by much research, effectively showing that nurture is the …show more content…
Kimberly Powell, genealogy expert and author of Everything Family Tree, 2nd Edition, backs this up in her article about the theories of nature and nurture: “While a gene may increase the likelihood that you'll behave in a particular way, it does not make people do things.” Accordingly, as with the creature in Frankenstein, negative or undesirable behaviors are often the result of one’s experiences. Paul J. Zak, neuroeconomist and author of the book The Moral Molecule, also addresses this topic in his article “Why Some People Are Evil.” He argues that a human needs to feel acceptance from others and have positive social interaction to be able to develop into a moral individual. This information aligns with the creature’s actions in Frankenstein. When rejected from society, he turns from a virtuous life and begins to commit atrocious acts such as murdering children and causing many people great heartache. In the same way, many individuals who become criminals have experienced similar rejection or negative societal