The Problems Of Pride And Vanity In Transformation By Mary Shelley

In today’s world, society is overcome with issues revolving around vanity and pride. In entirety, we have become increasingly more conscious about the wealth and status of those around us due to a staggering growth in our accessibility to social media. This newfound consciousness has brought on a wave of insecurity felt throughout the population and consequently made us more willing to attempt anything to reach what we consider a desirable status. This longing for recognition of our physical assets and attributes has caused us to be vain and overly prideful, and thus caused us to lose sight of what is important. These feelings develop through text such as short stories and are a representation of our society’s downfall. In the short story, …show more content…
These problems develop through the story of a rich, handsome man named Guido, who is consumed with vanity. Shelley illustrates these traits throughout the story as Guido transforms both physically and emotionally. His tale of misfortune commences in Genoa with his childhood friend turned lover Juliet, and continues with his journey to Paris where he inevitably squanders his inheritance on material objects. Guido’s reckless spending results in a decline in both his wealth and status, which forces him to return home to Genoa. Upon his return, he expects to have Juliet’s hand in marriage, but after her father refuses to allow the union, Guido takes drastic measures. He futilely attempts to kidnap Juliet and her father, which results in his banishment from Genoa. As he travels away from his homeland, he meets a mystical creature, washed up on the beach, that heeds his tales of mishap and offers a chest of treasures in exchange for the use of Guido’s body for three days. Guido warily consents to the deal and completes the transaction, but becomes suspicious after the peculiar creature does not return back to the beach to exchange bodies again. After he dreams of the wretch using his body to reclaim Juliet’s love, he opts to return to his home in order to rescue his love Juliet. This is a …show more content…
She has dedicated it to them as a way to show them that their lives can be reversed and enhanced. The life lesson of this narrative can be translated from the story and applied to real life obstacles people may experience. Psychology Today quotes author John Ruskin in saying “It is better to lose your pride with someone you love, rather than to lose that someone you love with your useless pride”, which perfectly suits this narrative. Guido, like many others, was faced with a choice between his pride and his loved ones. Although it is heavily supported, some may argue that this choice is fallacious. They may view Shelley’s evidence that vanity is harmful as circumstantial rather than universally probable. Despite the difficulties, this story exemplifies the correct choice for audiences who may need guidance in the right direction. To further express this, Shelley carefully chose a distinct genre for her