In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley writes as the creature, “My heart was fashioned to be susceptible of love and sympathy, and when wrenched by misery to vice and hatred, it did not endure the violence of the change without torture such as you can not even imagine.” This quote reveals how the monster’s malevolence is a result of nurture and humanity’s harsh treatment of him. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley portrays humanity in a negative light because humans ostracize and oppress the creature based on his physical appearance: his creator abandons him in disgust, children are terrified of him, and adults maltreat him because they believe he is menacing. The people in Frankenstein do not deserve sympathy because these actions prove the characters
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For example, when William Frankenstein encounters the creature, he immediately screams and cries, “Monster! Ugly wretch!...You are an ogre (Ch.16;126)!” These insults deeply hurt the creature and spark his desire to destroy all humanity, starting with murdering William. This incident reveals how when people notice the creature’s unique appearance, they immediately judge him and see him to be monstrous, just because he appears different from others. William’s rejection of the creature reveals how Mary Shelley displays the characters as unsympathetic and judgemental people who are not worthy of sympathy. Thus, children’s petrified reactions to the creature’s semblance are another way in which Mary Shelley portrays humanity in a negative …show more content…
Although there are a few positive actions in the novel such as the benevolent charity works of the Frankenstein family and Henry Clerval’s loyal friendship to Victor, they are overpowered by the central idea that humanity’s harsh treatment of the creature is the impetus for his malevolence and his desire for revenge. If society had not been cruel to the monster because of his physical appearance, the creature would never have desired to destroy all of mankind. Thus, the characters in Frankenstein are not worthy of sympathy because they lack the qualities of compassion, acceptance, and sympathy for outcasts. There are still many negative aspects of humanity today because instances where people prejudice others based on their physical appearance, such as racism, continue to occur and be an unsolved problem in the world
For example, when William Frankenstein encounters the creature, he immediately screams and cries, “Monster! Ugly wretch!...You are an ogre (Ch.16;126)!” These insults deeply hurt the creature and spark his desire to destroy all humanity, starting with murdering William. This incident reveals how when people notice the creature’s unique appearance, they immediately judge him and see him to be monstrous, just because he appears different from others. William’s rejection of the creature reveals how Mary Shelley displays the characters as unsympathetic and judgemental people who are not worthy of sympathy. Thus, children’s petrified reactions to the creature’s semblance are another way in which Mary Shelley portrays humanity in a negative …show more content…
Although there are a few positive actions in the novel such as the benevolent charity works of the Frankenstein family and Henry Clerval’s loyal friendship to Victor, they are overpowered by the central idea that humanity’s harsh treatment of the creature is the impetus for his malevolence and his desire for revenge. If society had not been cruel to the monster because of his physical appearance, the creature would never have desired to destroy all of mankind. Thus, the characters in Frankenstein are not worthy of sympathy because they lack the qualities of compassion, acceptance, and sympathy for outcasts. There are still many negative aspects of humanity today because instances where people prejudice others based on their physical appearance, such as racism, continue to occur and be an unsolved problem in the world