ws himself to be capable of the same kind of independent creative thought and emotions as humans. Indeed, some argue that he shows himself to be more of a 'man' than mankind itself, that is characterised in the novel as a bloodthirsty pack of hounds hungering for the unjust execution of Justine and expelling the creature. He himself suggests that he commits evil crimes as a direct result of the way that he is treated by mankind, forcing us to ask hard questions about whether mankind is the real monster in this novel.
Is the monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein good or evil?
Is the monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein good or evil?
I have to write an essay with this as a title. I'm finding this novel hard to get into and only have a few days until deadline. Help!!!!
if you have an essay, just read the book. trust me it is a really good book. i have to do a project that is due possibly next week. i am freaking out. all i need are 40 sticky notes of examples from that book. it really sucks. i haven't even started on the stupid project. so your not the only one that has something due soon. my theme is Good/Evil. i have to show good and evil examples.
It really depends on whos story you believe the most. Frankenstein or the monster. If you believe in Frankenstein then the monster is evil and is full of lies and deciet. If you believe in the monster's story then you would think that it is Frankenstein's fault for not educating him.
The monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein complies with John Locke’s theory of ‘Tabula Rasa’; the mind is a “blank slate” when we are born and therefore our life experiences are what shape our character. It is generally agreed by critics that Locke’s ideas influenced Shelley; therefore as readers we are to believe that the Creature is not inherently good or bad, but forced into his wrathful behaviour as a result of the suffering he endures. The abandonment of the Creature by Victor Frankenstein enables the Creature to develop morally independent of a parental figure.
The lessons he learns and the ideas he develops are principally derived from literature; specifically Paradise Lost, Sorrows of Werter and Plutarch’s Lives. He tries to be ‘good’, mimicking the behaviour of the De Lacey family and attempting to alleviate their hardship by chopping wood and leaving it for them. He learns about the cruelty of mankind, and when he is rejected by the De Lacey family which he yearns to be a part of, the switch in his brain flips. Instead of being a tender, compassionate individual, the Creature transforms into a brute; using his superhuman strength and cunning to murder William and frame Justine for his deeds.
The framed narrative used by Shelley ensures that the reader – much like Frankenstein himself – is prejudiced towards the Creature. We believe that he is a monster, until it comes to hearing his tale and we realise that Frankenstein’s rejection of his creation has made the Creature behave the way he does. This is epitomised by Frankenstein’s line “I, not in deed, but in effect was the true murderer”. He recognises, albeit too late to save William or Justine, that his actions have had repercussions for his family.
The monster is not ‘good’ because he is denied the opportunity to be thus, by both his creator and the De Lacey family who reject him because of their “fatal prejudice”. The monster in Frankenstein is therefore ‘evil’ because he feels alone and resentful towards humanity who love and cherish one another. Yet the ‘evil’ nature of the Creature is not intrinsic, it is instilled in him by his experiences and subsequently the character of Victor Frankenstein is accountable for the Creature’s ‘evil’ deeds. When Victor Frankenstein “did not dare return to the apartment which I inhabited” for fear of his creation contained within, he ensured that his scientific accomplishment would haunt him and the Frankenstein family for the rest of his life.
I do not believe that the monster was born evil. I believe the monster was forced to mold into the strict rules of society and conform into the inner mons