Frankensteins Attempt to Abandon the Creature Is the Real Monster - Essay Example

Frankenstein’s Attempt to abandon the Creature is the Real Monster Introduction In the novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelly attempts to humanize Dr. Frankenstein’s lab-made creature as a giant. Indeed, though the creature is endowed with every human quality such as love, compassion, sympathy, desire to have a companion, etc., a reader is misguided by its ghastly look. But Shelly’s attempt to make ghastly-looking creature more humane by giving it some very important humanly feelings often helps a reader to revise their primary decision to see it as a ferocious giant. So, the question that one may ask is: “Who is the real monster then?” Apparently, it seems that Dr. Frankenstein is the real culpable since he has created it ugly. But a close analysis will reveal that the society which fails to accept and nurture the creature is the real culprit. Indeed, the Victor’s creature is initially a sociable one which yearns to have a companion, but he is betrayed by his creator. He is the one who helps a wounded peasant girl; but in return, he is beaten by other peasants. Finally, it turns into a revengeful being because of the ill-treatment of the society. In fact, the creature gives what he receives from the society. He is the product of the society. Though Victor’s creature is a fantasy being, the novel teaches the readers that even animals, who are endowed with humanly quality and who even look monstrously dangerous, should be treated good but carefully. If a tiger, even though it is dangerous, is killed, the ecological balance will be destroyed. In the article “All Animals Are Equal,” Peter Singer argues that man should give the same respect to animals, since all humans and non-humans are equal. He claims that a prejudiced view to other species makes men cruel to other animals, and, as he comments, the definition of a specie is “a prejudice or attitude of bias in favor of interests members of one’s own species and against those members of other species” (Singer 3). Indeed, what he means by this statement is that members of one species will put their interest on the members of other species, even though it is against the interest of the other species. For instance, if an interest can benefit a human being, man will do it to get the interest even if it is against other animals. Even Victor’s monstrous creature is assumed an animal, it should have not been treated badly. Also, Peter Singer defines equality as follows: “The principle of equality of human beings is not a description of an alleged actual equality among humans: it is a prescription how we should treat human beings” (Singer 3). Singer essentially argues that human beings should have respect for other human beings. If Victor and his society acknowledged the creature either as a man or even as an animal, they would accept him and nurture him properly. But they have not accepted the creature; instead, they treat it badly only to arouse the monstrous behavior in it. According to Singer, animals also feel pain, as he says, “there are no good reasons, scientific or philosophical, for denying that animals can feel pain. If we do not doubt that other humans feel pain we should not doubt that other animals do so too” (Singer 7). If Victor and his society understood that the creature also has a mind and feel pain, they would not treat it badly. Mary Shelly’s effort to bestow the creature with human feelings, qualities and yearnings, basically, challenges the assertion that the creature is a really dangerous monster. The terrible look of the creature does not prove that the creature should be treated badly. Initially, the creature is as naive as a child. It yearns to love and to be loved. It wants a female companion to be accompanied. Frankeinstein could attempt to socialize it, instead of being horrified by the creature’s frightening look. Dr. Frankenstein is not only the creator of the monster. In a sense, he is also its father. He cannot end his responsibility only by creating it. He should have raised it, trained it, socialized and nurtured it. Frankenstein can be held guilty of forcing his creature to be a monster which inflicts pain and suffering and finally destroys his creator. In the novel, Dr. Frankenstein’s society does not treat the lab-made creature equally. Though the creature is willing to help human beings in order to get their sympathy, he is abandoned by the people. The creature is not the customary monster, as it says, “My food is not that of man; I do not destroy the lamb and the kid to glut my appetite; acorns and berries afford me sufficient nourishment” (Shelly 148). In the first half of the novel, the narrator informs Shelly’s readers that the creature is ugly and abominable. Though he has an ugly appearance, he is born with the naivety of a newborn baby. Though his creator abandons him, he tries to adapt himself to the human society. The human society also gives him the same animosity. Slowly, he learns the fact that he is forever damned because of his unattractiveness and the socially is grossly prejudiced by his outward look. Therefore, he seeks revenge on his creator and kills his younger brother. Mary shows that the monstrous behavior in the creature is the manifestation of human society’s animosity. The monster describes the rejection of the society in the following manner: I admired virtue and good feelings and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottagers, but I was shut out from intercourse with them, except through means which I obtained by stealth, when I was unseen and unknown, and which rather increased than satisfied the desire I had of becoming one among my fellows. (Shelly 129) In conclusion, the creature should have been treated equally as a human being for several reasons. He can listen, speak, see, and think. Everything in a human being is in the creature; however, Victor treats him as different species. The creature is willing to communicate with other people and help them in their own life. Moreover, even though he was always willing to help people, he always got rejected because of the way he looks. The creature felt lonely and depressed. He does not know what he should do except to talk to Victor, who created the creature. The creature thought that Victor would help him; instead, Victor has left him away for a second time, which caused Victor’s wife death. If the creature had been treated as human, the causes of his action would have been different. Works Cited Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 1818. Ed. Paul J. Hunter. New York: Norton, 1996. Singer, Peter. "All Animals Are Equal." From: Singer's Animal Liberation. New York: Ecco, 2002. Print. Read More