Concept of Social Evil and Humanization of the Monster - Research Paper Example

Mary’s Concept of Social Evil and Humanization of the Monster Introduction In the novel, “Frankenstein”, opposing the thesis that man is evil by birth, Mary Shelly attempts to humanize the monster essentially to propound that human society itself gives birth to social evils or the monstrous activities of its members. In other words, monstrosity or social evil is the ultimate result and reflection of what and how the society nurtures its members. Essentially Shelly’s proposition that social beings give back what they receive from the society sides with John Locke’s theory of “Tabula Rasa” that “individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception” (Baldick 28). Shelly’s monster is born with a child’s psyche, a ‘blank slate’ that gradually has been inscribed and shaped by his master’s hatred, detestation and malignant behavior. Throughout the whole novel, the monster is found to be lamenting over the cruelty of human being to something unnatural. Shelly’s monster ultimately learns the negative behaviors from his master. Indeed the monster has the capability to imitate and reflect what he receives from others. Behavioral Symbols of Humanization in the Monster’s Character Shelly’s monster is not the conventional evil. Though she chooses to portray the monster in a ferocious human eater’s image, psychologically he is a newborn baby, as the monster claims, “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). Here Shelly attempts to propound that simply creating one does not draw an end to the creator’s responsibility. At the opening of the novel the readers learns that the monster is hideous and repulsive. But later the reader learns that in spite of his physical ugliness, mentally the monster is something like a newborn baby. From the very beginning of his existence, the monster has been deserted by his creator because of his horrible appearance. Being abandoned by his creator, he tries to adapt himself with human society. But he realizes that he is doomed because of his ugliness since the society is grossly obsessed with his ugly look, as Andreas Rohrmoser comments: The only reason why he fails is his repulsive appearance. After having been rejected and attacked again and again by everyone he encounters only because of his horrible physiognomy, the Monster, alone and left on his own, develops a deadly hatred against his creator Frankenstein and against all of mankind. (6) Therefore he takes revenge on his creator killing his creator and his relatives. All of these murders that Frankenstein commits considered as the reflection of the society’s attitude towards him. Also he murders Victor’s wife and his best friend, only when Victor deceives him by destroying the female monster. Human Society’s Flaw in Abandoning the Loathsome in Appearance Mary Shelly manipulates a number of symbols to conjure up the ferocity of monster’s physical appearance in contrast to its true. Frankenstein’s Monster with an over sized “muscular body”, “yellow skin”, “teeth of a pearly whiteness”, “[yellow] watery eyes”, “shrivelled complexion” and “straight black lips” invoke the image of ferocious cannibal that eats up human beings. Most of the symbols, related to the character-traits of the Monster in the play, are engaged in assigning the visually horrifying features that are the typical characteristics of a traditional monster. By depicting the lab-born creature in such fear-provoking appearance Shelly further asserts that human society, in the very first place, commits the mistake by abandoning what is apparently frightening and loathsome. But ironically the society gives birth to the real evil by loathing and abandoning it. It is because a monster is not monstrous by birth; rather a monster is what it receives from its creator as well as others. Some of these symbols dominantly go on to purport that Frankenstein’s Monster is the victim of its creator’s as well as the society’s injustice towards him (O’Flinn 195-8). In contrast to these visual symbols, the humanly quality of the monster is expressed through behavioral ones. Indeed the behavioral symbols such the monster’s longings for a female monster, its rescue of the peasant girl, its remorse upon the killing of the creator Frankenstein, etc generate the monster in a humanly fashion. Indeed these two opposing sets of symbols together conjure up a newborn baby with a traditionally horrifying monstrous appearance. Again there is another symbol of the “peasant girl” that serves as a foil to the monster’s ugly appearance, while propounding that the monster himself is as harmless and innocent as the girl is. Reflection of Social Injustice in the Monster’s Character Mary’s evil is not the traditional pure evil, as the monster claims, “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). At the beginning of the novel the readers are informed that the monster is created ugly and abominable from a mysterious spark. Though he is physically strong and ugly, he is born with the mind of a newborn baby. From the very beginning of his existence, he is abandoned by his creator because of his ugliness. Being rejected by his creator, he tries to adapt himself with human society. From the human society also he receives the same behavior. Gradually he realizes the fact that he is eternally doomed because of his ugliness and the socially is grossly influenced by his outward appearance. Therefore he seeks revenge on his creator and kills his younger brother. All of the murders that Frankenstein commits are the results of what he receives from the human beings. Also he kills Victor’s wife and his best friend, only he is betrayed by Victor and the female monster is destroyed by him. Indeed the female monster was meant to get rid of his loneliness. It is possible that his monstrous behavior might end, if he is rewarded with a companion. But by destroying the female monster, Victor destroys the possibility of his goodness. Victor himself is isolated from the society and embodies an ugly and selfish mind that is gifted with the power of knowledge. The monster’s ugliness and his abominable gigantic appearance necessarily reflect the existence of his creator’s ugly mind. In this sense also, monstrosity is the reflection of human behavior. If Victor were admired by the society, he might create a more admirable and benevolent creature that might be useful to human society. Victor’s such isolated vow to surprise the society is evident in the following lines, “So much has been done, exclaimed the soul of Frankenstein—more, far more, will I achieve…explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation” (Shelly, 123). Mary’s Conception of Social Evil and Injustice In the novel, Mary propounds that evil is man’s own creation. Victor gives his society what he receives from it. The society does not acknowledge his wisdom and ambition. As a result of this sheer negligence, he hides himself and creates the monster. On the other hand the monster also gives what he receives from the society. Mary proves that the monster is the reflection of human society’s behavior. Though the Monster often shows benevolence and sensitivity, he has always been refused by the society. He saves a peasant girl from danger. But instead of being rewarded and appreciated for his good deed, he is hated and rewarded with beatings only because of his ugly appearance. 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) The monster once again is found to be remorseful for his deeds and he feels both love and hatred for his creator with whom he has the only relationship in this world. Though he is hated and abandoned by Victor, he feels compassion to his creator. At the end his vengefulness ends with the death of Victor and he gets relief from agony that is reflected in the monster’s speech, “I, the miserable and the abandoned, am an abortion, to be spurned at, and kicked, and trampled on” (Shelly 187). In the “Frankenstein”, the readers feel a strange humanity behind the surface level savagery. Shelly’s monster is visually savage. The human part of the monster’s image is further concentrated by his rescue of a peasant girl. This rescue essentially makes the readers more confused about the monster’s humanly quality. Initially the ugliness that appalls the readers initially turns into a kind of empathetic feeling for the beast (Klein, 2006, p. 139). The readers indeed find their own tender feeling of love in the beast. Since the monster is brutal and since his countenance does not go alone with the expectations of a commoner, this human-like monster appears to be the most unfamiliar to the readers. Conclusion In the novel, “Frankenstein” the monster is the embodiment of Shelly’s concept of evil. The author purports that evil is the ultimate manifestation of society’s hostile behavior. By humanizing Frankenstein’s monster she advocates that every evil has its root in the society’s injustice. She reminds his readers that the monster possesses a human mind that longs for company, love and compassion. Shelly’s attempt to humanize the monster effectively advocates that monstrosity or social evil is the ultimate reflection of what a monster or an evil-doer receives from the society. Indeed, in Shelly’s view, the real evil is a society’s collective antagonism towards what the society does not like. Therefore though monstrous activities are never acceptable in human society, they deserve the society’s constructive attention. Also in the text, there is another implication that loving attention and sympathy can cure one’s monstrous behavior. This statement appears to be true on a number of levels. Throughout the whole novel, the monster laments over the cruelty of human being to his unnatural ugly appearance. Also Frankenstein’s monster imitates and reflects what he receives from his creator and his society. Again the way Shelly develops her concept of monstrosity essentially proves that Victor Frankenstein is the real evil who, being secluded from his society, seeks to fulfill his ambition. Works Cited Baldick, Chris. In Frankenstein's Shadow: Myth, Monstrosity, and Nineteenth-Century Writing. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990 Klein, J. Michael. “Beholding the Uncanny: Replicants, Cyborgs and Clones in Science Fiction”, [online] December 02, 2010. available at O'Flinn, Paul. "Production and Reproduction: The Case of Frankenstein". Literature and History 9.2 (1983): 194–213. Rohrmoser, Andreas. “The Origin of a Myth: Mary Shelley's Novel Frankenstein”, [online] March 24, 2010. available at Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. 1818. Ed. Paul J. Hunter. New York: Norton, 1996. Read More