Arguments of the Novel Frankentein by Mary Shelley - Research Paper Example

10 April Frankenstein Introduction The big question is, was the monster in Frankenstein more a product of nature or nurture in the novel? This essay will talk about the different aspects of nature and nurture and the various factors that make up these two factors. The essay will also discuss the opinions of various authors and what they believe Frankenstein was with arguments to support their point of view, before concluding if Frankenstein was a product of nature or nurture. Nature vs. Nurture To understand reasoning behind Frankenstein, it is important to note how he defines nature. To him nature is any natural or naturally imposed feelings which cannot be controlled by a normal human being. It is within the understanding of his reasoning that nature is subject to some elements which are either freely gained or imposed but no one has much authority over it. Nurture on the other hand is the contribution of the parents and the society to the kid (Harries, 2). Nurture shapes one’s characteristics. Nurture is what is built over the years and what is influenced by the environment as opposed to nature which is inherent and innate. Personal characteristics can therefore be a subject of many varied opinions and therefore it cannot be a novel criteria but a contribution of so many different factors mainly, parents, society and the environment. Nurture and character are interrelated and therefore the writer tries to assume that nature is a contribution on character which is not true. In writing, most of the character build-up is raised from what we feel is left out or has been witnessed and has an impact on the society. This is the view of many contributors of the subject who support influence of nurture but not nature. One is what he thinks and we think what we have seen, felt or understand. All these are nurture factors but not nature because nature is what we are and by position, no one can influence nature. The monster Frankenstein in the novel In the novel, Frankenstein is highlighted as a character of a monster which has a nurture element but not a natural element inherently, hence making it reasonable for one to believe that this monster is entirely influenced by nurture. Any human being’s character is subject to the nurture and the author here primarily tries to clarify some natural aspects that a human being holds but fails to interlink them well with powers beyond our control (nature). According to various authors of this topic, many believe that human being’s characters are human made (nurture) while others believe that these characters are natural and one is borne with them. The nature of a human being is natural and we all behave the way we do mainly because we have inherited some characteristics from our parents. This is what we call genetic and some traits are embedded in our genes. There is no one who can control or manage these inherited natural characteristics hence making it natural. But on the same hand, as we grow, environment nurtures us hence building our characters and our psychological make-up, influencing our temperament, the way we think, act and behave. In this novel, the writer draws the monster on nurture but not nature. This is because he relies on what this monster does, believes and has. All these things are environmental and are earned. This leads to a monster being created and not being born. One cannot create a monster holding all these factors constant. In the novel, the character possesses some human characteristicsas well, which I believe cannot be protected or managed by anybody. ‘Don’t Blame Your Parent’ by Judith Rich Hariss – Her Opinion ‘Don’t Blame Your Parent’ is an interview which was contributed by Judith Rich Harris. According to her, parents are not to be blamed for the traits and the natural contribution that people assume were developed because of the parents’ traits. Parents are believed to be a very important natural factor which impact growth and development of children (Harries, 2). Environment factors which are also natural are also believed to be common reasons why parents are generally blamed. Children are said to be like sponges, they absorb everything that they see or hear and therefore any influence by the environment in which they grow is quick and immediate. Therefore, it is the role of the parents to decide which environment their children should grow in. Parents must carefully scrutinize any new environment that the child will be exposed to. But according to Harris, all these suggestions are not worth it because according to her, the environment can be blamed for one’s nature; however, when it comes to nurture, she fails to link it to the parents’ failure. No parent can control what you hear and no one can control what you think. It is with this understanding that the writer bases his argument on nurture but not nature. Parents, in this context, are the natural factors who have a strong and powerful contribution to the child right from the birth, but they only playa very minor role in nurturing the child. Personal characteristics are predominantly developed due to the manner one is nurtured and not inherently. To understand this notion, one can think of character as a personal feeling, a way of doing things, preservations and the way one relates to others in the society. Harris, on her part, believes that parents have no important impact on the personal characteristics of the child. The only connection a parent has with the child is the genes which are shared between them through birth. Nurturing a child’s role belongs to the society but not the parents. Character can be said to be built out of nurturing where one gets to know what to take and why. The writer’s creation of a monster in the novel could only be possible if he puts his argument on the nurturing process which resulted in forming a monster but ‘not natural sources. If the monster was natural, then it means the parents were also monsters, which is not the case here. While writing, characters are built out of experience or even understanding of a particular subject and that can only be termed as a nurture factor but not nature. “The evidence I put together proves that parents have no long term influence to their children’s personality, intelligence and mental health” (Harris, 2). This statement forms the basis of my argument that Frankenstein’s character was by nurture and not by nature. Study of language and accent make it reasonable to say that parent as a natural factor here has no contribution to the kid’s character for a long time. Children learn languagesfrom the environment and not the parents mostly. To support this, kids learn while with others and by observing environmental factors around. All these things are not natural because if it was natural, then kids would automatically learn what the parents know and follow strictly what parents believe in. With time, kids shape their lives hence creating a monster or a reasonable human character. According to the writer’s point of view, the monster’s character developed in his bookwas as a result of nurture and not nature. “Reality is a shared Hallucination” by Howard Broom – His Opinion “Reality is a shared Hallucination” is written by Howard Broom. From the topic, reality is what we can call the end result which is character in human being’s nature. Reality is a shared hallucination because one gets it from the society and not from the individual parent’s contribution. According to Howard, nature has very little contribution to one’s character and therefore making the primarily role that of nurturing. While writing, the writer can only create a character out of nurture but not from a natural source mainly because nature has no influence on somebody’s character. “Will The Real Human Being Stand Up” – Riane’s Opinions “Will The Real Human Being Stand Up” In this subject, Riane believes that there is no real human being and we all are imitations of the others. This is because we are not natural as perceived and we are all nurtured beings. From the onset, human beings are believed to be natural, but with critical reasoning, one is what he or she is based on characteristics. Personal characteristics define one self. It is therefore important to note that there is no complete one natural being because we are all nurtured being. While writing, the character shows human being’s activities, beliefs and ways of life. The monster in the book therefore gives a good picture of a human being, hence making it rational to say that the author created a nurtured monster but not a natural monster. Works Cited Harries , Judith. “Don’t blame your parents”. 1998. willy, print Beglay, sor.“ The parent trap.” 1998. Newsweek, pg 52- 59 Howard , Broom. “Reality is a shared Hallucination.” 1996 Riane, Eisler .“ Will the real human being please stand up.” 1994. Read More