Frankenstein the Human Aspect of the Monster - Book Report/Review Example

Frankenstein – the human aspect of the monster The monster in Mary Shelley’s novel ‘Frankenstein’ is a scientific creation and a brainchild of Victor Frankenstein, a student of chemistry and alchemy. After being created the monster roams about, lost and disarrayed in his objectives and searches for a partner. The monster itself frightens Victor. The appearance of the monster is described as an a creature of eight feet height and a translucent yellowish skin which somehow fails to hide the vessels and muscles underneath. He has glowing eyes, dark hair and lips with white teeth. Despite all, his interactions with the family and his experience while hiding near the cottage show that the monster had a human side too. Just like human beings are bounded by social bonds and family represents a social unit, Frankenstein also picks up behaviorist traits by observing the family which clearly suggests that given a chance he could also perhaps become a family person and be able to live in the human society. Family disputes may affect a child and the way he is treated also matters in the course of his learning and development. (Cummings and Davis) This is quite evident in the changes of outlook that the monster undergoes during his stay with the French family. The monster tells Victor his own story, about how he learnt the human sensations and began to respond to the surrounding. The process he goes through is similar to the one that a human child undergoes after its birth. The only difference is in the appearance and the fact that the monster is almost equivalent to a grown up man. The monster tells him his own story, about how he learnt the human sensations and began to respond to the surrounding. The process he goes through is similar to the one that a human child undergoes after its birth. The only difference is in the appearance and the fact that the monster is almost equivalent to a grown up man. His experience has been related in his words as follows: “Several changes of day and night passed, and the orb of night had greatly lessened, when I began to distinguish my sensations from each other. I gradually saw plainly the clear stream that supplied me with drink, and the trees that shaded me with their foliage. I was delighted when I first discovered that a pleasant sound, which often saluted my ears, proceeded from the throats of the little winged animals that had often intercepted the light from my eyes. I began also to observe, with greater accuracy, the forms that surrounded me, and to perceive the boundaries of the radiant roof of light, which canopied me. Sometimes I tried to imitate the pleasant songs of the birds, but was unable. Sometimes I wished to express my sensations in my own mode, but the uncouth and inarticulate sounds, which broke from me, frightened me into silence again.” (Shelley, Chapter 11) Thus, the entire experience narrated by the beast shows his innocence, much like the innocence of a human child who matures gradually into an adult. The monster learns speech and manners from a peasant’s family while hiding in the hovel with wooden walls. The hovel was adjacent and joined with a cottage. He learns about their behaviors and lives and thinks of them as his protector. The monster hides himself in the woods and makes himself comfortable in a wooden shed. From there he manages to find an opening to observe the activities going on inside the cottage. He finds the cottage quit pleasant but he remembers the bitter experience he had faced a short while ago when he entered one of the huts in the village and got attacked by the villagers. He is able to observe the activities of the cottagers. He sees a young girl with gentle behaviors, an old man who plays lovely music and a young man who is busy in the farm. He is able to recognize gentleness from barbarity even with his limited human perception. He likes the sweet music played by the old man. Later he hears the young people lso playing the guitar. The monster expresses his pleasure, saying, “the old man, who, taking up an instrument, began to play, and to produce sounds sweeter than the voice of the thrush or the nightingale. It was a lovely sight, even to me, poor wretch! Who had never beheld aught beautiful before?” (Shelley, chapter 11) This shows how music appeals to him like any human being. Despite his ugliness and huge form, he held a tender mind that bowed to music. He is thus learning from his surrounding and every small thing around him is arousing a certain sensation in him as if he is seeing them for the first time. A human child often faces the similar kind of pleasure when he comes in contact with something new. To the monster the senses were new and the experience was desirable one. He again shows his ability to generate human feelings and express it when he says, “The silver hair and benevolent countenance of the aged cottager won my reverence, while the gentle manners of the girl enticed my love.” (Shelley, chapter 11) Also one must credit his judgmental ability – he has attributed more or less the deserving candidate with his feelings. He called them as his human neighbors, saying “found that the cottagers had a means of prolonging light by the use of tapers, and was delighted to find that the setting of the sun did not put an end to the pleasure I experienced in  watching my human neighbors” (Shelley, chapter 11). This is the first time he is seeing that artificial light can be used to compensate the sunlight. He is responding to this new lesson learnt with pleasure and excitement to some extent. This shows that his orientation of mind as well as viewpoint is akin to that of a human. His feelings are equally affected and he feels cold, hunger and pain like human beings and even understands the melody of music. The way the monster describes the people also portrays his bent of human needs. He was struck by the gentle manners of the people. He also reveals his depth and intelligence as he perceives some harsh truths. He finds the couple within the house miserable and thinks that if those lovely people could be in pain, then it is natural for some misfit like himself to be in the wretched condition as he is. His feelings and desire to be with the family members show his need to be loved and cared for – “What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people; and I longed to join them” (Shelley, chapter 12). He felt sad at their sadness and also discover the cause of their sadness, that is, poverty. Their acts of generosity when they placed food before the old man and kept none for their own consumption also impressed him. This shows the very refined aspect of his nature where he is touched by acts of kindness and gentility. He also goes a step further to abstain from stealing food because when he heard how poor they were – “This trait of kindness moved me sensibly. I had been accustomed, during the night to steal a part of their store for my own consumption; but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained, and satisfied myself with berries, nuts, and roots, which I gathered from a neighboring wood.” (Shelley, chapter 12) This exposed a very tender ans sensitive soul. His stay near the cottage taught him language and he learnt the manners and disciplines of human society. The monster even referred to these cottagers as ‘my friends’ which shows how easily he can endear human beings to his heart. He also feels a sense of pride knowing that he has friends like them. The graceful behaviors of the dwellers and their activities were idealistic in more ways than one. Their close bondage and the old man cheering up his children, their hard work and gratefulness for whatever they received in life is also quite noteworthy and has played a significant role in shaping the perception and orientation of the monster. He could not believe when he found out about his own ugliness in the mirror because he compares it to the beautiful creatures he was observing for days. He was also kind enough to do some parts of the work that Felix did every morning, like clearing of the snow and found the cottagers referring to a good spirit in that context when they found out that their job was done by some unknown benefactor. The main problem came when he thought of presenting himself to them. He imagines that they would be initially disgusted but he would win them over with love and politeness. This thought itself rejoiced him and he felt good. This shows how much he wanted to be with company and be loved and cared for. He craved to share bondage as he found his friends having among them. His innocent expectation of joy is quite moving indeed –“My spirits were elevated by the enchanting appearance of nature; the past was blotted from my memory, the present was tranquil, and the future gilded by bright rays of hope and anticipations of joy.” (Shelley, chapter 12) When the monster says that he finds none like himself when he looks around, he perhaps wants to find a company or may be someone like himself and he knows he cannot be compatible with the human beings. He discovers himself as a monster when he compares himself with the family members. Despite having a human heart and soul which is more refined than many of the human beings he had come across before, he looked like a monster compared to his cottage friends. He learnt the importance of relations and companionship. His experience with this family also prepares the stage for his demand for a female companion from Victor. The most surprising part of his growth of soul is reflected as he reads books like Paradise Lost, a volume of Plutarch Lives, and  the Sorrows of Werter and claims, “They produced in me an infinity of new images and feelings that sometimes raised me to ecstasy, but more frequently sunk me into the lowest dejection” (Shelley, chapter 15). This is most akin to a human child who grows up and develops his thoughts and ideas after reading books. When winter came again he thought of introducing himself to the cottagers and especially to the old man. This is when he came to know the harsh reality, the fact that he was extremely unacceptable by human society and hence could not get the love and emotions he needs. The fact that he had learned French all these days helped in the formal introduction with the old man. The way he speaks to the old man reflects all the manners, politeness, dignity and clarity of perceptions that he had gathered from the cottagers. While talking to the old man his heart warmed towards him as he said, “From your lips first have I heard the voice of kindness directed towards me; I shall be forever grateful; and your present humanity assures me of success with those friends whom I am on the point of meeting.” (Shelley, chapter 15) at this point he likes humanity which he feels can accept him well. All the warmth in his heart escaped when the children of the old man entered and Felix tore him away from the feet of the old man as he had just revealed to the blind man how much he and his family meant to him. He ran away from the place and when he returned the following night he found his protectors departing from the cottage forever. He thought this had “broken the only link that held me to the world. For the first time the feelings of revenge and hatred filled my bosom, and I did not strive to control them; but, allowing myself to  be borne away by the stream, I bent my mind towards injury and death” (Shelley, chapter 16) this is also human as he seeks out later to avenge his creator. He vows to avenge his birth and searches for his creator. He even describes his frustration to his creator, saying, “Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that  instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly  bestowed? I know not; despair had not yet taken possession of me; my feelings were those of rage and revenge. I could with pleasure have destroyed the cottage and its inhabitants, and have glutted myself with their shrieks and misery.” (Shelley, Chapter 16) This reaction of the monster shows that even he has feelings like the human heart and he is someone who reacts to pain just like human beings. It is natural for a human to feel despair in a circumstance where he feels dejected and neglected by all around him. This also shows the pain he feels for human beings which have become rare even among the human race today. He finally manages to discover the creator’s room and he also finds out the origin of his birth. He later tries to befriend a boy who happens to be the son of his creator. The boy gets frightened and instead of responding to his gesture, the boy threatens to call his father. The monster gets angry and kills the boy and in order to take out his wrath on humanity, he fixes up the blame of the murder on a girl who is sleeping close by. This girl is the family maid and is finally hanged because Frankenstein decides to keep his creation hidden from public. The monster’s eagerness to take revenge on the human race is evident as he frames the girl despite finding her attractive. This kind of feelings came from loneliness. He had always wanted a friend and was shunned by the society due to his monstrous look. He describes and justifies his act by saying, “The sleeper stirred; a thrill of terror ran through me. Should she indeed awake, see me, curse me, and denounce the murderer? Thus would she assuredly act, if her darkened eyes opened and she beheld me? The thought was madness; it stirred the fiend within me- not I, but she shall suffer: the murder I have committed because I am forever robbed of all that she could give me, she shall atone. The crime had its source in her: be hers the punishment!” (Shelley, Chapter 16) he had assumed out of his past experience that this girl would also treat him badly like the other human beings he has met before. Hence out of rage he framed her for the murder. Now, Frankenstein himself searches blindly for the creature and finally discovers him in a distant ice cave. The monster now relates his sad story to Frankenstein and requests him to create a female monster who could be his partner and then he would run away from humanity. Frankenstein initially agrees but steps back before creating the mate as he is scared of creating a whole generation of monsters. The monster is furious and now threatens to destroy everything that is dear to Frankenstein. The monster tells him his own story, about how he learnt the human sensations and began to respond to the surrounding. The process he goes through is similar to the one that a human child undergoes after its birth. The only difference is in the appearance and the fact that the monster is almost equivalent to a grown up man. His experience has been related in his words as follows: “Several changes of day and night passed, and the orb of night had greatly lessened, when I began to distinguish my sensations from each other. I gradually saw plainly the clear stream that supplied me with drink, and the trees that shaded me with their foliage. I was delighted when I first discovered that a pleasant sound, which often saluted my ears, proceeded from the throats of the little winged animals that had often intercepted the light from my eyes. I began also to observe, with greater accuracy, the forms that surrounded me, and to perceive the boundaries of the radiant roof of light, which canopied me. Sometimes I tried to imitate the pleasant songs of the birds, but was unable. Sometimes I wished to express my sensations in my own mode, but the uncouth and inarticulate sounds, which broke from me, frightened me into silence again.” (Shelley, Chapter 11) Thus, the entire experience narrated by the beast shows his innocence, much like the innocence of a human child who matures gradually into an adult. He keeps his promise by killing Frankenstein’s best friend, Henry Clerval and Elizabeth Lavenza, his bride. While Frankenstein searches for the monster to take his revenge, the monster is also watching him silently. Meanwhile, as he reaches the Arctic Circle, he catches pneumonia and is rescued by a nearby ship, which was exploring the area. He relates the story of his tragic end to the Captain of the ship. The beast also boards the ship and searches for Frankenstein to kill him. However, when he finds him dead, he breaks in grief for losing the only family he ever had. He then promises himself to commit suicide and then leaps from the boat. Thereafter, he is never seen any more. Shelley presents the creature as a sensitive and emotional creature. The motive of the beast is to share his life and find a partner to exchange his feelings and thoughts with her. He has also been presented as an intelligent and literate individual who has read literature like Paradise Lost, Plutarch’s Lives, etc. His despair, frustration and loneliness lead him to cruelty and act of murder. His tenderness and strong desire to be protected has often been claimed to be the result of a feminine attribute showered by the author on this male character. (Hobbs; Bette) The story of the monster and his decision to commit suicide in the end, all show his soft heart that felt the grief for the loss of a friend or a relative. Also, the fact that he was intelligent and educated shows his rationally and intellect comparable to that of a human. Overall, the life and actions of the monster was guided mainly by his feelings and emotions, which merely craved for a suitable company. The fact that the monster was created from dead body parts of human beings also bears significance here. (Matthew) Although victor led a traumatic life after that as he judged his creation to be immoral, one who studies the traits of the monster may not think so. Just like human beings, he also learnt from past experiences and reacted likewise. He even learnt his speech and expressions by observation just like a human child does. The monster created by Frankenstein has thus shown his human traits rather than monstrous nature and appearance. (Harris) If we look at Shelley’s fiction from another angle, we might equal the nature of the monster with that of human in today’s world. The main difference is the appearance. While a pretty face might cover up an ugly soul, in case of the monster here an ugly appearance honestly lives up to the definition of a monstrous nature. Rather, we find a soft soul filled with a longing for a companion. This aspect is very much human because the ambience or the family he grows up with and the treatment he receives when he is the most vulnerable state mostly influence a human child’s development. This is akin to the case of the monster that has shown a human face of his soul to the readers despite his external ugliness. References: 1. Brennan, Matthew C., "The Landscape of Grief in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein," Studies in the Humanities 15:1 (June, 1989), 33-44 2. Cummings, E. Mark and Patrick Davies, Children and Marital Conflict, Guilford Press, 1994 3. Harris, Robert Notes for Frankenstein, 2000, retrieved on March 26, 2008 from: http://www.virtualsalt.com/lit/franken.htm 4. Hobbs, Colleen, "Reading the Symptoms: An Exploration of Repression and Hysteria in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein," Studies in the Novel 25:2 (Summer, 1993), 152-169 5. London, Bette, "Mary Shelley, Frankenstein, and the Spectacle of Masculinity," PMLA 108:2 (March, 1993), 253-267 6. Shelley, Mary, “Frankenstein”, 1818, retrieved on December 18 2007 from: http://frankenstein.monstrous.com/chapter_16.htm Read More