Frankenstein: How a monster is created

Frankenstein is a gothic science fiction novel written by Mary Shelly. The story follows Victor Frankenstein, a young and smart scientist, who has the desire to unlock the secrets of life and death. He spends a long time in isolation, creating a human-like creature by putting body parts together, and brings it to life. However, the creature has a grotesque appearance. Victor is horrified and abandons it. The creature, who starts innocent, is left to navigate a world that rejects him because of his appearance. Frankenstein deals with the themes of isolation, parental responsibility, nature vs. nurture, and many more. It is a classic that immensely influenced what the modern horror genre would become. Frankenstein is also credited as one of the first science fiction novels.

(Penguin Classics cover of Frankenstein, 1831)

I give this novel a solid 4 / 5. It was a quick read despite some of its heavy themes. I loved the creature’s character and found it interesting how he developed. I didn’t quite like Victor Frankenstein and often found that I couldn’t stand him.

Nature vs. Nurture is a really big theme in this story, with evidence leaning towards the nurture side. The creature is basically a blank slate. He was born innocent and curious about the world. It’s his experiences that is how he is turned into a monster. He was first abandoned by his creator as soon as his creator laid eyes on him. He lost the guidance and love that should have been provided by his creator and is left to wander the world all alone. He is rejected by humans who, when they see him, react with terror, prejudice, and violence. When he encounters the De Lacey family, he takes his time to learn their language, but also about their society. He secretly helps the family by gathering firewood and clearing snow. He did all of this to try to win them over, so they can see his kindness over his appearance. He chose to first reveal himself to Mr. De Lacey, given that he was blind and couldn’t be prejudiced over what he couldn’t see. At first, Mr. de Lacey seemed to be accepting him, but when the rest of the family arrived and saw him, they were horrified, and the creature was attacked and driven away. This event is what I consider to be the turning point from creature to monster. He now roams the world with revenge and violence on his mind.

While the creature’s story leans toward nurture, Victor Frankenstein leans more toward the nature side. Victor was raised in a loving and supportive family, but his unchecked ambition and obsession with power and glory led him to go beyond moral limits. He spends years in isolation, putting his work over everything else, in the process ignoring his well-being and also his family. He crosses moral lines by collecting body parts from graves and trying to bring the dead back to life. Once he brings his creation to life, he flees, rejecting his parental responsibility, which ultimately leads to tragedy. Despite Victor being raised in a good home, with a good family, and everything he could ever need, he destroys himself and his family with his selfish decisions and ethical neglect. This could have all been avoided if only Victor hadn’t tried to play God and break through the limits of life and death.

I finish this blog with a quote from the novel.

“I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous.”

― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein