?Frankenstein? By Mary Shelley Essay, Research Paper
Feb 29, 2000
Internal Vs. External
In the novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, the relationship of external apperence and internal feelings are directly related. The creature is created and he is innocent, though he is seaverly deformed. His nature is to be good and kind, but society only views his external appereance which is grotesque. Human nature is to judge by external apperence. He is automatically ostracized and labeled as a monster because of his external apperence. He finnaly realized that no matter how elequintly he speaks and how kind he is, people will never be able to see past his external deformities. Children are fearful of him, Adults think he is dangerous, and his own creator abandons him in disgust. The creature is treated as a monster, therefore he begins to internalize societies view of him and act the like a monster.
Man by nature, judges people and things by their appearance. If a person is pleasant looking then they will be given more of a chance to express their internal self. If they are ugly, or cosmetically deformed, they usually aren’t given much of a chance to show who they really are. Grotesquely ugly people are sometimes thought of as monsters, and are ostracized. Many cosmetically inferior people are afraid to go out into society. Mankind seems to be fearful of the unfamiliar and unknown. People are afraid of what they do not understand. Deformaty is something that most people can not comprehend.
How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophy, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endevoured to form? His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! – Great god! His yellow skin scarcely coverend the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing: his teeth of pearly whiteness: but the luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast to his watery eyes… Unable to endure the aspect of the being I had created, I rushed out of the room, and continued a long time traversing my bed chamber, unable to compose my mind to sleep. ( 56)
The above quote portrays the few moments after Frankenstien had given life to his creature. He had spent a few years working on this project. It can be compaired to a person giving birth to a child. By nature he wanted his creation to be beautiful. When he realizes that his creature is not a beautiful sight, but in actuality a grotesque looking being, he runs away. He does not spend any time nuturing his “child” , because the abnormal apperence of the creature has scared him away. From this point on the creature is doomed to receive this type of reaction from any one who sees him, because human nature is to fear the unknown. The creatures creator is afraid of him. This is like a
parent giving birth to a deformed child and ignoring it for the rest of it’s life. The creature doesn’t have anybody to teach, nuture him, or protect him from the world .
“I beheld the wretch…His jaws opened and he muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear, on hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs.” (page 57)
In the above quote, the creature is looking for his creator, or his “parents” . He then grins, or smiles, reaching out for frankenstien for guidance and support. Frankenstien judges the creature completely by it’s external apperence. He doesn’t spend anytime to find out if the creature is intelligent or kind.
The creature is now left to feind for himself. Frankenstien goes along with his own life and forgets about the creature. The years past and the creature spent this time alone, alienated and ostracized by society. They meet up a few years later in the woods, after Justines trial.
“Remember, that I am thy creature, I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy and I shall again be virtuous.” (the creature) ‘ Begone! I will not hear you. There can be no community between you and me… .’ ( Frankenstein) These bleak skies I hail, for the are kinder to me then your fellow beings. If the multitude of mankind knew of my existence, they would do as you do, and arm themselves for my destruction. Shall I not hate them who abhor me? I will keep no terms with my enemies. I am miserable and they shall share my wretchedness.” ( the creature, page 97)
Here the creature tells Frankenstien that he is the fallen angel. This means that he believes that Frankenstien could have done a better job raising him. The creature indicated that he was born good and virtuous, but lonliness and misery due to the alenation he receives from mankind, have made him feel like a monster. Society sees him as a monster and makes him feel like one, so now he will begin to act like one. The creature then begines to tell Frankenstien the tale of what he has done and hoh he has managed to survive the past few years.
Bibliography
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