Bonds Of Creator And Creation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Cody Cunningham Novlan English IV – 1 February 17, 2015 Bonds of Creator and Creation Frankenstein by Mary Shelley tells the story of a science apprentice that becomes possessed with creating a new life from stolen body parts only to withdraw in disgust at the monster’s unsightliness. The faultless monster, plagued by isolation and abandonment turns to destructive and harmful attacks against his creator, Victor Frankenstein. Who should be more responsible, a creator or his creation? Some may say the creator is accountable for what he designs. Others may say the creation has an ultimate duty to his maker. Truly, they both have an obligation to each other, but if one fails to do his job, the other suffers too. The reference between…show more content…
The monster tells Frankenstein, “Believe me, Frankenstein: I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity: but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather from your fellow-creatures, who owe me nothing? They spurn and hate me” (Shelley 87). The monster received no education from his creator, but he still tries to educate himself. He learns to read and takes the knowledge he gets from the books and tries to apply it to his life. With excitement he says, “I can hardly describe to you the effect of these books. They produced in me an infinity of new images and feelings, that sometimes raised me to ecstasy…” (Shelley 116). The monster does his best to be good and fit in with humanity despite his unholy appearance and lack of social experience. One of his many attempts to find companionship is with a group of cottagers, but they refuse his friendship as soon as they see him. The monster is left alone again and says, “I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me…” (Shelley 133). He then tries to overcome his abandonment at birth and lack of care with good deeds, but time after time the people around him reject him. Pifer says the monster is “…hideous not because his desires are grotesquely thwarted, but because human hope and innocence… in the image of childhood—are monstrously abused” (9). Frankenstein’s creation has never been shown kindness, but yet it still tries to earn the love of others. It can only take so much revulsion until the monster himself becomes corrupt and, “Ultimately, however, the monster grows ugly and twisted inside: psychologically speaking, he grows into the ‘monstrous mask’ that once concealed an innocent nature” (Pifer 5). His innocence becomes clouded by the wrong doing of
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