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The Use Of Monster And Monstrosity In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley mirrored the prejudice and judgment from society in her legendary classic, “Frankenstein”. This novel depicts the creation of a monster who became a victim of unfortunate circumstances from those around him. Due to his unusual features, the creature caused terror to those who crossed his path. The creator, Victor Frankenstein, never assumed that such creature was capable of reason and emotion. The creature truly desired to become one with society however if society acted cruel and inhumane, then so would he. With the use of “Monster and Monstrosity in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein” by Žaneta Skalošová one as the reader can become aware of the use of pathos that allowed us to deeply sympathize with the self conflicting …show more content…

As previously mentioned, though the creature possessed grotesque features physically, it did not affect the innocent being from within. Once abandoned the creature tried to befriend multiple individuals but they all showed hatred and terror. This lead to the creature to grow tired of the continuous assumptions and rejections from society. Shelley incorporated the hatred that society showed towards the creature in order to emphasize the “current structure of society with its prejudices and imperfections” that she dealt with at the time (Skalošová 17). Due to society’s ignorance, the creature adopted the monstrous qualities, in which lead him to become the villain of the story that we all know and love today. Furthermore, the creature allowed humanity once last time to show compassion and sympathy. The creature tried to befriend a young boy as he believed that children were free of all prejudice. Upon sight of the hideous creature, the startled boy tried to run away. The creature wanted to persuade the young that he meant no harm but the boy shouted, “Ugly wretch! You wish to eat me and tear me to pieces. You are an ogre. Let me go” (Shelley 170). The creature soon became aware that the young boy was Frankenstein’s brother. He soon strangled the boy to death to fulfill his vengeance, “‘I gazed on my victim, and my heart swelled with exultation and hellish triumph; clapping my hands, I exclaimed, ‘I too can create desolation; my enemy is not invulnerable; this death will carry despair to him, and a thousand other miseries shall torment and destroy him.’” (Shelley 171). Under this circumstance, the creature chose to be the monster that people initially feared. Victor Frankenstein created such creature but society made the monster within the

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