In this essay I will be looking at, and exploring, the method used by Mary Shelley to create sympathy for the monster. There will be three things I will be looking at in this essay. Firstly I will be looking at the birth experience of the monster, and then I will be comparing the childhood experiences of the monster and his creator, Frankenstein, finally I will then look at the emphasis on beauty being a positive idea, and ugliness being a negative idea.
Firstly I will look at the birth experience of the monster. The birth experience of the monster is an interesting part of the story. It is unlike any other child, it was rejected by its so called father, and its father shows hostility to him. Frankenstein is trying to kill the monster, rather than support it like a father should. This quote supports my point that he is rejected by his creator, ‘He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me, but I escaped and rushed downstairs.’ This quote shows the monster trying to get close to, and to love what he thinks is his father but you see Frankenstein terrified and run from the monster. This would make the monster feel as though he is a failure, and no one wants to know him. This is what leads the monster to be hostile to humans later on in the story.
My next two quotes will support my statement that Frankenstein shows hostility to the monster, and is trying to kill him, rather than support him. The first quote of the two is this one, ‘I felt the bitterness of disappointment; dreams that had been my food and pleasant rest for so long a space were now become a hell to me;’. This statement shows that Frankenstein is very upset about how the monster ended up; it shows that he isn’t supporting the monster, and helping it. But he more gives off the vibe that he wants to get rid of him. Now I.
