Component F: Humanity

The novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly raises an important question: What does it mean to be human? Scientifically speaking, it means to have 23 double-stranded chromosomes per body cell, but humanity is much more than just that. I think that a better definition for human involves having logic, reasoning, and some sense of morality. Based on this definition, who, now, is the most human of the characters, in the novel? The monster no doubt has logic and reasoning, as he was able to effectively make sense of the world, which was completely new to him, on his own. He also appeared to have a fairly well developed moral code. Although he committed immoral acts, such as the murders of William, Henry, and Elizabeth, he expressed remorse and guilt on the subject, and was clearly aware that what he had don was wrong. Victor, on the other and, also possessed logic and reason, being a scientist. His morals, however, were lacking in comparison to the monster’s. He was unaware that his treatment of the monster was wrong. He constantly judged others, and treated them unfairly, without the slightest clue that it was immoral. Though physically speaking we cannot discern whether the monster was truly “human”, the monster is more human than Frankenstein due to the previously stated reasons.

I think that Shelly believe morality to be both the best and most important qualities of humanity. She gives the monster a stronger moral compass than Victor, and then sets it up so that we sympathize with the monster. We feel bad for the monster because he was constantly treated unfairly, despite not doing anything wrong. Victor, on the other hand, treats the monster very poorly, which is why the reader tends to to sympathize with him, and which is why morality is such an important quality in humans.

I believe that humans are fundamentally shallow and judgmental. Victor in particular constantly judges others, and bases his oppinion of them of appearance and first impressions. He, however, is not the lone example; Justine’s judges also unfairly judged her, as well as Victor’s mother, and the witnesses of Henry’s murder. The judging of others is a consistently repeated pattern in the novel, humans, according to Shelly, are therefore fundamentally shallow creatures.

Pattern of quote selection

The novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelly contains many themes, ideas, and messages, from what it means to be human, to lessons about parenting. One of the most prominent messages, I noticed, seemed to be one about human nature. Shelly appeared to be saying that humans are naturally shallow, judgmental, beings, who base too much of their opinion on appearance, and their first impression of something, and that the implications of this can be quite extreme. I elected to illustrate this message in my quote selection. The quotes I chose mostly exemplify the premature judging of someone, whether it turn out positive or negative for that person. For example, in my chapter one quote, everyone seemed to like Elizabeth because she was so beautiful, and Victor’s mother even decided to take her in. On the contrary, Victor was appalled, and judged the monster several times (Chapter 5, chapter 7, chapter 10, etc.) completely based on his hideous appearance. Other quotes show similarities between Henry, Elizabeth, and the monster (Chapter 2, chapter 6, chapter 11, chapter 18). They all seem to be peaceful individuals, with a taste for the arts, and a love for humanity, but Victor loves Henry and Elizabeth, while despising the monster simply based on his looks, despite any similarities between the three. At other times, members of the judicial system prematurely judged Victor and Justine (Chapter 8, chapter 21), whether there was evidence or not, and in both cases, they were wrongly arrested. In the case of Justine, it led to her death. The lack of acceptance that the monster experienced (Chapter 5, chapter 10, chapter 15, chapter 16, chapter 17) led the monster into a state of constant fury towards mankind. While he was previously a peaceful, kind, thoughtful, and patient individual (Chapter 11, chapter 12, chapter 16, chapter 17), he quickly turned into the murderous fiend that kills Henry and Elizabeth, and wrecks havoc on the life of Victor (Chapter 21, chapter 22, chapter 23, chapter 24). Victor’s excitement in the chapter 4 quote was quickly turned around by his judgmental nature upon seeing the monster in chapter 5. He never gave the monster a chance, which cost him dearly in the end. He even judged the his second monster based on inaccurate impressions of he first one, before he had created it, causing him to tear it to pieces, effectively along with his life. The tendency of humans to prematurely judge others caused many problems in Shelly’s novel, which goes to show that we need to be more accepting, and give people a chance before we shun them.

Chapter 24

“Scoffing devil! Again do I vow vengeance; again do I devote thee, miserable fiend, to torture and death. Never will I give up my search until he or I perish; and then with what ecstasy shall I join my Elizabeth and my departed friends, who even now prepare for me the reward of my tedious toil and horrible pilgrimage!”

-Victor Frankenstein

Chapter 23

“I rushed towards her, and embraced her with ardour; but the deadly languor and coldness of the limbs told me that what I now held in my arms had ceased to be the Elizabeth whom I had loved and cherished. The murderous mark of the fiend's grasp was on her neck, and the breath had ceased to issue from her lips.”

-Victor Frankenstein

Chapter 22

“Great God! if for one instant I had thought what might be the hellish intention of my fiendish adversary, I would rather have banished myself for ever from my native country, and wandered a friendless outcast over the earth, than have consented to this miserable marriage. But, as if possessed of magic powers, the monster had blinded me to his real intentions; and when I thought that I had prepared only my own death, I hastened that of a far dearer victim.”

-Victor Frankenstein

Chapter 21

“The first part of this deposition did not in the least interest me; but when the mark of the fingers was mentioned, I remembered the murder of my brother, and felt myself extremely agitated; my limbs trembled, and a mist came over my eyes, which obliged me to lean on a chair for support. The magistrate observed me with a keen eye, and of course drew an unfavourable augury from my manner.

The son confirmed his father's account: but when Daniel Nugent was called, he swore positively that, just before the fall of his companion, he saw a boat, with a single man in it, at a short distance from the shore; and, as far as he could judge by the light of a few stars, it was the same boat in which I had just landed.

A woman deposed that she lived near the beach, and was standing at the door of her cottage, waiting for the return of the fishermen, about an hour before she heard of the discovery of the body, when she saw a boat, with only one man in it, push off from that part of the shore where the corpse was afterwards found.

Another woman confirmed the account of the fishermen having brought the body into her house; it was not cold. They put it into a bed, and rubbed it; and Daniel went to the town for an apothecary, but life was quite gone.

Several other men were examined concerning my landing; and they agreed that, with the strong north wind that had arisen during the night, it was very probable that I had beaten about for many hours, and had been obliged to return nearly to the same spot from which I had departed. Besides, they observed that it appeared that I had brought the body from another place, and it was likely that, as I did not appear to know the shore, I might have put into the harbour ignorant of the distance of the town of ---- from the place where I had deposited the corpse.”

-Victor Frankenstein

Chapter 20

“As I looked on him, his countenance expressed the utmost extent of malice and treachery. I thought with a sensation of madness on my promise of creating another like to him, and trembling with passion, tore to pieces the thing on which I was engaged. The wretch saw me destroy the creature on whose future existence he depended for happiness, and, with a howl of devilish despair and revenge, withdrew."

-Victor Frankenstein