What makes a monster? Many would argue that a monster is something that is cruel, inhumane, and abnormal. In our current society, there are many examples of monsters shown through movies, television, and literature. These examples usually depict these monsters as physically ugly beings with a lack of human qualities like emotion. In the very popular novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the author uses Victor Frankenstein’s creation to make the reader question what it means to be a monster. Many believe that Victor’s creation is a monster due to its grotesque appearance and also its murderous rage. However, the reason behind Victor’s creation’s monstrosity is the alienation he and society have placed upon it. Thus, many argue that the monster in this story is actually Victor Frankenstein and his creation is merely a victim of his isolation. In her novel, Shelley introduces many elements such as selfishness and unnaturalness to define monstrosity. However, it seems as if a critical component to determine what makes someone or something a monster in the novel Frankenstein is alienation. The isolation that Victor Frankenstein places upon his creation and its separation from the people in their society is what led the creature to enact revenge and murder those closest to Victor.
One of the main characters in Mary Shelley’s novel, Victor Frankenstein, is somebody whose life has been consumed by the study of science. Victor had spent most of his life alienating himself from the rest of the world due to his thirst for knowledge. Victor himself is eerily obsessed with understanding the nature of the world around him and has chosen to isolate himself from his friends and family in his quest to construct his creation and experiments, “I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit” (Shelley 29). Victor at the point of building his creature is completely submersed in the thrill and mission to create life out of death and won’t stop until he has finished. However, unlike Victor Frankenstein, his creation does not want to be isolated from the outside world. His entire journey in life was about finding and making connections with those around him. But due to the nature in which Victor created his creature, his physical appearance makes the creature an “other”. Due to this, on the first appearance, the monster is something that is truly horrific according to Victor. The very first experience that the creature has with humans is the instance in which it was born and opens its eyes to see Victor terrified. Victor in response ran away from his creation, “but now that I have finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (Shelley 32), leaving the creature alone and unaware of who/what it is and also why it sparks fear in others. Victor leaves his creation based entirely on its appearance, judging it at first glance to be something harmful and disgusting. Not only this, but perhaps the creature was so horrific due to its human-like presence that Victor was terrified of his own capabilities as a creator to create something so closely related to humans while not entirely being human. And by not giving the creature a name, dehumanizes it and makes it an object to be afraid of rather than something to try and understand. But at this point in the text, the creature itself is unaware of right and wrong, it is like a young child. And although the monster does not understand yet the effects in which the alienation from his creator will have on him, it still is a major factor in his rage later on in the novel.
Through alienation by Victor and also the reactions and treatments of the people he encounters are what drive him to become monstrous. The first group of people that the creature encounters are the villagers. The creature simply longs for a companion and some form of connection with other people. Once he stumbles upon a small village is where the creature begins to realize the nature of his appearance, “I had hardly placed my foot within the door before the children shrieked, and one of the women fainted. The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me” (Shelley 65) Due to its grotesque physical body, the creature is alienated from every person it comes into contact with, forcing it to flee and scavenge for food and shelter. Not only are the villagers horrified by his appearance, but they also take part in physical violence toward the creature. Due to the reaction it received from the villagers, when it discovers more humans it decides to hide and observe the family from a distance instead, learning from their behaviors and longing for the acceptance and compassion of a family dynamic. However, this ends just like before with the family in the cottage fearing and running for their lives. Here is the turning point for the creature, comprehending that it does not fit in with the world around it and although it is made up of human body parts and reflects human emotion it still is shunned by those around it. This realization is where the monster enacts its revenge, “should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No; from that moment I declared everlasting war against the species, and more than that, against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery.” (Shelley 86) One can see that the creature is merely a victim in the sense that it longs for a companion and does not desire to be isolated, but because Victor Frankenstein not only created this creature to look the way it does but also by abandoning it, it leads the creature to despise man-kind and mostly its creator. Throughout the entire story, it seems as if the creature just wanted to escape the alienation that was placed upon it by Victor and to finally know what it is like to be and feel love. In this instance, I think that the creature understands that the reasoning behind its misery is not only because of the people in the society that shunned it, but rather the one who created its existence. If Victor had not abandoned the creature or made it look so terrifying, perhaps it would be accepted into society and treated like a person rather than an “other”. Making a point to internalize the violence that it has experienced from the humans and rather than running away, it is going to fight back with force.
In conclusion, in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the element of isolation is proven to be a critical factor in what makes someone or something a monster. In the case of the creature, the alienation it received from its creator and the world around it caused it to retaliate and show violence towards Victor and those he loves. It can also be said that the nature of monstrosity is created by society and the alienation of anything known as “other.” Alienation, proven in this novel, can drive some people and some things to absolute destruction. As human beings, connecting with others is essential in our growth as individuals and without these relationships, it can cause those who lack them to lash out. This is exactly what happened to Frankenstein’s creation, it wasn’t until after the creature noticed the full effects of its alienation that it doomed the human population and Victor himself.