“Everywhere I see
bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good;
misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous” (Shelley
84). In the 1800s, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein as the answer to a bet made
on a stormy night. She and several
companions told ghost stories and dared each other to come up with the
scariest. Out of Shelley’s tormented
personal life, the creature and Victor Frankenstein were born. Why does the
modern person still read Frankenstein?
While Frankenstein and the creature symbolized Shelley’s own personal life, the
modern reader finds him/herself mirrored in the classic pages: the creature
speaks for humankind.
The creature never
asked to be “born.” Similarly, society’s “minorities” or “others” do not request
minority status, with the accompanying loathing and discrimination. Society
created these “creatures” by dictating what is normal and acceptable, thereby,
making anyone who falls outside those strictures an outsider. When the creator
abhors what he/she created, why would his/her creation not also feel loathing? The
creation simply imitates his/her creator: “You tell me I am not normal and,
therefore, unacceptable? You tell me I cannot be part of your society or enjoy
the same privileges? Then why should I care for you or your world? You turn me
into a stereotype, an other, a creature—then I will become how you see me.” When
love and acceptance are denied, especially when it is actively sought, humans tend
to react antagonistically. Love and kindness can cross all boundaries and turn
all society’s “monsters” into humans.
However, when
parents cannot or will not embrace their children, those children lash out or
act our their negative feelings. If my own parent cannot receive me, how can I
accept myself or anyone else—or hope to find acceptance with anyone else? Children
may then become violent toward others or themselves. We see this behavior with
the creature. His “parent” ran away upon first glimpsing his physically ugly
“child.” Victor Frankenstein immediately begins wallowing in self-pity and
disappointment the creature did not look or behave exactly the way Victor
dreamed. While he occasionally blames himself for the creature’s later actions,
Victor spends most of the rest of the novel vacillating between martyrdom and
intense hatred for his creation. How many times do parents react the same way
about their children? Yes, there are certain tools parents can utilize to raise
productive, empathetic people, but children are still going to choose their own
paths. They’re going to sometimes behave poorly and make poor decisions and act
ugly towards others and on and on; however, by treating them as the embodiment of
our hopes and dreams instead of individuals, we risk furthering harming and
alienating them. Parents turn their creations into creatures by not seeing them
as people worthy of love and respect—not for the accolades they can bring their
parents, but rather for simply existing.
Frankenstein still resonates with the
modern reader because the Creature symbolizes everyone who has been
marginalized: Blacks, Hispanics, Jews, homosexuals, women—everyone. If one
believes in God, He lovingly created all. Is He the type to simply create
something, then throw it away or ignore it? No. Humans push aside the creation
based on shallow reasons: skin color, religious differences, and sexual
preferences. Those reasons are just as simplistic and ludicrous as society fearing
and loathing the Creature because of his hideous appearance. They refused to
look past that façade and see the beauty burning within. Humans continue to
perpetrate this travesty. Humans refuse to look past the minor differences and
find the beauty inherent in most other humans. We may not believe in the same
form of God, but that does not negate my belief God loves us all. We may not
have the same skin color or speak the same language, but that does not negate
God loves us all. You may choose someone of the same gender with which to have
a relationship, but that does not negate God loves us all. Humanity’s weaknesses
magnify the differences between us. Looking for reasons to discard people
becomes much easier than looking for reasons to accept them. God did not
tenderly and thoughtfully form humans and throw them away when they became
ugly—even though He knew they would become hideous. Instead, He looks past the
exterior and sees the heart. As beings created in His image, we should strive
to emulate our creator. There, and only there, is where one may find true,
lasting beauty.
Every chance I
get, I will continue teaching Frankenstein
because it can still speak to a modern audience. With public shaming, bullying,
and discrimination seemingly on the rise, our society needs to listen to the
Creature. He represents every person society pushes to the fringes; he
represents every child seen as not good enough by society; he represents every
human made to feel ugly and unlovable. As Mary Shelley quotes in her book, “Did
I request thee, Maker, from my clay/To mould me man?” (Paradise Lost, X, 743-744). The creature did not ask to be molded,
but it lay in Victor’s hands to help him on a path to creativity or a path to
destruction. Victor chose irresponsibility and hatred, which paved the way to
his and the creature’s destruction. As parents, educators, and citizens, we
also have that power. If society continues to destroy each other, we can only
blame ourselves, not our “creatures.”
Brilliant! Great commentary on one of the most important books ever written. Frankenstein has been so dumbed-down through movie adaptations that the more important transcendent themes are obfuscated.
ReplyDeleteSorry I didn't respond sooner. It's been crazy! Thank you for your kind words. I know our mutual love for Frankenstein, so I'm thrilled you enjoyed my blog.
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