Students must pick a character that conforms outwardly while questioning inwardly and analyze how this tension contributes to the meaning of the work.
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, characters must deal with conformity to their surroundings. No character better exemplifies this than Victor Frankenstein's own creation, the Monster. The Monster lives in a world that despises him. He eventually conforms to society's wishes, taking his own life, showing that people who do not fit with the majority or who are different, are cast offs.
The Monster was unwillingly brought into the world. Like a child, he discovers and enjoys life. He only gets upset when he finds out that his "father," Victor Frankenstein, abandoned him. Victor is the first one to cast off his own Monster. He runs at the sight of the Monster. This abandonment is only the first of many for the Monster. Even his own creator saw him as an ugly, hulking beast. Here, the Monster questions why he was brought into the world with no father figure to look after him.
The people in the world hate the Monster and only for his looks. The blind old man has no problems with the Monster. He treats him like a human. However once the son comes back, the Monster is chased out of the house. The Monster does not even have time to explain himself. He realizes that he is different earlier when looking at his reflection, however, he realizes that society will never accept him from his encounter with the family. The Monster asks why society must hate him for his appearance.
After all of this rejection, the Monster finally realizes that the world will not accept him, so he asks his creator to make a female companion for him. Victor Frankenstein won't even help him there; damning him to a life of solitude. After witnessing Victor's death, the Monster does exactly what society wants him to; kill himself. The Monster realizes that he does not belong in society because of his difference in appearance. Society cast off the monster and would like to think that he does not exist. He conforms to society's wishes, his own suicide. His questions lead him to the only solution.
The Monster lives in a judgmental society where conformity can lead to rejection. The Monster eventually conforms by killing himself. He questions inwardly as to why society must hate him, and why he was brought into a world just to suffer. The Monster questions and then finds that the only solution is suicide.
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, characters must deal with conformity to their surroundings. No character better exemplifies this than Victor Frankenstein's own creation, the Monster. The Monster lives in a world that despises him. He eventually conforms to society's wishes, taking his own life, showing that people who do not fit with the majority or who are different, are cast offs.
The Monster was unwillingly brought into the world. Like a child, he discovers and enjoys life. He only gets upset when he finds out that his "father," Victor Frankenstein, abandoned him. Victor is the first one to cast off his own Monster. He runs at the sight of the Monster. This abandonment is only the first of many for the Monster. Even his own creator saw him as an ugly, hulking beast. Here, the Monster questions why he was brought into the world with no father figure to look after him.
The people in the world hate the Monster and only for his looks. The blind old man has no problems with the Monster. He treats him like a human. However once the son comes back, the Monster is chased out of the house. The Monster does not even have time to explain himself. He realizes that he is different earlier when looking at his reflection, however, he realizes that society will never accept him from his encounter with the family. The Monster asks why society must hate him for his appearance.
After all of this rejection, the Monster finally realizes that the world will not accept him, so he asks his creator to make a female companion for him. Victor Frankenstein won't even help him there; damning him to a life of solitude. After witnessing Victor's death, the Monster does exactly what society wants him to; kill himself. The Monster realizes that he does not belong in society because of his difference in appearance. Society cast off the monster and would like to think that he does not exist. He conforms to society's wishes, his own suicide. His questions lead him to the only solution.
The Monster lives in a judgmental society where conformity can lead to rejection. The Monster eventually conforms by killing himself. He questions inwardly as to why society must hate him, and why he was brought into a world just to suffer. The Monster questions and then finds that the only solution is suicide.
Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteI also chose this open prompt to write my last blog post on. I also chose to write about Frankenstein. However, I chose to write about Victor Frankenstein and not the monster. I think it is interesting how although one character successfully conforms on the outside and one character tries but ultimately is not accepted, both characters are influenced by society's expectations. One question I have about your essay is the first sentence of your last paragraph. When you say "conformity can lead to rejection" what do you mean? How trying to conform doesn't always work? Or how in trying to conform, the Monster ends up killing himself, which is a tragedy?
Hi Nick,
ReplyDeleteI think you did a great job at the end of each paragraph, typing it back to your thesis. I'm a little confused on how the monster conforms though. Your body paragraphs talk about how the monster is rejected by society. How is his death conforming? I think that Frankenstein conforms more outwardly since he is accepted in society, yet inwardly he created a monster and feels conflicted as a creator to grant his creation's wish for a mate. This is just my opinion.
Hey Nick
ReplyDeleteGood job on your post. Are you sure that that is the exact wording to the prompt? Because it says "questioning inwardly" however what is the character questioning exactly? Also I'm confused how the monster is conforming by choosing death? Isn't conforming where he's doing what society is also doing? So because society isn't really choosing death he wouldn't exactly be conforming when he kills himself? Other than that i liked how you connected everything back to your thesis and I thought you did a great job.