This is your first blog post homework assignment. Please comment on this prompt:
Who is the monster in this book--the creature, Frankenstein, or both? Comment on why you think this is true.
Your comment to this post is due on Sunday, August 18th by 8 p.m. Be sure to write your name in your post so that I can give you credit.
Kanchan Armstrong
ReplyDeleteI think that both Victor Frankenstein and the Creature were monsters in their own way. Victor for not having mercy on the creature, and for abandoning him when he was just a baby. The creature was a monster because he sought out and killed all the people Victor loved. Both these acts were acts of killing - thus making both monsters.
I agree with Kanchan. Both characters acted like monsters. Frankenstein's abandonment is kind of like abortion, but I don't think that's enough to flat out call him a monster. Frankenstein also keeps his creation a secret from his family, which utterly leads them to their deaths (IMO). As for the Creature, he murdered multiple times with motive, which is pretty monstrous if you ask me.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that the monster in Frankenstein could be both the creature and Victor Frankenstein. The creature is a monster because he killed William, Henry, and Elizabeth. Even if he does have his reasons, killing others is a sin and people in our world today look down on people who have committed homicide. Therefore, the deaths the creature caused makes him a monster. Frankenstein is a monster as well because he is the creator of the creature, who has killed many, which indirectly makes Frankenstein a murderer, too. Frankenstein even states multiple times, especially each time he finds out that one of his loved ones gets murdered by his creation, that he is the one who caused the deaths. To add on this, he also flees from and abandons his creation. Since he is the creator, he is supposed to be the one to raise the creature, show him love and compassion, and teach him right from wrong. But he doesn't do this and this makes him a monster.
ReplyDeleteAnthony Liu
ReplyDeleteAP Literature 6°
Ms. Delman
8 – 15 – 13
I think that the creature is a clear monster since he murdered a number of innocent people. Granted, he had plenty of reasons to be angry, given his creator’s total abandonment and all, but regardless, there is no excuse for murder. As for Victor, while he certainly could have been a better caretaker, I do not consider him to be a monster by any means because he did nothing wrong. The argument that the creature was entitled to some form of guidance in his early life fails to take into account the fact that he was born fully developed. Unlike human babies, who are absolutely reliant on their parents, the creature entered the world with everything he needed to survive: a strong body, a will to live, and even a brain to appreciate the finer things in life. He owes all of that to Victor, the man who gave him the gift of life. On top of that, he even manages to live a joyful existence for a few months while he’s observing De Lacey’s family. It is only when he is treated poorly by a few humans does he begin to regret being born. In short, Victor was responsible for everything positive in the creature’s life, while society was at fault for all the bad. This suggests the idea that society is another monster in this book, but in my opinion, that isn’t the case. People disrespected the creature out of fear and fear alone. They were merely looking out for their own best interests. Does that mean they’re a monster? What do you guys think?
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ReplyDeleteWhile I believe that both Victor Frankenstein and the creature are monsters, I think that Victor Frankenstein is a bigger one. For instance, when Victor Frankenstein first realizes that he has created a “monster,” he tries to avoid it, proving that he is unable to take responsibility for his actions. Because the creature was born fully developed, like Anthony said, I cannot entirely blame Frankenstein for the creature’s actions. However, even when the creature approaches Frankenstein, tells him his story, and requests for his help, his selfishness is what ultimately leads him to break his promise in creating a woman for the creature. Obviously, his lack of sympathy plays a large role in instigating the creature to turn on him, so in this case, I believe that Frankenstein is at fault. In contrast, the creature is responsible for causing the deaths of many innocent people, and that has to make him a monster in some way. But, the creature originally had good intentions, as he solely wanted to fit in with society. Due to his appearance, society rejects him, and this leads him to feel that the only way he can make his point across and to have people understand him is to take revenge on his creator, and this can be justified. Overall, because both Victor Frankenstein and the creature were victimized, it is difficult to recognize one person as the monster, but since Frankenstein created the creature and did not care to help it, he should be responsible.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the real monster in Frankenstein is human society as a whole. Of course, Victor did abandon his creation ever so carelessly, and the monster did murder innocent people, but the reaction of human society is the reason behind all of this death and gloom. Whether Victor Frankenstein neglected his creation or not, it was up to human society to react a certain way to the monster's presence. If society treated him with respect, the monster would have never become a murderous beast. Unfortunately, as would be expected, human society became fearful and violent towards the monster. The human horror begins with Victor Frankenstein, who sees his repulsive creation come to life and ignores the monster entirely. Later, when the monster enters a village, he is met with fainting humans and others who throw rocks at him. When revealing himself to the seemingly amiable De Lacy family in the cottage, Agatha faints and Felix whacks the monster repeatedly with a stick. Another incident occurs when the monster saves a drowning girl, only to be shot in the shoulder by a man seconds later. The monster's optimism is completely shot down after he feels the wrath of superficial and hateful humans. To the humans, the monster is automatically considered to be a threat just because of how he looks physically, but then treats the monster as violently as the humans would have expected the monster to be towards them. The monster only becomes the real monster once his mindset is completely altered due to the negative reaction of human society, including Victor.
ReplyDeleteI think that both Frankenstein and the creature are monsters in the book. Neither of them starts out that way, but their actions cause them to become monsters. When Victor first sees the creature after he is brought to life, he flees out of fear. While this was not the most ideal thing he could have done, it is understandable because he hadn’t yet come face to face with the reality of his actions. What makes Victor a monster is what he does after he runs away, or what he doesn’t do. Victor decides to try to forget that the creature even exists. When he next encounters the creature, he calls it a devil and threatens to kill it. This is what turns Victor into a true monster. A creature that he has created is instantly rejected and not even given the chance to bond with his creator. If Victor had not judged the creature so quickly, it might not have become a monster itself. The creature turns into a monster because of how he is so quickly misjudged by his looks. The creature just has to step foot in a human residence to get insults and screams thrown at it. Since he was abandoned by his creator, the creature becomes set to seek revenge on Victor by killing everyone that Victor holds dear. The creature becomes a monster with this decision. It kills many innocent people to make Victor feel its loneliness. While his actions may seem justifiable, there is no reason to murder innocent people who had nothing to do with the creature’s abandonment. Therefore, the murder of innocent people and unnecessary cruelness make both the creature and Victor a monster.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAlexanderson V. Reyes
ReplyDeleteAP English 6 period
I believe the monster is also both Victor and the creation because of the different ways of violence that they use against one another. Victor rejects the monster in every opportunity where the monster pleads and could have altered the the events after each rejection, saving many people. Victor had no mercy towards his own creation who was not a threat when born. The creature at first was not a monster, however the killings of innocent lives made the image of the creature into a killer for revenge towards the mistreatment from Victor.
I believe that society is the real monster in the book "Frankenstein." At first, the creature that Victor creates, is in love with the gentle nature of the humans he is observing and even displays secret acts of affection (gathering fire wood and bringing it to the house). The creature portrays a beautiful heart in his time of solitude learning from his "protectors," but once the ugliness of society touches him, and brakes the only thing he loves and holds hope for (to be with his "protectors"), he turns evil. The society has a "norm" for appearance and the creature does not fall under that norm, in which case, he is metaphorically crushed. From this point on, society eats the creature alive, presenting the same reactions to his appearance throughout the book. This turns the creature into a "broken soul" beyond repair; only a monster can do that to a being, society. - Shoshana Moed
ReplyDeleteAlex Tam
ReplyDeleteAP English
Ms. Delman
8/17/13
I believe that Victor Frankenstein is the real monster in this book. Just like any other “parent”, Victor brought a life into this world and it then became his responsibility to care for and nurture his precious little baby. It was his duty to clothe, feed, shelter, protect, educate, and discipline his son but instead, he neglected his creation right from the get go. You see, when the monster was first brought to life just like any other mere infant, he was a wonderful, splendid, and curious creature until he became self-aware. He then came into realization that just like any other walking, talking, hungry, breathing, living being around him, he too has a place in society; however, he has no clue how to enter it or even where that place is for starters. But with the absence and abandonment of his father his entire life, there would be nobody else in the world willing to stay by his side and slowly guide a monster into civilization without anyone judging him. This is where Victor comes into fault and the reason why he is the real antagonist because he should have been there to protect and support his creation; but rather he allowed the monster’s negative emotions to build up and to run rampant destroying everything in its path instead disciplining his creation.
Perhaps this is just me, but the entire time I read this book, I was completely dumbfounded and couldn’t help but to imagine that maybe Victor’s family would still be around if he wasn’t such a bad dad.
In my opinion, Frankenstein as well as society, were the monsters in this book. The creature actually gave him a chance and a reasonable proposal, promising to never kill anyone again and stay out of his sight. Now, a lot of people think he murdered William, but it was an accident. He was simply trying to quiet William down and therefore, the creature cannot be completely blamed. Also, the creature did not kill anyone after the incident (besides indirectly killing Justine). However, the murders only continued when Frankenstein rejected his plea to create a being, the only being he could live and cherish his lonely life with. It's understandable. Every being wishes to be loved. The monster grew up in a society where he was time and time again, rejected. This is where society’s monstrosity comes in, including Frankenstein’s initial rejection of his creation. Yes, the creature murdered and did some unspeakable things to people, but at the root of it all was Frankenstein and humanity. He, who only wished to be love, got the exact opposite. All he could turn to was violence and revenge, seemingly making him appear to be the monster.
ReplyDeleteReniel Nuqui
ReplyDeleteAP Literature 6°
Ms. Delman
8 – 17 – 13
We can all agree that Victor Frankenstein, his creation, and society itself were monsters in the book. What I'd like to focus on though is Victor Frankenstein. In my opinion, he was the most cruel monster in the story. He neglected his family and his loved ones in pursuit of creating something beautiful. Life. Once he created life, he was disgusted by the final result and cast it away like it was garbage. Leaving it by its lonesome, and hating it for no valid reason. Frankenstein took no responsibility in guiding his creation. Instead, he left it alone and allowed it to be subjected to society that rejected it and treated it unfairly. Society was shown as a monster in this way because they judged a book by its cover. What really matters is what's inside a person or creature, but due to the creation's monstrous appearance that Frankenstein gave it, people were terrified, and when people are terrified their actions are more rash than understanding. Frankenstein gave no aid to his lonely, brokenhearted creation, and hated it for being alive. This trait Frankenstein displayed is despicable and due to his own fault, his own mistakes, and his irresponsibility, his family and friends suffered and died. His thoughtless behavior was the reason for all the violence and mayhem, and instead of thinking thoroughly about the possibilities in which the creation could have produced, he created a monster.
I think Victor Frankenstein is the real monster. During Victor's stay at university, he completed neglected his family back home because he was obsessed with his project. After he succeeded with his experiment, he couldn't even take responsibility for what he did because he was so terrified of his own creation. If only Victor had taken better care of the monster, it wouldn't have to suffer the pain of being rejected by society which eventually led to the murders. Victor's mistakes were the cause of his own destruction.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Canada
ReplyDeleteAP Literature 6°
Delman
08/17/13
In the book, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, I believe that the true monster of the tale is short-sighted Victor Frankenstein. It is not hard to understand, upon reflection, that all of the main problems that occur in the book occur due to his neglect and obsessions. For example, if Victor hadn’t given in to his obsession with archaic arts and instead chosen to pursue more honest, academic endeavors, then the creature would never have come into existence. Furthermore, he was blind in his work, creating an organism that he would never have been able to control and therefore putting society in general at stake. Victor also neglected to properly raise and introduce his creation to the general populace, throwing away any chance for the creature to peacefully coexist with humanity and in turn leaving it to fester in its misery and become the terror that we know it to be. Overall, Frankenstein proves himself to be the real monster by refusing to take responsibility for his actions and the behemoth that he created, therefore causing most of his family to be killed and many others to suffer at the hands of his creation.
Matthew Masangcay
ReplyDeleteAP Literature
Delman
8/17/13
In Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, the real monster is both Victor and his creation. Victor was very passionate and dedicated to Science when he studied it at the university. Once he gained the knowledge he was dedicated to actually creating life. One must be responsible for everything they do especially when it comes to creating life. The creature, when it was created, was just like any other human; it was curious and lost about life. Victor, being negligent, ignores his own creation. When taking the duty of acting as parent, it's their responsibility to take care of the baby (in this case the creature), discipline it, and educate it. Additionally, Victor was very stubborn to listen to his own creation. He refused to listen to the creature's stories and his feelings. All the creature needs is caring and even love. Victor started to create the love partner but at the end he ultimately destroyed it. Victor's negligence made the creature view society as a cruel monster. The creature, in return, wanted to kill anybody who turns him away. At the end, Victor are the creature are both monsters themselves. Victor is a monster for being cruel ignorant, and stubborn to his creation. Victor is responsible for anything the creature does since he is the creator or the parent. The creature is a monster for murdering multiple innocent people at the spot. Although he has a reason for it, it is very cruel of the monster to follow the Victor and murder anyone whom he has connections with and then letting Victor suffer by mourning the losses of his friends/relatives.
Monique Ubungen
ReplyDeleteDelman
AP Literature
August 18, 2013
In Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", I find that Victor Frankenstein is determined as a monster for defying human morals and creating an unnatural being from the cadavers of human beings. Putting aside the bioethics portion of Frankenstein's scientific endeavor, he is a true monster for abandoning his creation. Through the creature’s eyes, his creator holds a paternal image in his existence; and like all responsible adults bringing another person into this world, Frankenstein has a distinct obligation to raise this new character in a loving, nourishing, and safe environment. Although we see the creature as physically horrific and gruesome, we have to understand that he wasn’t “born” murderous. The creature is compassionate and profound, but he is forced to mask his true self due to the demands of his surroundings: the hatefulness of society, the cruelty of nature, and the rough scavenge for basic necessities. As readers, we need to forget the creature’s frightening appearance and acknowledge that he was innocent and vulnerable, a poor child deserted by his only lifeline. From the moment he was conceived, he was forced to become his own parent and create assumptions about the world from first encounters. Furthermore, the creature yearned for understanding and acceptance, yet was treated with antipathy and resentment. If one is always treated with discrimination, then discrimination is the only concept that person will ever know. This is how civil wars begin, when two groups fight for pride, equality, and freedom; but in the creature’s world, he is an army of one and justice does not exist. Although the creature may have committed heinous crimes, you can’t blame him; children are the products of their parents. I notice that my classmates have all agreed that the creature can be easily compared to an unwanted pregnancy. Victor Frankenstein is an irresponsible, reckless, and negligent person; you always create out of love, never for selfish enjoyment.
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ReplyDeleteIn Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor’s creation horrifies the cottagers he encounters due to his grotesque features. When he reveals himself, “Agatha fainted”(Shelley 136), and Felix attacks him, for they fear what they see. According to Dictionary.com, one definition of monster is, “any creature so ugly or monstrous as to frighten people”. While society may have turned him into the connotation of monster, and may be considered the monster itself, the creation technically is a monster.
ReplyDelete-Forest Reid
8/18/13
>as a note, underlines do not carry through to this website
Farah Karajah
ReplyDeleteMs.Delman
AP English
6*
Like everyone else, I agree both Victor and the creature are the monster's in this book. Mainly the reason behind the creatures heinous acts that he committed were because of the his creators rejection, and the rejection from society. It was inhumane, and to put into a bigger perspective it vividly conveys that Victor was the source of the problem, the creature was just an "extension" of Victor and mirrors himself on the monster, only to turn his back on him. The creature, " finds no meaning, direction, or even an acknowledgment of his existence" (Shelley 235). His his hunger to find man and be the man, turns into the hatred and violence that made him commit the murders. You see Shelley embodies Victor to be an ignorant person who pushes human boundaries in order to conceive the importance of life. The physical appearance of the a noble character is far more than they look because inside the creature is a human,and in the human(Victor) is the dead monster. The definition of a monster is an animal with features of a non-human and Shelley portrayed this as the creature himself, but Victor was the one who made him that way, the creature acted that way, because he was neglected, unappreciated, and denoted as an unwanted hideous creature, who was just looking for attention and care. So yes there are the two main monsters in this book, but I lean towards Victor because overall the detention of a monster does not have to be an ugly creature, but it is he who symbolizes him and the way he is on the inside, because like Victor said," a real insanity possessed me; sometimes I was furious burnt with rage" (Shelley 197).
Both Frankenstein and his monster are “the monsters” of this book. Frankenstein is a monster because of how obsessed he becomes with creating new life and “his destiny” of being the next great scientist. While his obsession is occupying his mind, he ignores his family and makes them worry. A big thing that makes him a monster is that he creates the monster and treats him badly, even though the monster is like his son. Both these things lead to thinking that Frankenstein is mentally unstable. The monster is a monster purely because he kills. If the monster didn’t kill, his title of monster would be because he is only something that humans don’t understand, not because he is an actually monster. In the end though, both end up being monsters, one because he is mentally unstable, and one because he kills.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Womack
ReplyDelete8-18-13
AP Lit 6*
Ms. Delman
The ultimate monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is society and its prejudices. William, the youngest of Victor’s siblings, is murdered when he is a boy. The Frankenstein family is devastated by the death of their “lovely boy” (Shelley 65) and “darling child” (Shelley 65), and cannot begin to fathom the reason anyone would have to kill this innocent child. In agreement, the monster’s first sight of William gives him the impression of someone “with all the sportiveness of infancy” (Shelley 143) and who is “unprejudiced” (Shelley 143) towards the monster’s hideous form, yet all William does is insult him as an “ugly wretch!” (Shelley 144) and “an ogre” (Shelley 144). William, even with the symbol of innocence and purity of heart above his head, is just as hateful as the man who shot the monster in the shoulder. The prejudices and mistrust that fuel the hatred of those who supposedly keep families protected dig so deep they seep into the very hearts of the children who represent the next generation of humanity. This monstrous concept that deformity is equivalent to evil and guilt is the true reason behind all the pain and death in Frankenstein.
"Frankenstein"*
Delete- I can't re-post because it's past 8:00.
Contrary to what most people have been saying, I believe that neither Frankenstein nor the monster are truly monsters. When I hear the word 'monster', I think of something that is heartless and incorrigible with no other drive in life than to destroy. People may argue that this exactly what the monster is like; that since he is a killer he is automatically a monster. I don't believe this is the case, since the monster has shown his softer side many times, specifically to his cottage companions. He had done favors for them such as collecting firewood, and he didn't expect anything in return. Though the monster did murder people, I still believe he was good at heart. The same goes for Frankenstein. Yes, he abandoned his creation and didn't make him a female companion when he asked, but that was because he was scared. He was scared of what was going to happen to the world if he were to create another "monster", and I believe that his fear for the well-being of society makes him good at heart.
ReplyDeleteIn Frankenstein, I believe that the true monster is Victor Frankenstein. Many of the problems in the novel can be traced back to his irresponsibility. At first, he obsesses over attempting to create the creature, only to end up abandoning him. As the creator, or “father”, of the creature, it is Frankenstein’s responsibility to teach it morals and help him adapt to society. By abandoning his creation, I think that the creature’s demeanor of anger towards Frankenstein is how many other humans would react under the same circumstances. Although the creature’s emotions were justified, I still understand his actions were not. Furthermore, I think that if Frankenstein took responsibility for his own creation and brought it up in a nurturing and loving environment, the creature wouldn’t have become so hostile. Even though the creature might never have been accepted among society, he would’ve always at least had Victor Frankenstein to love and accept him.
ReplyDeleteChristian Gomez - I personally believe that the monster is both Victor and his creation, but they are two different types of monsters. Frankenstein,the creator of the aforementioned creature is a monster through the actions that he committed on his own accord. He literally ran away from his responsibility (the creature)and later when confronted with him,he shows nothing but utter contempt and continues his hateful attitude throughout the novel. I honestly think because of this he is more than worthy of the label of monster. Though one must be empathetic and try to understand the reasons behind his actions, by which I mean he acted like a monster because he was afraid of what will happen if he did the latter. The creature on the other hand, was pushed into his murderous actions, he originally was a being of curiosity and need, he wanted nothing more to be understood and to be shown love, but instead he was given harsh treatment, and potentially murderous actions in response to his acts of good will. This is shown when he says "if I cannot inspire love I will cause fear"(Shelley 148) in the face of his creator. The "if" shows that he would have done or will do the otherwise (being a peaceful creature), but instead he became the demon everyone sees him as. Though I am sure his actions are justified, to which I referance the years of loneliness that he endured and when he tried to acquire what he needed he was completely denied of it. It brings up the question "should we punish a criminal for committing something out of necessity?" He needed love and was depraved of it, so hate became his drive and soon it drove him to become a monster. But in the end these two characters share one thing. They are monsters by their response. They were in a situation and made decisions, though one may be have been forced into certain decisions, it still doesn't excuse the fact that they made a choice. Their choices defined them and that makes us no different from them.
ReplyDeleteI believe the Frankenstein and his creation are both monsters. Frankenstein is a monster because he was selfish. He abandoned his own creation and let it suffer just because it turned out to be different than what he expected, which caused him to be afraid. Not only that, but he did not take responsibility for his actions and instead let others around him suffer, like Justine. Frankenstein’s creation is a monster too because instead of making his creator take responsibility, he took the lives of innocent people just to make one person suffer.
ReplyDeleteRobin Witter
ReplyDeleteWhile we can all agree that society is the main reason for the violence in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", I believe that both Victor Frankenstein and the creature are the monsters in the book. Victor immediately shuns his creation before giving him a chance to prove his good intentions, and it is partially because of this that the creature becomes violent. Neglect and violence are the first reactions he experiences from the human race, and if Victor had given the creature a chance and treated him as a human being from the start, the creature wouldn't have been compelled to act so violently. Although Victor is under no parental obligation to care for his creation because the creature is born fully developed, he still should not have neglected him the way he did. However, although the creature's violence in justifiable, he does not have any reason to outright murder all whom Victor loves. It seems a bit selfish, because he is taking the lives of others simply for the reason that he resents his existence. If only Victor had simply given his creation a chance, the creature wouldn't have become so violent. It's like a domino effect; Victor creates a being and reacts unsympathetically to it (as does society), having a negative impact on the creature. Each rejection from Victor and society further pushes the creature to become the monster that he is. It is Victor’s lack of humanity and compassion that makes him a monster, and the creature’s selfish violence that makes the him a monster.
Lian Patricio
ReplyDeleteThere is no such thing as a perfect being and flaws are what make humans human. While many believe that Victor Frankenstein and his creation are monsters, I don’t think that the word entirely describes them right. It’s interesting how Mary Shelley shows the different sides of the characters and that made me see that they too are have flaws. When the word “monster” is used, I always picture someone brutal and cold-blooded, not someone who once valued knowledge (Frankenstein) or someone who only longed to be accepted by someone (creature). Both had different reasons for their actions. Frankenstein was too afraid to face his own creation and the creature wanted to be treasured. Society also played a big role in the narrative and like Frankenstein and his creature, it also had many flaws and one of many is prejudice. It was because of prejudice that by the end of the book, both Frankenstein and the creature are disillusioned, bitter and vengeful. I still don’t think that “monster” is the right word but one can say that all three factors; Frankenstein, the creature and society are all monsters for their imperfections which caused them to become what they were in the end of the novel.
Kyle Gold
ReplyDeleteI feel that both Victor and the monster are the true monsters in this book. However, throughout the book, one character seems to take on the role as the villain more so than the other. In the beginning, Victor appears to be the obvious protagonist, based on the fact that his only goal is to learn all he could and also master the science of life. However, when the monster is created and Victor abandons the monster, it appears that Victor has taken on a more shallow and cruel role in the story. As the story progresses, Victor tries to forget his creation, which shows his lack of responsibility,but ends up letting the monster fall into insanity. After the monster kills Victor's brother, and tells his story of his sad life and the brutal murder, Victor and the monster truly look as the hero and villain of the story. But after Victor destroys the monster's partner for the greater good of humanity, the monster truly becomes the main villain of the book throughout the rest of the story. All in all, however, both characters show their dark sides and good sides and each character has their own, fair motives for the actions they did. For me, it is impossible to deem one character the true monster of the story.