The reader of the novel Frankenstein should have already acknowledged the neglect and discrimination the creature has suffered. Mary Shelley created that as soon as he was created he was to be judged because of his appearance, “some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons.” This is another good way how the author Mary shelly has manipulated our response as the reader, we are placed once again in the creature’s shoes, waking up in a strange place not knowing anything, and people start throwing stones at you. Therefore we sympathise with the creature immensely.
The Creature tells the reader of his life and how he learned everything, the creature makes comparisons to his own situation and describes his own “childhood” as being a neglected one. Rejected by everyone he has come into contact with until finally he turns “evil” and angry towards people. The creature tells us that if he had a friend he would change his ways and not hurt anyone anymore. The creature is no less human then victor and right now the creatures argument is seen to be rational by the reader and it is victor who is being un-rational. His wish to be accepted would be greatly helped if he could communicate with the people who are prejudice against him. The creature decides to make his time worthwhile as he gets the idea to learn the language just like the girl. The creature also accepts what he is “of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew what I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property, I was besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome.” Even without any proof he understands he is not human and gains more sympathy from audience because of it.
Our sympathy is reinforced by the fact that the monster is talking to victor Frankenstein Mary shelly has brought the two together. The creature was rejected and victor neglected his responsibility, victor try’s to make us feel sorry for him by telling the creature what “evil” things he had done to people. Victor also states how ugly the creature is but however accepts none of the responsibility. In the conversation with victor the creature shows us that he is feeling loneliness and isolation. Victor is shown to have no sympathy for the creature; we can see this when Victor speaks without consideration. “Devil I exclaimed, do you dare approach me? Do fear the vengeance of my arm wreaked on your on your miserable head?” This sentence is from the amount of the things he says to the creature. Just from this statement the readers are to understand that Victor has a great amount of anger towards him. This shows that the creature is appealing for help but victor rejects to supply it showing victors bitter feelings towards the creature.
We the readers learn that the creature experiences the full range of human emotions during his life, this makes us accept and sympathise with him more and more. The creature learns language by himself which shows him to be intelligent, we are learning as the creature learns, Mary shelly has put us in his position, we sympathise with the creature further as the creature helped the De Lacey family after the initial theft of food, this showed human conscience. This creature is not so much a creature. Mary Shelley has done this to relieve most of the blame placed on him, and shift towards Victor. While readers see this creature showing human compassion, they realise he isn’t as bad as his names. He is quickly getting to know the reality and pleasures of living life, “When night came he found, with pleasure, that the fire gave light as well as heat; and that the discovery of this element was useful to him.” Mary Shelley has done this to make the audience relate with the monster, as humans learn new things everyday.
Mary Shelley makes the creature appear intelligent as he planned to befriend the blind man first; this is also a good use of a blind character by the author. This shows us how people would feel about him taking away his appearance. Mary Shelley is showing how “Blind” we are to the good nature of the creature, how human the creature is and how he has feelings. Mary Shelley shows the creature to have higher order needs and wants, rather than basic needs like an animal.
The creature learnt very quickly to interpret different human relationships and understood the fact that they spoke different languages. In contrast to other human beings he is seen to be more sophisticated.
Mary Shelley manages to make a contrast to the readers that the monster is much more sophisticated than humans. By the way he speaks and handles the conversation or his peaceful requests. His previous murders and rage do not appear in this section at all, as Mary Shelley sides with the creature.
The author Mary Shelley further makes the creature sophisticated and intelligent because the creature has expertly analysed his own dilemma from victors note book or diary which contained Victor’s account of his “creation” and his deplorable response to his creation. This shows the high level of intelligence in the creature and how he can understand to a high degree a language previously unknown. The Creature wants to realise what can be done to improve the situation. He recalls his ordeal to Victor in every detail in an articulate way; Mary Shelley makes the audience see things from the creature’s perspective only. Victor doesn’t do what he does. By doing this Victor is seen in this section as the creature with his attitude.
The Creature responds to poetry (paradise lost) in a sophisticated and intelligent way and he uses his analysis of literature to reflect on and evaluate his own experience. He used the example of God’s attitude to Adam to support his case. Like most Christians who are in a bad situation they turn to God, the creature shows how human he is by doing the same “ I remembered Adams’s supplication. But where was mine? He had abandoned me, and in the bitterness of my heart I cursed him.” This is a good way of Mary Shelley manipulating the readers because it uses Christianity/Religion in the Creature’s story. The compassion given to Adam is not there for the Creature that makes the readers even more sorry for it.
In conclusion, we as readers reject Frankenstein and sympathise with the creature as a direct results of the author’s use of the techniques that I have discussed in this assignment. If the author had told the story differently my opinion of the creature would have remained as it was prior to reading this section of the novel and I would have continued to see him as the monster and Frankenstein as the innocent Victim. Now, I understand the situation from the Creature’s point of view and I feel sorry for him in so far as his suffering has resulted from Frankenstein’s experiments and his inexcusable neglect of his responsibilities in relation to the creature.
