Referring in detail to the books Frankenstein and the Fifth child, discuss the merits of the above statement. To what extent is society to blame for the behaviour of the "monsters" that haunt pages of the books?

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“Society’s prejudice is the root of all evil.”

Referring in detail to the books Frankenstein and the Fifth child, discuss the merits of the above statement. To what extent is society to blame for the behaviour of the “monsters” that haunt pages of the books?

By Krishaan Sivalingaratnam - UVC

Society always judges a person’s characteristics by his or her physical appearance. Society has set an unbreakable code that individuals must follow to be accepted. Those who do not follow this “standard” set by society are outcast by the crowds and are hated for being different. In Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein”, when the creature entered a town, the creature had hardly put his foot within the doorway before children shrieked at his appearance and the women fainted. From that moment, he realised that his appearance caused fear and hatred from the people around him. We must argue here whether it was the creature that decided to turn evil or was it the relentless acts of society that drove him to these extremes. However, it is later proven that his physical appearance does not do any justice for the personality that is masked by his monstrous appearance. We must also argue whether it was right of Victor Frankenstein to break the laws of nature and create the creature.

In chapter 3, Victor is 17 and departs for the University of Ingolstadt. This chapter begins a tension in Victors Priorities. There is a conflict between Victors’ relationships with others and his studies. He feels deep grief after his mother’s death and is saddened by the fact that he had to leave his family to go on with education. However, the prospect of acquiring knowledge seems to relieve his loneliness but this soon becomes an obsession instead of a healthy enthusiasm for learning. In the novel, Victor is portrayed as an antisocial man who dislikes meeting strangers and often judge’s people by their physical appearance. This can be clearly seen in his respect for M.Waldman and his ongoing contempt for M.Krempe. A turning point for Victor is when Waldman declares that only modern scientists have “performed miracles”. This desire within Victor to explore unknown power creates inner turmoil and thus makes Victor decide to abandon alchemy.

The gothic settings of the graves, churchyards, and dissecting-rooms evoke an eerie atmosphere in chapter 4. His “workshop of filthy creations” and his “profane fingers” are details that suggest Victor now thinks his experiments were morally wrong. Victor’s language is very descriptive and poignant. Victor’s isolation from society is clearly shown as a consequence of his obsession for scientific discovery. It makes him forget the beauty of nature and makes him a stranger to the daylight. There is an ever-growing distinction between outer worlds of realty and the inner world of imagination. Victors urge to keep on with his experiments, not realising that they are challenging all of the laws of nature, is increased by the idea that mankind will “bless him for conquering death.

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The turning point in Victor’s life is signalled in chapter 5. The dispair and disbelief, of the creature’s ugliness clearly shows the disappointment that he feels towards his experiments. Victor finally sees the consequences of his actions for the first time and instead of caring for the creature like he should, he abandons it and leaves it to the mercy of the outside world like a mother abandoning her newborn baby. Another gothic image is the unnatural birth of the creature, the absence of a womb, the abundance of machines and electricity tells us no good will come from ...

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