To what extent can the reader sympathise with the creature in Frankenstein?
by
jessicalouise29 (student)
To what extent can the reader sympathise with the creature in Frankenstein? The cruel and heartlessness of monsters are often used in Gothic fiction to create a feeling of horror and terror in the reader. In Frankenstein, Shelley takes the creature further than this by providing him with human qualities making him more abhuman. Sympathy is created for the creature by centring him as the victim of the novel as he is rejected by his creator and society making him relatable to the reader and provoking pity. However the creature’s monstrous turn in using violent behaviour, and initial bias already set up by Victor’s descriptions make it difficult for the reader to sympathise with him. Shelley directs sympathy to the creature by placing him as the victim of the novel. Victor takes on the role of a typical Gothic monstrous mother by rejecting his creature at ‘birth’. Upon seeing his