Discuss Shelley's presentation of 'the creation' as an outsider in 'Frankenstein'.

Discuss Shelley’s presentation of ‘the creation’ as

an outsider in ‘Frankenstein’

Looks, personality, beliefs and background are all characteristics which could create an outsider. An outsider is a person who does not fit in, who is different, who does not belong. People ridicule outsiders, ignore them, fear them, hate them or they may pity and sympathise with them. Society needs outsiders to have a more positive self-image and it gives a certain sense of power.

‘Frankenstein’ written by Mary Shelley in the early 19th century, a time when science was feared and considered evil and immoral, is a horror story of a man learning to be a doctor. The man, Victor Frankenstein, discovers how to create life. He creates a human, he plays God. This novel could be seen as a warning to scientists and shows the monstrous side of human potential.

The creation could represent human isolation and alienation. It could also represent the need for a love and friendship in human society. There was also a concern of the Romantic Poets, Shelley’s husband included.

On the night the creation is brought to life, Shelley sets an ominous scene in the opening sentence. The night of the creation was ‘dreary’ and ‘stormy’. This immediately tells us that the scene will not be pleasant.

Shelley describes the creature as ‘demoniacal’. This interpretation of the creation tells us that it is not human, showing that Shelley has created an outsider of the human ...

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Shelley describes the creature as ‘demoniacal’. This interpretation of the creation tells us that it is not human, showing that Shelley has created an outsider of the human race. Shelley supports this idea by using the ‘monster’s’ looks. The creations ‘dull yellow eyes’ and ‘hideous’ face would horrify most people and lead them to reject the ‘monster’, turning him into an outsider.

On th night of the creation, Frankenstein is the first person to reject the ‘demoniacal corpse’ when ‘the beauty of the dream vanished and disgust filled his heart.’ This tells us that despite all the hard work and effort he has put into his ‘dream’, Frankenstein has seen the wrong in his experiment and cannot sleep peacefully due to the horror in his thoughts. He realises that the creature’s ‘hideous’ appearance and ‘convulsive motion’ will never be accepted into the community. Shelley has created an outsider.

After the creation was rejected by the city in which it was born, it flees and takes refuge in outbuildings, which belong to a poor, farming family. Here it watches them and learns how to speak and read. The family continue with their lives oblivious of the creation until one day the family goes out, leaving only the blind grandfather, De Lacey, at home. The creature attempts to gain acceptance from De Lacey.

Shelley shows that De Lacey is the first human to accept the creation, who is not ‘prejudice’ towards the creature during their encounter. This could be because De Lacey is blind and cannot see the creation’s ‘demoniacal form’ or that De Lacey is ‘also unfortunate’ and understands the pain in the creation’s mind.

The creature knows that he has been rejected by the city from which he came and his conversation with De Lacey, the creation’s speech supports this idea. The creation says that he is an ‘unfortunate and deserted creature’ an ‘outcast’

Although the encounter with De Lacey is mainly about the understanding of two outsiders, we see the rejection of the creation once more.