Monstrosity: concepts, definitions, and cultural representations

Monstrosity in Frankenstein

Mary Shelly's Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus, which is considered by many to be one of the first science-fiction novels that was ever written, is full of anti-Enlightenment sentiments, many of which are still present in society today. Shelley's novel, published first in 1818 and then edited and republished in 1831, takes a look at the conflicts between science and religion. Through this examination, Shelley provides insight into the dangers of playing God and taking the forces of nature into one's own hands. Seeing as Mary Shelley was the daughter of two well-known Enlightenment intellectual figures, it can be posited that Shelley understood the arguments and beliefs of the movement and could provide a well thought out argument against the movement. Shelley's anti-Enlightenment stance takes a look at the dangers that may arise through unsupervised educational pursuits, which include the unharnessed exploration of science and denunciation or tampering of religious beliefs, and how these dangers may impact individual perspectives and rationale.

In Frankenstein, Shelley explores Victorian fears of scientific and technological advancements, simultaneously questioning religious beliefs of creation and evolution. It can be argued that there are two different monsters in Frankenstein; moreover, it can be argued that one is naturally a monster, while the other is a monster due to the way that it was nurtured. In the novel, Victor Frankenstein's monstrosity is derived from his intense desire to harness power over creation and the destruction of life. Additionally, his attitude and treatment of his creation help to demonstrate the type of person that Frankenstein is. One of the things that contribute to Frankenstein's monstrosity is his education. In the novel, Frankenstein falls to the extreme that his is too educated and is able to pursue knowledge without supervision. Frankenstein has been given every opportunity to pursue a thorough education, yet unlike Walton to whom he recounts his tale, does not find the need to have a partner to collaborate and discuss ideas with. Frankenstein uses his knowledge and education to further develop questions about life and death, which in turn leads him to study "natural philosophers" that include Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Albertus Magnus. Due to a lack of actual formal guidance, Frankenstein uses these philosophers as inspiration and soon "entered with the greatest diligence into the search of the philosopher's stone and the elixir of life; but the latter soon obtained [his] undivided attention…but what glory would attend the discovery, if [he] could banish disease from the human frame, and render man invulnerable to any but a violent death!" (Shelley).

This unharnessed pursuit of knowledge was promoted by Immanuel Kant in Was ist Aufklarung? (What is Enlightenment?). In this essay, Kant argues,

Enlightenment is man's release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is man's inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. Sapere aude! "Have courage to use your own reason!"- that is the motto of enlightenment. (Kant)

It can be argued that separation oneself from "self-incurred tutelage" allowed Frankenstein to explore the possibility of rendering "man invulnerable to anything but a violent death." However, Frankenstein's "reason" is clouded and he cannot see the repercussions of his actions, which will haunt his physically and psychologically for the rest of his life. Not only is Frankenstein a monster for creating his Creature, but he is also a monster for abandoning it at the moment that it was "born" and for leaving the Creature to fend for itself. By doing so, Frankenstein effectively unleashed the Creature onto the world to wreak havoc and destroy the natural order of things.

It can also be argued that it was in Frankenstein's nature to be a monster. Given the fact that he was afforded with all the comforts in life that he could ask for while growing up, one can argue that it was not the manner in which he was brought up that shaped him, but rather his personal desires that drove him to create life out of death. Moreover, it was in Frankenstein's nature to pursue knowledge relentlessly without regard for consequences or the future.

On the other hand, the Creature can be considered to be the embodiment of Frankenstein's monstrosity and destructive nature. Unlike Frankenstein, who was afforded a formal education, the Creature does not have any formal education and must rely on himself to learn about how the world and society function. The Creature is forced to teach himself about the world by reading various books such as Paradise Lost, Plutarch's Lives, and Sorrow of Werter; by observing how others, like the DeLacey family, interact and establish relationships; and through his own experiences. Despite how hard he tries, the Creature can never be part of the natural world, nor can he ever hope to be part of society. The Creature is a monster through no fault of its own. From the moment it was made, it has been treated as such and will continue to be treated as such until it expires.

Furthermore, the Creature is a victim of its environment, and because he has not been nurtured nor taught how society functions, as Frankenstein has, he cannot be blamed for his actions. The lack of nurturing in the Creature's life is a direct consequence of Frankenstein's nature. Moreover, because the Creature is not a natural being, it is difficult to categorize what traits would be considered to be natural. One thing is for sure, Frankenstein fears that the Creature has the potential to create an entirely different, unnatural species if he were to be given a mate. Furthermore, Frankenstein fears that any other creatures he makes will be full of hatred, which he attributes as a natural trait rather than one obtained through a lack of nurturing.