Inquiry+Questions

** Who is responsible for the murders, Victor or the creature? ** (Charlotte Jeffrey)
Although both Victor and the creature contribute greatly to the series of murders, it is ultimately the corruption of society that leads to the deaths of William, Justine, Henry, Elizabeth, and Victor’s father. Yes, Victor first creates the murderer and shuns him. Yes, the creature commits the murders out of rage. However, these are not the main causes, but the reactions of people in society truly lead to the tragedy. Just as babies learn from observing, Victor’s “baby” receives much of his education through watching the actions of others. So when the people such as Victor and the villagers show him nothing but violence, he is bound to imitate that in the end. There is also the fact that the creature is told over and over again that he is an ugly monster, a wretch, a devil; the names are endless. Because he is told this so often, he is bound to believe it himself after a while. And because he believes himself to be a monster, in his mind it becomes more acceptable to act like one. He only acts based on the expectations of others. So really, society is responsible for creating this monster and for the effects of his actions based on hate. An example of the violence of society is the cruelty shown to the creature by the DeLacy family. The creature trusts these people, and they have been the closest thing he has to family for over a year. When he reveals himself to them, he hopes that they will show him the same kindness he hopes to show them. He believes them to be “different” because they are pariahs themselves. However, they display the same hatred as everyone else, and beat him roughly. If this family, the epitome of benevolence, has acted so violently, the creature assumes that there is no other way to act, and that all people are like this. So he begins to show this violence in his spattering of murders. By showing the hatred of not only the DeLacys but of all who treat the creature with this unkindness, Shelley shows how great of an effect judgment based on appearance might have. She provides a supernatural story whose moral can be applied in everyday life, as well as an explanation as to why there are bullies, criminals, and seemingly evil people in our society. (Tara Hammonds)

**What is so important about the appearance of the creature?**
The creature’s appearance is important because it emphasizes the aspect of human nature that judges and stereotypes based upon only the most superficial knowledge. Large in stature, with yellow eyes and body parts sewn together, the creature appears monstrous. In this sense, the creature is a rather clichéd depiction of monster. He, like the monsters often depicted in children’s stories and myths, is outwardly frightening. However, Frankenstein’s creature is not a bogey man that hides under the beds of unsuspecting children waiting for the perfect moment to attack. He, like humans, observes and copies the actions of the people around him. Because of this, it would be just as easy to teach him to act with as much civility as a human as it would be to teach anyone else. Unfortunately, the stereotypes that the villagers force onto him do not give him the choice to be anything else but a monster. Even when he comes into contact with the most virtuous of humans, the De Laceys, he is rejected and called a wretch. The creature gains consciousness for the first time after his body has already lived; he is //tabula rasa//, a clean slate. Every experience he has and every observation he makes marks and changes him. He does not have developing years during which he can learn to see past what people stereotype him as, like humans do. As children, humans are given the chance to learn and grow, observing different types of people who treat them in different ways. It is during that time, when their brains are developing, that they can decide who they are for themselves. The creature, however, is thrust into a life where he is always attacked for his appearance. Through the creature, who had no loving family to emulate, Shelley is suggesting that without a consistent and trustworthy person or group of people to imitate one must rely on the superficial opinions of others to model themselves after. What the creature sees and experiences is people hurting him for being who he is, which according to them is a monster. Through the grotesque appearance of the creature, Mary Shelley shows the weak, stereotyping and judgmental side of human nature and how it can affect the lives of those around them.  ( Helen Ziminsky)

**Why is the creature large instead of minature?(Isabelle Jeffrey)**
“Mori's original hypothesis states that as the appearance of a robot is made more human, a human observer's emotional response to the robot will become increasingly positive and empatetic, until a point is reached beyond which the response quickly becomes that of strong revulsion. However, as the robot's appearance continues to become less distinguishable from that of a human being, the emotional response becomes positive once more and approaches human-to-human empathy levels.” (Uncanny Valley, Wikipedia.com)

Uncanny valley, the theory proposed above, is part of the reason as to why the creature is so large in stature. If he were smaller, he would not so much resemble a human. He is not human enough to be accepted, but looks enough like a human to reach that point in which the repulsion of others is at its strongest. Shelley creates this almost-human in order to maximize the hateful reactions to the creature, so that the reader’s sympathy for the creature is increased and the moral of the story becomes that much more powerful.

Another reason behind the creature’s large stature is to create a more powerful appearance. A small being would not appear threatening, and would be much more appealing. If he were smaller he would also be easier to destroy or overcome. However, since he is so large, he appears to be a menace, which initiates the fear that the others feel. During the chase scene, it is more difficult for Victor to follow the creature, because he can move so quickly. Shelley’s purpose in creating a monster as such a large and human-like being is mainly to increase the negative reactions to the creature and to show the apparent power given to the creature. (Tara Hammonds)

**Why does Victor not sympathize with his creation?**
Victor demonstrates lack of sympathy towards the creature because of the horrifying appearance of his own creation. Secluding himself from the outside world, Victor has been working on this creature for months, which has resulted in sleep deprivation and has weakened Victor’s body;however, this does not stop him. On a dreary night in November, Victor completes the goal he never thought he was going to reach. He sees the yellow eye of the creature open and experiences its first heavy breath. Victor does not have to look twice to notice that the being he has created is a horrid looking creature. Seeing this creature fills Victor's heart with disgust and horror and, unable to look at him, he rushes out of his laboratory and goes to sleep trying to forget what he has just discovered. Waking up the next morning, Victor hurries out of his home in sickness and fear, promising himself never to go back.

Why does Victor feel sickened and disgusted when he sees the creature and rushes out of his laboratory? Is it because of the creature’s appearance? Victor does not give the creature a chance even in the beginning. He assumes that the creature is a monster, calling him a wretch the second he looks into his eyes. The appearance of the creature is a big aspect of why nobody has sympathy for him. Also, Victor's realization that his creation has strangled his cousin, wife, and friend to death does not help the situation. It is not right for Victor to take off like he does and expect the creature to find shelter and food to eat. When Victor hears the creature’s side of the story, it is evident that the creature does not intend to destroy any part of humanity until the humans discard him. This shows that all the creature wants to do is interact with the humans and be acknowledged by them. But, as he tries to ease into the human life, he is continuously beaten and rejected. This causes his view on humans to change. The creature states, “I vowed eternal hatred on all man kind” (96). Here, the creature has given up on all humans, assuming that every human he encounters is his enemy.

Appearances affect the way some of the characters perceive the creature, thus affecting their treatment of him. The creature’s hideousness comes from his sewn together dead body parts and disturbing exterior, which scares many onlookers. If the creature were to look like a “normal” human being, the humans such as the DeLacey family or the children in the forest would have acted differently around him. Even though Victor is the maker of this hideous being and has spent years of his life working to perfect it, his actions are no different from these people experiencing him for the first time. No one has sympathy for someone who looks the way the creature does, partially because humans have never seen anything like this before. The creature, analyzing the DeLacey family, feels that, “They are kind-They are the most excellent creatures in the world; but, unfortunately, they are prejudiced against me. I have good dispositions; my life has been hitherto harmless, and in some degree beneficial; but a fatal prejudice clouds their eyes” (90). Here, the creature realizes that the humans do not think of him as one of them, but an outsider looking in. They are extremely reluctant to get to know this abnormal being, for they have never before encountered something so despicable on the outside. Mary Shelley suggests that when people first observe others, they are quick to realize the differences and not willing to understand the valuable similarities. Appearances mean too much and prevent people from developing relationships with others. Shelley creates an extreme of this with a disgusting monster, but it happens often in everyday experiences and should be eradicated from life. Catherine Cunningham

**What is the definition of a monster in this text?**(Charlotte Jeffrey)
The word “monster” is a derogatory word. It is often aimed at those who are strange, unusual, or different from what is typical. A monster is scary, unappealing, and seeks to create destruction. In Mary Shelley’s //Frankenstein//, the Creature has the appearance of a monster, but lacks the heart and intent. However, Victor, whose appearance is quite usual and not alarming at all, indeed has the cold heart that a monster would have. Through these traits of the characters, Mary Shelley suggests that it is a person’s core which classifies them as a monster or not. The heart and intent of a being should be the deciding factor on whether or not they are favorable in society. She teaches that people need to be able to look beyond the outer core of a human being. Aesthetics do not define what is in the package; in other words, “looks can be deceiving.” Shelley uses the creature to illustrate the idea that everyone deserves a chance. While Victor has a classic appearance, his heart is cold and nasty. His core makes him the monster in this text and allows the reader to stray from the usual perception of a monster and understand the underlying requirements.

The development of the creature also shows that humanity makes the “monster.” Literally, the creature was made. However, figuratively, the creature has only known isolation and rejection ever since his introduction to life. He started out as a creature with benevolent intent. He roamed freely, experiencing life and learning from his discoveries. When he attempted to reach out to those with whom he coexisted he was ridiculed and rebuked. In his ignorance as some sort of “baby man” he continues to mirror the behaviors that he sees around him. The harsh treatment that he received contributed to his barbaric behaviors. He uses humans as a blueprint for the way he should live and behave. Therefore, he contracted this conduct from society—from his “teachers.” Shelley demonstrates the idea that teaching is indeed one of the most important tasks in this world. Every executed action is being watched and is being contracted. Those who are attentive and keen will easily develop those behaviors. She confirms the two ways in which a monster can be found; a monster’s core can be analyzed and understood, or a monster can simply be taught to behave the way it does.(D'Nea Galbraith)

**Who is the monster, Victor or his creation? And why do they blur? (Charlotte Jeffrey)**
Victor is a monster because from the first time he is introduced, he has been selfish, hubris, and very judgmental of others, which over years, will lead to Victor hurting others, as any monster would. He wants to do something no one has ever accomplished before; make life from death and nothingness. When he succeeds, but not in way that is pleasing to him, he irresponsibly let’s his experimental, destructive being loose in the world, not caring that he, Victor, may indirectly be the cause of other’s despair, as long as he does not have to watch and take care of his failure. As the creature feels the hurt and loathing of all human kind towards him, he takes out his anger on his creator who did nothing to help him in this world. When Victor knows that the creature may hunt and hurt his family, he puts his own pride and reputation over the safety of his loved ones, and does not warn them of the possible coming danger. This ocean of guilt storms inside Victor, causing his mind and body to fill with turmoil and self-reproach. Still, Victor does not take responsibility, allowing those he loves to be killed by his Creation. It is only when Victor is telling the final details of his life to Robert Walton, that he realizes that being hubris and selfish will lead to destruction warning Walton to, “Seek happiness in tranquility, and avoid ambition…” (152).

The creature is often referred to as the monster, but he is not truly one because he was only transformed into one, not born one. Because he is hideous, Victor, and all other mankind, immediately spurn the creature. This rejection leads to thoughts and feelings that begin to be reflected in the creature’s actions, leading him to cause destruction and fear. But the creature was not born a monster; it is not in his soul and being to be evil and cruel. The unwelcoming reactions of humankind towards him cause him to want revenge on any person, especially Victor, who is happy. It is out of jealously and rejection that the creature is transformed into a monster. Because it is not in his core being, he cannot be called a true monster. Perhaps a better description of the creature is a troubled being, who has no one to teach and guide him in controlling his emotions.

The creature blurs into Victor because as Victor is born a monster, but later takes up responsibility and kindness, the creature is born good, but is transformed into a monster. The change in personalities and actions of the two are directly caused and related to the other. Victor’s actions of abandonment cause the creature to become monstrous, and the creature’s new vengeful actions cause Victor to analyze his life, and change for the good towards the time of his death. (Bianca Chiappelloni).

The creature, benevolent and innocent, is not begotten as a monster. Victor desires to invent a breakthrough scientific creation, but unfortunately the creature’s benevolence is overlooked due to his gruesome appearances. Through the perpetual rejection and abuse from society, the creature’s frustration increasingly builds, finally turning to feelings of animosity and revenge. About two years after the creation, the creature confronts Victor expressing his feelings and proposing a solution. He tells Victor, “Every where I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous” (66). The creature desires to have a relationship with his creator, however Victor is unable to look beyond the appearances and accept him. It is at this point when the creature has lost all hope of compassion, so he turns his suffering into revenge against Victor and his friends and family. Regardless of the creature’s original benevolence, his decision to turn to violence and revenge causes him to become a monster. (Lexie Miller)

===**How does isolation affect Victor and the creature? If he had worked with a partner, would his creation have been different? (Christie Huchro)** ===

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">In Mary Shelley’s //Frankenstein//, both Victor and the creature are affected by isolation. Victor Frankenstein secludes himself in secrecy and creates a monster. He isolates himself from society and creates a creature that has the ability to cause major destruction to the people he loves. By isolating himself from society, Victor loses sight of his responsibilities as a human. He does not understand the consequences of creating a new being. Victor says, “I had worked for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body” (35). Victor has a vaulting ambition to create an animate being. Similar to Macbeth, Victor’s <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> hesitation is surpassed with greed, obsession and ambition <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">. His initial intention for creating the creature is to be able to bring people back from the dead. When Victor’s mother dies, he wants to make her come back from the dead, and this desire ultimately leads to the creation of the creature. <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> Immediately after Victor creates the being, <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">he knows that it is a mistake. Therefore, he immediately abandons and rejects the creature. Like his creator, the creature is also isolated. Victor creates the creature so large and horrifying, that all other humans are afraid of him. The creature is lonely, and in great need of a companion. After being isolated, the creature acts out, and inflicts pain on Victor. Through the actions of Victor and the creature, Shelley notes the negative effects of isolation.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Victor becomes so engaged and isolated in his studies that he is not aware of the consequences of his actions. After he is aware of the consequences, he regrets performing the experiment, but he cannot take his actions back. The creature is his own responsibility. He created it, and now he must live with the consequences. Before performing the experiment, he did not ask for assistance or a second opinion from a mentor or partner. He did not wish to collaborate with a peer. Instead, he went forth, and created a massive creature that could cause collateral damage. If Victor had worked with a partner, he could have been told not to create a being so large and beastly. Any other partner or mentor, aware of the consequences of creating a new being, would have told Victor not create the creature at all. Shelley suggests that collaborating with a partner or seeking peer review, is very important in order to be most successful. (Margot McCloskey).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What happens when a new species is let out? or is unleashed? (Marissa)**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Victor’s new species is let free to roam the outside world. He is scared and alone, as his creator shelters himself in fear of the creature’s destruction. Born as a //tabula rasa,// thecCreature hopes to learn the basics of existence from his guardian, but he is abandoned. What are good manners? How do I interact with other people? The creature is forced to discover these basic concepts for himself, unable to understand that his large stature and contrasting appearance make him a threat and "beast" to the conventional human beings (116). The creature’s remarkable ability to learn from the novels he reads, allows him to equate his intelligence with the people he observes. Yet, his appearance stands in the way of him developing relationships with the people he studies and yearns to understand. The body’s natural response to foreign situations and threatening people is fear. Not for the creature. The creature takes responsibility for his own welfare and manages to decipher the distinct differences that make him incompatible with human beings. The creature could have acted out in violence, but instead he uses his education as a way to associate with his “protectors.” Nature acts as a mother to the creature when he is forsaken in the desolate wilderness. He finds comfort in his diminutive hovel, and contrives a remarkable amount of knowledge from the De Lacey family through his crevice to the outside world. The creature’s behavior deteriorates as he is exposed to more aspects of society later in the novel and his tabula rasa is corrupted. The creature dies in nature, the only place where he is accepted for who he is. As Victor said, "the acquirement of knowledge” is a dangerous thing (31). Victor’s theory about knowledge manifests in the endeavors of his own creation. (Sarah Drumm).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What makes the creature a monster? (CC)**
Although the creature has many monstrous qualities, it does not mean he has no sense of morality. The creature is immediately judged by his looks and is feared from the moment he sets foot in a village. To the people, he is a monster because Frankenstein chose to make him oversized, and out of dead body parts. No one ever gets passed his physical traits. It is not until he is exposed to society that he thinks of himself as an outcast. The creature is content in the forest without any contact with man, because he does not know anything about what it is like to be judged. It is society that makes him a monster in the world. The creature is only a monster because he is different and unfamiliar. If society were to accept his existence then would he be considered a monster?

The creature is quick to realize that he is different, when looking in a mirror for the first time he says, “At first I started back unable to believe that it was indeed I who was reflected in the mirror; and when I became fully convinced that I was in reality the monster that I am…Alas! I did not yet entirely know the fatal effects of this miserable deformity.” (76) Even the creature himself accepts that he is monstrous by simply looking at his reflection. Society poisoned his mind, convincing him that he in fact should, in fact, be feared. When he first sets foot into a civilization he is physically beaten by the people, the creature describes the experience when he says, “the whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped…” (71). Society immediately rejected the creature’s presence and convinces him that he is indeed a monstrosity.

The creature accepts his situation until he had the chance to observe a family. Just like in the book of Genesis, when Adam and Eve had not yet eaten from the “Tree of Knowledge” they were unaware of all they did not have were therefore perfectly content. But as soon as they ate from the tree they, they started to focus on what they did not have and began to be susceptible to temptation. Knowledge affected the way Adam and Eve perceived the world, just like them, the creature notices how his knowledge is affecting the way he feels. The creature said, “Increase of knowledge only discovered to me more clearly what a wretched outcast I was” (88). Shelley suggests that with knowledge comes desire, temptation, and realization. The creature is aware from what he had seen in society, that he was ostracized in the world outside his own. It is the rejection from the world that makes him the “monster” that he believes himself to be. The creature’s world never shows any compassion towards him which is why he starts to hate the people living in it.

In some ways the creature is just as human as the people around him; he can easily separate right from wrong, and he too needs food, water, sleep, and compassion. However, it is the judgmental society that makes him a monster by neglecting to look past his appearance. Mary Shelley is suggesting that it is not the creature’s physical traits, but his interactions with society that make him monstrous. An example of this is when the creature is first interacting with mankind, and he is shot in the shoulder, and says “Inflamed by the pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengeance to all mankind” (96). Here the creature is expressing his hatred for the world. Before he had even seen man he found the world to be his refuge. He learned basic survival skills from the people in the forest and with one small interaction all was ruined. Before the creature was thrust into life, he was an innocent being. He had not yet experienced the world. Shelley is mirroring the idea of “tabula rasa”, a clean slate. This idea came from John Locke, a man living in the Enlightenment period. Locke believed that every human is a “clean slate” and that every human was potentially good or evil, depending on what is “written” upon the slate. Although the creature is not a human, he is a living being who should be given the benefit of the doubt. Since he has not experienced the entirety of the world, he only knows so much. Therefore he can only “write” what he sees and experiences first hand. Shelley suggests that the creature is only a monster because of the limiting stereotypes of his society. (Regina Ferrara).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Is the monster trustworthy?**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Creature definitely seems trustworthy. While he //is// easily angered, and clearly has violent tendencies, he is not completely evil. All that the Creature wants is to be loved, and to have justice. His only pleas to Victor are ones in which he was asking for companionship and acceptence. He really wants for people to care about him. When these requests are not fulfilled, he makes promises of vengeance, each of which are completed. For example, when Victor destroys his partner, the Creature promises to be there on his wedding night. He also leaves little promises in the barks of the trees that Victor passes as he is chasing the creature. If he can make good of those promises of evil, which were against his original nature, he could just as easily be trustworthy in a positive sense. During his first conversation with Victor the creature says "I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous." He is saying that it is only the hatred of others that makes him evil. If he was given a chance and Victor accepted him or did something nice to him, the Creature would not have thrown it all away by breaking his promise. Shelley made it very clear that he wanted to be trusted and accepted more than anything. However, if those in his life were to become untrustworthy, the creature probably would, too. He learns from those around him, and he treats people with the same respect they treat him. If those around him, especially Victor, were to often lie to him, the creature would become untrustworthy as well. (PC)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What happens when a scientist does not have the results intended? (Marissa)**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Many mistakes can be made when working on an experiment, especially when working alone on a project as large as Victor’s, but it is how the scientist chooses to handle his mistakes that create the ending result. Usually when a scientist makes a mistake on an experiment that he wants so badly to create, he will try to figure out what he did wrong and attempt to fix his mistakes. Other scientist will choose to forget their attempted creation and return to their old life, this is the route that Victor chooses to take, but it does not work out as he intended. In Victor’s case, when his creature does not turn out as planned, Victor does not think for a second that he could have done something wrong. Instead Victor runs away and makes the situation even worse. Victor is the type of scientist that cannot handle his mistakes, so he chooses to forget about his experiment and tries to return to his old life. Unfortunately for Victor, forgetting about his creature will not give him the results he intended, it only makes his problems even worse. Victor has proven that when he does not get the results he wants, he runs away to escape the fear, instead of trying to fix what he has done wrong. Victor does not realize that he does not necessarily have to redo his entire project to get the results he wants; rather he just needs to give the creature a chance. Instead, Victor decides to develop a strong hatred for the creature and wishes he were never created. Victor shows that when desired results are not given it only makes the situation worse to let the creature go out into the world with no guidance or morals. Through Victor’s irresponsible actions Mary Shelley suggests that when a scientist is working on an experiment and makes a mistake, it is important to be ethical and try to fix the situation, or else it will just continue to get worse. (Brooke Peeler).

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What happens when a child is unloved or not nurtured? (Marissa) Colleen O'Neill **
In the novel //Frankenstein// by Mary Shelley, Victor produces a creature through his knowledge of science and proceeds to abandon him. Victor, afraid of the being created, runs away from this creature, leaving it alone in an unfamiliar world. This new being is, in reality, just a child. Uncared for, the creature must fend for himself in a place where all humans view him as a monster. As children are taught and shaped by their surroundings, it is almost inevitable for the creature to exhibit some qualities associated with the monstrous. When a child is unloved, they can sense the negativity that surrounds them. They will mimic this negativity through some type of depressed state. In the creature’s case, he may become violent and angry when emotionally or physically hurt by others. If the creature had not serendipitously stumbled upon the family in the cottage, the hatred he felt for humankind would have surely transformed him into a purely evil being. As he observes the behavior of the cottagers and reads the text //Paradise Lost//, the creature is made aware of the love and happiness that he is missing. He becomes overwrought by loneliness and begins to seek companionship through the De Lacys. Even the cottagers, the people he has come to love and care for, view him as an ugly, wretched being. There is nothing the creature would like more than to feel love, something refused to him by his creator and all of humankind. When the creature is sharing his story with Victor, he says, “If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should return them an hundred and an hundred fold; for that one creature’s sake, I would make peace with the whole kind!” (98.) Through these integral lines, Shelley displays the creature as benevolent in his core; it is society that corrupts the creature’s morality. Rejected, the creature must rely on nature, a force that accepts all.

(Christina Paolicelli) In //Frankenstein// there are many children who are unloved or not nurtured. Yhese include but are not limited to, Victor, Justin, and the creature. Some are loved and nurtured more than others and some are not loved or nurture at all.

The least extreme example of not being loved and nurtured is Victor. Victor has a loving nurtureing family until he is about 17. Then this is taken from him when he goes to Ingolstadt. Here he is a loner and doesn’t have anyone who really bonds with him. It is here that Victor descends into shambles and creates his creature, from a lack of loving caring individuals around him. The lack of love and nurture on Victor makes him descend into insanity and disregard his health and sanity. It makes him do things without rational thought.

A slightly more extreme example of a child without love and nurturing is Justine. Justine is hated by her mother and after her father dies has no one left to love her. Although she is rescued by Mme. Frankenstein, this lack of nurturing and hate by her natural parent is the closest human example to the creature. Justine is a compassionate being in spite of her childhood. However when she is charged with the death of William she is easily bullied into a false profession of guilt because of the life she has lead. Her pervious life has led her to belivie that there is no hope at the end of the road and because of this she admits guilt more readily than many others would.

The most extreme example of a child who is unloved and not nurtured is the creature. He is left by his creator, Victor, almost immediately and is forced to defend himself while growing up. This means that he learns directly from the world around him. If people around him show him compassion he learns compassion, if people around him show violence he learns violence. This lack of a guiding hand in the Creature’s life drives him to extremes based off little experience. He doesn’t realize when violence is merited and he doesn’t realize where diplomacy would be a better tool. The lack of nurturing leaves him with an incomplete tool kit.

When a child is unloved or not nurtured many things can happen depending on the severity of their case. When a child is turned loose after many years of attention, this can go to their head and make them do things that are not rationally though out. We can see this today with the trouble with drugs and alcohol in colleges. When a child is hated by their own parents they can lose sight of hope and easily bend to the will of others. And when a child is totally left by themselves they respond in kind to what they see in society and often don’t know what tools to use when

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What happens when society judges by appearance? (Marissa)**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After being unleashed into the world the creature is left to fend for himself, unaccustomed and unaware of how to live in society. As a mere child he roams nature and society trying to find his place in the world; he tries to integrate himself into human life, but is shot down at every turn. Society isolates him to the wilderness because of his repulsiveness. Townsman and young men ward him off by attacking him, making his otherness emphasized. The result of this cruelty is nocturnal rambles that give him pleasure; scared of meeting with the same treatment that he endured in the first village he entered. Although humanity and society have wrongly accused him of being a monster, he resorts to loving them through his education. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The creature develops into menacing being after mirroring society; he is rejected and abandoned from the very beginning. These actions affect him as he grows. Even the creature understands why society has such a cruel domineer towards him, “I cherished hope, it is true; but it vanished, when I beheld my person reflected in water, or mu shadow in the moon-shine, even as that frail image and that inconstant shade”(88). This quote shows a sense of ownership that the creature has on his appearance, he himself is repulsed by his image. With such little confidence he is not able to understand what happiness is; because of this he becomes angry, revengeful, and vindictive. An otherwise peaceful creature has been deformed into a “monster” because society has made him. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As the book comes to a close the creature’s last plea to be understood is heard by Robert Walton. The creature asks, “Am I to be thought the only criminal, when all human kind sinned against me?”(Shelley 155). The creature understands that society has distorted him, and realizes that he could have chosen joy. The combination of this “monstrous creature” was the work of chose and society. (Isabelle Jeffrey).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What happens when the unpredictable happens?** (Christina Paolicelli)
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When the unpredictable happens, Victor is unprepared because he did not expect to have to deal with such events. In //Frankenstein//, the “unpredictable” is the creature’s behavior, emotions, actions—ultimately his entire being. Victor’s blind endeavor to create life is so vague and risky that it appeals to his curious personality, therefore thrusting him into his experiment at full speed. His passion opens him up to the innumerable possibilities; however it shuts down his common sense, therefore preventing him from seeing the variability of the situation. When the results of his experiment are appear, Victor is disappointed and horrified because it is not what he had expected. I think that Mary Shelley does not state his expectations outright because Victor does not know himself. His personality and upbringing make me think that he subconsciously anticipates his creation to be a replica of the aristocratic human beings with whom he has communicated with all his life. He lived a very sheltered childhood therefore he only imagines the pieces of his life to be refined, wealthy, and ultimately attractive. The creature is the complete opposite of everything Victor’s life stands for, thus he is shocked and forced to undergo the learning process of an infant. A baby learns during the “mirror stage” and is unable to form proper judgment because its decisive skills are still being honed. I think that Victor is brought back in time during this shock and must endure the development of his perceptual skills once again so that they are sharpened to specifically apply to this outcome. Shelley is suggesting that people expect what they are comfortable with, and when the results are not so, they are brought back to the infant stages of their lives when they must learn how to perceive the results of such an unusual situation. (Shannon Longworth)

When the unpredictable happens and the creature is animated, Victor is caught off guard and as a result, his fear drives his decision-making. This is due to the fact that Victor is forced to react to the situation blind to what consequences his actions will have. The creature is a shock to Victor; it does not look as he anticipates, it does not act as he anticipates. Thus, even if he will never admit it, the unknown causes Victor to be afraid. This is not his fault though- it’s just human nature. Additionally, Victor’s isolation causes him to not be accustomed to things not going how he plans. He lives alone and busies himself with books and science, but for the most part he has always had control over his actions and does not rely on others frequently. Therefore, Victor has always been able to pretty consistently predict the outcome of his actions, as he is the only one involved in them. This is surely an amplifier of Victor’s fear of his creation when it does not turn out has he expects. As it is so unfamiliar, the creature in and of itself is frightening, but Victor is taken aback even further by the concept of something being out of his control. Mary Shelley thus suggests that Victor’s fear of the unknown is the cause of his rash and poor decision-making. Fear has the ability to hinder normal process of thought in the sense that when the unexpected occurs, an individual’s normal process of thought might be disrupted or altered. Given Victor was abandoned himself and knows the pain that comes with it, his tendency would probably not be to abandon what he created. Why would he force that pain upon his creation when he knows first hand how lonely and terrible it is? When the unexpected happens though, Victor ends up abandoning his creation, so the only possible explanation is that Victor was taken aback and afraid of the situation. His fear of the creation caused him to forget momentarily the pain of solidarity, and thus, he forces that same solidarity upon his creature. When the unexpected occurs, Shelley suggests through Victor's poor, rash and harsh decisions that he is an intrinsically fearful character in this text**.** (Kendall Calcano).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What is life? (Christina Paolicelli)**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Life is constantly questioned, contemplated, and pondered. Scientists puzzle over and theologists question its purpose. Why are we here? Why do we live? What is life? Simply put, life is basically breathing, growing, repopulating, and having a purpose. A flower has life, a dog has life, a human has life. This is just the simplest way of showing life, though. We argue that a rock does not have life. But a rock can grow, a rock has a purpose, does this mean a rock has life?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Not necessarily.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maybe life is to be able to make choices. A rock cannot make a choice on its own, therefore it must not have life, right? But a flower cannot make a choice on its own. A flower has life, according to scientists. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Perhaps life is nothing. Life is life is life is life is life. By defining life, we take away from it. What good would it do the world to know what our purpose is? If we all knew what we are here for, then we would never try to do anything but that. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you know your purpose is to eventually become a scientist, then you will not try to be a writer, you will not try to be an artist, you will not try to learn theology, you will not try to learn anything but what you need to be a scientist. Because you will know that you are a scientist, and nothing else. Life is made up experiences. Why take away from that? There are a billion and 42 things that can be done in this world, and you do not need to know what life is to enjoy them.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the novel, Victor believes that he has bestowed life on the creature. In a way, he has. The creature, which was nothing but dead flesh before, is now animated. He can walk, talk, think, breathe, and make choices for himself, everything that an ordinary human can do. One could question, however, if the creature has a purpose. The creature is a new species, the first, and only, of his kind. Thus far, his life seems to have no purpose. He does not contribute to society in any way, in fact, society shuns him. But the creature does not need society. When a new species is rejected by society, it is welcomed by Mother Nature. In nature, the creature has life, and learns about his life. Still though, there is no purpose to his life thus far. But life does not need to have a purpose, as stated before. Life is life is life. We all have it, dogs have it, flowers have it, the creature has life. (Abby Smith).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Why does Victor not sympathize with his creation? (Charlotte Jeffery)**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When Victor witnesses the birth of his creature, he quickly realizes that his so-thought fantastic scientific endeavor resulted in a gruesomely hideous being that is incapable of receiving any love. Unfortunately for the creature, when he is released into the world, he faces none other than a dysfunctional society that judges based solely on appearance. The creature’s shriveled features and grotesque face permits for appalling and fearful opinions to be formed, both by his father, Victor, as well as outsiders who have no connection with the creature. Naturally, when Victor and the creature meet for the first time since his birth, Victor will tremble “with rage and horror” (65). No sympathy is awarded to this lonely and unloved creature because he is too ugly and “out of the norm”. Although he defeats the typical stereotypes of human standards due to his peculiar attitude, speech, and looks, his dream and hope of being accepted is lost without explanation. Victor is unable to love and sympathize with his creation because of its seemingly unbreakable boundaries. The creature is eerie, tall, and strong; unable to be defeated. When the creature asks for a companion that can suffer alongside himself, Victor ultimately refuses since he recognizes that the creature has defied the odds of nature. The fact that Victor does not, and cannot, protect and support his creation shows that through his moral dilemma and drastic family deaths, both inflicted by the creature, Victor abandons his deformed monster child in fear of being rejected by all he has left, society. (JN)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Was Victor's creation of life ethical? (Jane Mikus)**
Where life comes from is an immense concept that goes beyond the realm of human understanding. Students do learn about the biological creation of a human and the physicality of birth, but few people look into //really// where life comes from. The science is accepted and the mystery remains unanswered for knowing everything about birth uncovers too much power and too many options for creation, which is not something the world needs. But Mary Shelley introduces Victor in //Frankenstein//, as a man who forges straight ahead into creating life through unnatural process. He never thinks about the consequences of having an unlimited supply of new life. Shelley shows the darkness of his mind and his lack of restriction, even when dealing with something so immense and uncontrollable.

Many readers may refer to Victor as a //creator// of life, but is that really a proper explanation? Shelley describes him as more of a destroyer. He takes the natural concept of birth and disrupts it, making it synthetically created. He puts so much uncertainty in this steadfast concept and shatters its dependability. Life is supposed to come from people, not from a lab. Furthermore, his artificial creation can’t even be controlled in an artificial way. Life, even coming from a man so insignificant in the light of nature’s power, will grow too big to be controlled. Mary Shelley first shatters the common knowledge of creation and then also proves that it will always take its natural toll in the end.

Through Victor’s creation, and more appropriately, destruction of the concept of life, Mary Shelley suggests a profound idea: people, no matter how scientifically skilled, should not create life. Victor is successful in some ways as his creature can walk and breathe but fails in the way that he can, in no way, control what he generates. Mary Shelley proves that changing the origination of life should not be attempted. In the 21st century, scientists are investing themselves in the process of cloning. This concept is fine within ethical boundaries but when emotions and intellect are ignored, it starts to become immoral and frankly very dangerous. No scientist could ever organize a creature's brain in the way a real human brain is wired, and for this reason will never be a safe experiment. // Making // life ruins the definition of the thing itself. It is never going to work, never going to be understood, and should not be tampered with. (Jane Mikus)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What responsibilities do creators have for their creation?** (Sarah Drumm)
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The field of science, unpredictable and dangerous, requires responsibility and awareness, two characteristics that Victor lacked. His professionalism was undermined with his unpreparedness and unethical approach to his experiment. Every being has a responsibility in society, but when dealing with a new life form, the effects are amplified greatly due to the consequences of a new species in an unwelcoming society to the “other”. Unfortunately, Victor was naïve and recognized his mistakes too late, unable to change the past. His epiphany came when the consequences began to settle into place, and affect his loved ones.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Beyond the unpreparedness for the creature, he abandoned this new species, essentially leaving a newborn to support itself, which seems preposterous. Victor does not take into account the danger that he is releasing into society, and how truly immoral he is treating this new being. He could have guided the creature to act in an ethical way, uncorrupted by stereotypes and judgments implanted in his mind. Instead, he allowed it to venture off into the world, to come to see society, as it really is, prejudice and unwilling to accept the unknown.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In a more general understanding, responsibility arises in our lives constantly. We will always exist with some obligation or accountability, whether it is for ourselves or another person. Our actions will always have an effect on others, but in a positive or negative way. The creature creates a spark of realization, but Victor still cannot comprehend how cruel he truly is. The creature wants to have a relationship and wants to be nurtured yet Victor still shows no compassion to an innocent creature. He promises to provide a companion for the creature, and then destroys it, breaking the agreement. He is very untrustworthy and does not thoroughly think through his actions. Victor is incapable of realizing the consequences of his decisions, until they all build up and begin to cause problems. Victor is not aware of how important his responsibility is for this new creature, and fails to learn from his numerous, repeated mistakes, resisting to change his ways. It is not until the final moments of his life, when he comes to realize how his ambitions to become a great scientist overpowered his morals and thought-process. (LM)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What are the emotional differences between being the parent to a creature and creating a creature? (Sarah McDonald)**
In Shelley’s text it is evident that Victor’s parents’ love for their son is much different than Victor’s love for his creation. Although Victor has given life to his being, he feels no attachment to him. Shelley shows that Victor never feels love towards his creature, because he abandons him immediately after he is born without any feeling of regret or sympathy. Also, the creature does not miss Victor either. He yearns for love and care, but does not expect to earn it from his creator. Instead, he examines other people’s lives and hopes to become a part of a separate family, the De Laceys. On the other hand, Alphonse and Caroline Frankenstein nurture their son, Victor, unconditionally throughout his childhood. They give Victor a loving and supporting home to live in, and push him to reach his highest potential. He follows a rigorous academic schedule, developing an understanding for the sciences, the arts, and languages. Victor is greatly affected by the death of his mother. His sorrow over his loss exemplifies the important role that his mother played in his life. In fact, his reason for creating a living creature was to try and bring his mother back to life. Through portraying Victor’s loss of a parent and the creature’s loss of a creator, Shelley shows the lack of emotional connection between a creator and his creature. (AM).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What responsibilities do creators have for their creation?** **Why doesn’t Victor listen to the creature and create a companion for him?**
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When a creator generates a creature, that creator is responsible for all actions that that creature displays, let it be kindhearted or destructive. Victor Frankenstein creates something that is unknown to the world, something that does not know how to act in a society filled with humans. Once the monster is unleashed and let out into this unknown world, the creator, Victor, is fully responsible for the destruction that the creature causes. Instead of taking accountability for those actions of something that he created, he treats them as negligible. Actions have consequences, which can invert or make an entire society corrupt. Victor created a being, an entirely new species, and has taken absolutely no obligation for the destruction in which that new species has caused. Essentially, Victor creates an eight-foot, grotesque looking, “baby-man”, giving him no nurturing or love. Commencing as a monster with benevolent intent, he becomes vicious because he has no one to love and relies on destruction to gain some sort of “self-esteem”. This creature becomes uncharacteristically destructive and murderous, while all he really needs is love and compassion. This is most clearly shown through the creature when he pleads and entreats that Victor produces another being like the creature, in order for the creature to have a companion. The creature says, “I was benevolent; my soul glowed with love and humanity; but am I not alone, miserably alone? You, my creator, abhor me; what hope can I gather?” (66). Victor abandons his own child and rejects his entreaty of creating another companion for him. Even when Victor deserts his creature and dismisses his responsibility for the actions of his creature, the creature still speaks with eloquence and is hopeful. Despite the abuse and abhorrence the creature receives by not only Victor, but everyone around him, his kindhearted and compassionate nature.


 * Why does nature have such an influential effect on a character’s life? (Sarah McDonald) **

====Nature has an influential effect both beneficial and destructive on a character’s mood because of the constant changes that occur. The aspects of nature can range from a violent storm to a peaceful forest each of these characteristics have a role in the formation of life. In //Frankenstein//, Mary Shelley uses the contrast of Victor to demonstrate the positive and negative effects of environmental influences of nature. Victor displays both the benefits and negative traits that the weather and outside world can inflict on a person. At the age of fifteen Victor wen to Belrive where he saw a tree get stricken with lightning. In response to the effect the lighting had on the tree Victor says, “The catastrophe of this tree excited my extreme astonishment;” (23) The storm increased Victor’s fascination with death and therefore life. This storm had a detrimental affect on Victor’s life because in interesting Victor in the sciences, it led to his creation of the being, and therefore to his death. The nature and outside world has advantageous effects on Victor’s mood throughout his life. Exploring the cities acts as a relaxant to Victor’s stress. Victor travels throughout Europe and explores the cities, which causes Victor to forget his troubles about the being. Mary Shelley uses nature as a symbol of chance throughout a being’s life and she shows the affects that chance has in the final destination of life.==== ====The environment also influences the course of creature’s life throughout //Frankenstein// and allows for self-reflection and refuge from hatred//.// The creature uses the environment as a home or a refuge because the environment does not judge him based on his appearances. When creature and Victor first meet, the creature states, “The desert mountains and dreary glaciers are my refuge… These bleak skies I hail, for they are kinder to me than your fellow-beings.” (66) The environment does not judge, rather it embraces the creature with equality. Unlike nature, society judges the creature based on appearances, which is why the creature turns to solitude in the mountains. Nature has a beneficial affect on the creature’s life because the creature has the ability to use the environment for self-reflection and self-study. Mary Shelley implies through the creature’s love of nature that nature is the antidote to the evil in society and that reflection in the organic environment is necessary as a refuge. (Stephanie Mellert).====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">**What is the role of nature in this text? (Jacqueline Thomas)**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Because this is a Romantic text, the unlimited beauty and powers of nature have such a lasting and momentous impact on characters in //Frankenstein// by Mary Shelley. For example, as a young, talented scientist and mathematician, Victor Frankenstein is greatly impacted by nature’s bounty. Although at first, he confines and isolates himself within the walls of his messy laboratory, his dear friend guides him to become involved in society. With the help of Henry Clerval, Victor begins to observe nature and appreciate the changing of the leaves’ colors without interfering with it. His mood begins to alter alongside the course of nature. Henry Clerval’s actions instill a revitalization of Victor’s appreciation for nature, “When happy, inanimate nature had the power of bestowing on me the most delightful sensations. A serene sky and verdant fields filled me with ecstasy. The present season was indeed divine; the flowers of spring bloomed in the hedges, while those of summer were already in bud” (44). Shelley suggests the grand powers of nature and how even with such an inexorable character, nature’s striking beauty can inspire a change for the better.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Not only does nature affect the emotional state of the creator, Victor Frankenstein, but the creature too. Learning by experience, the creature must adapt to nature and its changes in order to survive the cold winter. Looking through a chink in a hovel, the creature also uses nature to his advantage. The creature feels a mixture of pain and pleasure while observing the DeLacey family at work. When he aligns himself with nature, the creature feels most connected and at peace with his surroundings including this poor family. In the end, Shelley suggests that an understanding and respect of nature has the power to bring people and creatures to their most desired state of mind and being. (Jacqueline Thomas).

====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">As a once passionate and creative mathematician and scientist, Victor is determined to pursue his education. Although his father neglects his schooling, Victor learns to improve by teaching himself and ultimately becomes accepted into Ingolstadt to further his studies in natural philosophy. With endless nights of studying, Victor becomes obsessive and desires to reach his ultimate goal of giving life to an inanimate object no matter what the costs. For a significant time, he works tirelessly in his disorganized lab to achieve this goal. By doing so, he isolates himself from the outside world and for years, he does not keep in contact with his family and friends. Victor’s fascination overcomes his health and wellbeing, even his ability to communicate with others. As a result, his relentless course of action transgresses his mental, emotional, and social boundaries. “How dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow” (31). Shelley suggests Victor’s dangerous knowledge and how it later has a significant impact on his welfare. Through Victor’s vigorous efforts to make this creature, he loses sight of himself and the importance of what he is taught in school. ====

====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">It is not until later when Henry Clerval visits Victor Frankenstein that he comes to terms with himself. With the proper care, Henry helps Victor to go outside and see the true beauty of nature by seeking refuge and solace in it. With references to the weather and storms, the reader realizes Victor’s mood alters according to nature. As a result of seeing the light and coming out of darkness, Victor learns the importance of his education is not just through schooling, but grows with experience. Therefore, Henry and Victor realize finding wisdom through travelling and understanding different settings and emotions is very valuable. Both education by schooling and experience are necessary to be well rounded and successful in the real world. It is vital to apply book smarts and knowledge from school to experiences in life in order to be most prosperous. As a result, this marks the beginning of their new adventures together in order for Victor to recuperate and strengthen his mind by growing from society instead of his harmful pursuit. (Jacqueline Thomas). ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**How does the way a person has learned affect the way they apply their knowledge? (Sarah McDonald)**
Due to the differences in curriculum between Victor and the creature, the manner in which they apply their knowledge varies. Victor’s background in knowledge leads to him acting rashly, while the creature applies his knowledge in order to survive in an unfamiliar society.

Victor is born into common knowledge, consisting of talking, writing, common sense, morals, etc. Since he learns all of these skills so early in life from his family and friends, he has more time to develop them, as well as to add to them. With the basic skills Victor holds, he is able to take his knowledge to the next level and decide what desire he wants to pursue. This leads Victor to becoming very independent and isolated. Mary Shelley portrays Victor to be what some people may call, "a teacher's worst nightmare". His approach towards success does not consist of critical thinking, rather he jumps in without testing the waters. Victor never surrounds himself with peers, so there is never a thought about the need for peer review or advice. Without this, Victor’s knowledge is applied in an unorganized and rash manner. Ultimately, this leads to the creation of the monster. Without critical thinking or editing Victor makes many mistakes which make this creature so flawed in the eyes of humanity and irreversible in the world of science.

On the other hand, the creature obtains his knowledge in a very different way. The creature is thrown into the world, abandoned and alone. In order to stay alive, he must observe and teach himself the basic skills for survival. The creature takes this task on incredible well, which allows him to adapt very quickly. Since the creature has no adult figure in his life, he acquires his knowledge solely off of experiences and observations. By taking in his surroundings and observations, the creatures knowledge expands every day. The curriculum of his knowledge consists of imitation when it comes to the cottagers, they are his main source of knowledge. Through their actions and expressions, he learns how to speak, express himself, feel emotions and much more. “I shall relate events that impressed me with feelings which, from what I was, have made me what I am” (77). The knowledge that the creature gains from the cottagers creates the basis of his intelligence, this also influences the ways in which he applies it his knowledge. By watching the cottagers and other human’s it is revealed to him, how out of place he is in this world. Overall, the creature applies his knowledge that he has gained from observation and experience in order to continue existing in a world in which he is completely unique.

The different knowledge that these two characters gain leads to different applications. This knowledge ultimately leads to where these characters end up in their life. If the roles where reversed as well as the curriculums, then both of the characters would be completely different. If Victor's parents had abandoned him as a child, he would not have had the opportunity to be brought up with such common knowledge. Therefore, Victor's whole life would have changed and he would not have been able to apply his advanced scientific knowledge to create the creature. The development of knowledge greatly effects a characters actions and emotions. Without these characters having the knowledge that they acquire, Mary Shelley would not have been able to provide such a suspenseful text. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Maureen Leitner)

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Does the Creature have a soul? (Mrs. Vasu) **
Even though the creature is composed of dead body parts, he exhibits qualities of virtue. The creature’s continuous tendency to embrace goodness demonstrates he has a soul. Virtue, goodness and innocence as reflected by feelings, thoughts, and morals embody the qualities of a soul. Hence, where there is life, one can conclude there is a soul. From the moment the creature opens his yellow eyes, he is innocent. With each new experience, he demonstrates traits of fascination and awe. While watching people interact, he yearns for interactions with others. The creature confides, “What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people; and I longed to join them, but dared not,” (73). His feelings and thoughts exhibit the desires of his soul. Although the creature is begotten, he exemplifies many of the same aspects of humans through his love of benevolence and hope. The creature’s violence stems from his soul’s inner pain caused by heinous social interactions with humans. Victor said, “Nothing is more painful to the human mind, than, after the feelings have been worked up by a quick succession of events, the dead calmness of inaction and certainty which follows, and deprives the soul both of hope and fear,” (59). Therefore is this not what occurs to the soul of the creature? He was treated as a monster; and both despised and abandoned by his creator. When he embraced hope, he was bombarded with hate. Ultimately, the pain his soul endures leads him to resolve that he will always be alone. The creature has feelings, thoughts, and morals yet, his soul is deprived of the essence it needs to flourish and be at peace - social interaction. His feelings of pain are a result of the torture his soul suffers from the outside world. Mary Shelley is suggesting that the creature’s desire for virtue is destroyed through harsh social interactions, therefore, destroying the innocence of the soul that resides within Frankenstein’s creature. (Sydney DeVoe)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Abandoned by his creator at birth, the creature seeks simply to love and to be loved. But to his disadvantage, he is helplessly trapped in an eyesore of a body. His experiences as an outcast force the creature to realize that he is abhorrently different, an encapsulation of “otherness”. However, his repulsive appearance and even his vengeful misdeeds do not define him as soul-less. Instead, his body is merely, in correlation with the philosophy of the Ancient Greeks, a “sêma”, meaning “prison” or “tomb” for the soul. His actions and reflections clearly demonstrate that he is no robot; in fact, his gentle disposition, instinctual compassion and later his feelings of remorse suggest that there is more to the creature than a hideous, gangling frame and rough, death-bearing hands.

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">On the contrary, the creature’s coarse, yellow appendages are tools that he intends to use for good, expressing his soul through the work of his hands. He uses them to carry, to give, to help, to save. He is the "invisible hand" (77), the hand of God, the “good spirit” (77). It is important to analyze the behavior of the creature circumstantially; while it is true that his hands also strangle, his initial intentions are to befriend, not to harm. ======

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">By observing the cottagers, the family of “lovely creatures” (74), the creature himself witnesses human exchanges of love and respect. He seems to be deeply, inwardly affected by these observations. As he fosters an emotional attachment to the cottagers and a glorification of their unconditional love for each other, a love which he so desperately craves, he is compelled, perhaps even subconsciously, to mold his values after theirs. The creature soon openly “admired virtue and good feelings”(pg…), a quality that points directly to the presence of a soul. (81) He also comes to understand pain and distress, suffering and poverty, and becomes distraught when he discovers that his beloved "protectors" struggle to provide for themselves. So, the creature attempts to protect them. He collects wood in order to ease the strain of their labors, and refrains from smuggling food out of their storage, because he “found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers” (74). Therefore, the creature’s effort to relieve the strife of others, his pure selflessness, lends to the suggestion that a strong moral identity lies beneath his deformities. ======

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">However, despite his benevolence and his endeavor to build a relationship with the cottagers, the creature is once again rejected and unappreciated. While he is heartbroken and questions the purpose of acting with righteousness if only to remain unrewarded, he does not discard his ethical values. Instead, he saves a drowning girl’s life, and in lieu of praise for his noble heroism, a gunshot rips through his flesh. As a result of the lack of goodness he is returned by those he interacts with, the hopeful, caring, open hands, which the creature had so innocently extended to humanity, gradually coil into a death-grip. ======

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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It is apparent in his empathy for others and his fervent emotions that the creature does have a soul; the problem is that humans fail to acknowledge it. Mary Shelley realistically depicts society as too blinded by the creature's outward ugliness to uncover his inner beauty; he is treated as though he has no soul. Thus, it is the rebuff and the hate of man that corrupts the creature. Over time, as he begins to conclude that no one will grant him the acceptance he yearns for, the creature's internal sense of goodness is overshadowed by a burning vengeance. The void he feels due the constant deprivation of love expands, and in the heat of each murderous moment, like a black hole, his soul is swallowed up by crazed, violent rage. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mary Shelley therefore echoes the beliefs of Rousseau in implying that the creature is "born" innately good, and that it is the defectiveness of society that taints his conscience. ======

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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Torn between retribution and compassion, the creature is tortured by sorrow. His inner conflict illustrates the wrestling of his soul and his bitterness, insinuating that he is, as he calls himself, a "fallen angel" (pg 154). At the conclusion of the novel, the creature weeps over the death of Victor, his creator-turned-enemy. His feelings are mixed; he is somewhat relieved to be rid of the man who caused him so much suffering, but he is more so depressed because Victor is the one person with whom he has had any sort of relationship. He claims that he sincerely regrets allowing his anger to fuel shameful misconduct, and with his creator dead, he, too, is ready to die. In his final speech, he says “I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly and exult in the agony of the torturing flames” (pg…) Thus, the creature imparts his recognition of the infection of immorality that took over his soul. Through the emptiness he still feels due to the missing link between him and his creator, his repentance for his wrongdoings, and his assumption that he would be punished in the afterlife for them, Mary Shelley has the creature straightforwardly relaying not only the existence but the raw misery of his soul. ( <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Jane G) ======

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**What does it mean to be unnamed?** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">In the novel //Frankenstein// by Mary Shelley, Victor’s creation is never given a name. Instead, he is called all sorts of derogatory and dehumanizing terms like “creature”, “monster” and “wretch”. So what does it mean to be unnamed? A name is a distinguishing characteristic of a person; it defines you, and can make you feel like you have a place in the world. Because the creature lacks this form of identification and because he is shunned simply for his looks, he does not feel like he fits in the world. As a result, the creature becomes an outcast – eternally isolated, confused, and unnamed. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">From the time a baby is born, parents usually have a name for it. This is because; to name something is to begin a relationship with him or her. To not name something is to show that you do not care for it – you do not need a relationship with it. A name is a way of identifying a person and a term you can use to call a person if you need to talk to them. In addition, to be unnamed is to be unloved. From the moment of the creature’s “birth”, it is evident that Victor wants nothing to do with him. Victor will not accept the creature’s horrifying stature and features and explains how upon seeing his creation “breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (34). Because of his immediate detestation towards the creature, he does not bother to name him. As a result, the creature comes into life without the love of his creator, or his “parent”, and is thrust into a society where cruel judgments are made purely on appearances. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, what would happen if all of the people in the world were nameless? Life would become very confusing and individuals would begin to feel more insignificant in the world. This is precisely how the creature feels. Not only does he feel isolated because of his ugliness, he also feels less human and less important because of his namelessness. Mary Shelley deliberately leaves the creature nameless to demonstrate the degrading and humiliating effects that being unnamed has on a living creature. (ME).

===**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What is Shelley’s purpose in having the DeLacey's, a multicultural family, take refuge in the Alps? What themes does this family represent? (Mrs. Vasu) **===

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The DeLacey family acts as a multicultural, diverse school for the creature and provides him with a basis of moral reasoning. The creature learns history, philosophy, religion, politics, and government by listening to Felix’s lectures to Safie. Interestingly, Victor goes to Ingolstadt to learn about these topics, whereas the creature gains the same understanding by listening to the DeLacey’s. Moreover, through Felix's narrative, the creature learns about social injustice, the contrast between evil and good, and most generally, moral ethics. Felix, fueled by compassion and a thirst for justice, helps a convicted felon escape from London. Felix believes that the man is innocent and is furious about his sentence. Unfortunately, in the eyes of the law, Felix is guilty of helping a convict escape. Therefore, the creature is first introduced to the ambiguity of the law and the unfairness of the justice system by listening to Felix's morose tale. Furthermore, the creature learns from a diverse group of individuals. He observes the old and sagacious DeLacey father as well as the young and naive Agatha. Then the creature learns about music and culture through Safie, the exotic Arabian woman. By making the creature learn from various types of people, Mary Shelley subsequently teaches him to be open and accepting to all.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Moreover, through the DeLacey family, the creature becomes aware of his emotions and his desire to be loved. The creature sympathizes with the misfortunes of the DeLacey’s and discovers the misery of his own situation. He states, “If such lovely creatures were miserable, it was less strange that I, an imperfect and solitary being, should be wretched” (74). Upon learning about the true nature of his situation, the creature strives to reconnect with the only human who truly knows him; Victor. Although the creature knows that Victor abandoned him, his desire to be loved and wanted overrides his common sense. The creature seeks out Victor, only to be condemned as a “devil” and a “vile insect” by his own creator. Through Victor’s rejection of the creature, Mary Shelley highlights the solidarity of the creature and the evolution of a monster based on a continuous path of rejection. (Christie Huchro).

===**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">What about/Why are there three stories (Elizabeth Lavenza, Justine Moritz, the DeLacey family) of misfortune, poverty and family downfall? What are the common features? (Sarah McDonald) **===

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">There are three stories of misfortune, poverty, and family downfall because Shelley wants to demonstrate the social injustice in the world since Victor, the main character, lives an aristocratic lifestyle in which everything comes to him fairly. She also wants to show a different ways that love can rescue a person from a detrimental situation. Elizabeth Lavenza is taken in by her wealthier relatives, and she has a happy and peaceful childhood with them. Despite suffering from an early downfall in her life, the people that surround her make sure that she is able to move on. Victor says, “My father did not hesitate, and immediately went to Italy that he might accompany the little Elizabeth to her future home” (19). The love Elizabeth is shown in her early years is reflected in her gentle personality as an adult. She demonstrates this kindness through constant care for the Frankensteins. However, she is not shown the same rights Victor is. She is not awarded the opportunity to attend university because she is a female. This demonstrates the injustices shown to woman in the time period Shelley is writing in. This is especially pertinent because Mary Shelley’s own mother, Mary Wollstonecraft is one of the first women to take an interest in woman’s rights. In contrast, Justine Moritz is not loved in her childhood, but she is shown generosity when she is allowed to live at the Frankenstein’s aunt’s house to be a servant. Elizabeth writes to Victor, “She is very clever and gentle, and extremely pretty; as I mentioned before, her mien and her expressions continually remind me of my dear aunt” (41). This proves that the positive traits that Justine observes in those who show her kindness are reflected in her current personality. Justine’s story proves that if a person has somebody in their lives that they respect, they can emulate their characteristics. While Justine is not shown familial love as a child, she finds a role model in whom she finds the traits she desires to have as an adult. Then, she gains the traits she observes and desires. She also has difficulties because of the social atmosphere of the eighteenth century because she is falsely convicted of murder. The lack of available instruments to test criminals in the seventeenth century prevents criminals from truly being tried justly. Modern DNA testing has made the criminal justice system more fair. The DeLacey’s downfall allows them to stay as a family, but they lose all of their wealth. The difference between the downfall of the DeLaceys and the downfalls of Justine and Elizabeth is that they come as they are adults and have developed morals prior to their downfall. Since nobody helps them in their downfall, they need to use the characteristics they developed before their downfall to guide them through all of the hardships. However, similarly to Justine and Elizabeth, they have people to lean on throughout their downfall. The family stays together and comforts each other when things seem the bleakest. The love shown to them by the other members of the family invigorates them and gives them hope to continue persevering. The three stories are similar in that they all involve a loss and a downfall, but they all find their hope in other people. The stories provoke the readers to compare these downfalls to the results of the creature’s downfall, which is immediate and the most challenging of all. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The reason that the creature’s downfall is the most challenging is because it lacks what all the other families/individuals have in their downfall: love. In all of the downfalls except for the creature’s, the people find others to help them come back from their downfalls. Elizabeth Lavenza has caring relatives that protect her from any harm. Justine, despite not having the love of a family in her downfall, has people that watch out for her and recognize that her situation is not a positive one and rescue her. The DeLaceys have the opposite of Justine in that they have their family but nobody else. The love of the family keeps their lives together throughout all of the bad things. Alternatively, the creature is immediately rejected by everybody, so he cannot find the hope in love that the others do. Victor, his Creator, abandons him immediately after his “birth”. Then, after months of building up the confidence to talk to them, the DeLaceys are horrified by him. Even William, a small and innocent child, rejects the creature. Because he has nobody to model his life after since nobody represents good values in his life, he does not know how to love. The only characteristics ever demonstrated to him by others are violence and maliciousness. He does not know how to build friendships or even positive relationships because nobody tries to build one with him even in his infancy. Without any good role models, he cannot develop his natural good qualities. However, the creature has many bad role models who demean him. He is shown violence, and he is understandably angry. He only knows how revenge works instead of understanding the option of forgiveness. Therefore, he is unable to build for himself a stable lifestyle, and instead, he is turned into a vicious monster. Shelley shows that love helps people to overcome difficult situations, and that is why the creature, who has never been shown love, is unable to come back from the vicious rejection of the humans around him.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Who represents goodness in this text? (Allison Bornstein) **
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The good and valuable lives in Mary Shelley’s //Frankenstein// that are swiftly taken away once Victor’s creation is endlessly rejected in society are William Frankenstein, Justine Moritz and Henry Clerval. Thus, several harmless and loving members of humanity are directly affected by Victor’s perplexing relationship with his creature. The tragic way in which Victor’s life unfolds is directly related to how he abandons and disregards his innocent creature by foolishly releasing him into the ruthless and unsympathetic world. By choosing to neglect his “new born” alien without taking into consideration the involvement it would have in society, Victor must recognize that he is single-handedly responsible for the fatal acts of his uneducated being.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The first person affected by the creature’s anger towards his creator is Victor’s youngest brother William. Out of anger, the creature purposefully murders the young boy because of his closeness to Victor. However, the alien is not an evil being, but a discarded, naïve and abnormal child who has been rejected by everyone he meets. Mary Shelley chooses a pure child as the first victim to emphasize the innocence and goodness of the uncontaminated youth of society.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Secondly, an underprivileged, powerless girl named Justine Moritz is blamed for the murder that the creature committed. She represents the poor, reduced members of society who are affected by Victor’s aristocratic and egocentric experiment. Immediately after William’s death, Justine is deprived of a voice and as a result, is slowly tortured and executed. The creature decisively desires to see his creator suffer and succeeds in doing so by causing him to feel severe guilt for the being’s actions.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thirdly, after years of neglect, mistreatment and built up anger towards his creator, the creature kills Victor’s closest and most supportive companion, Henry Clerval. Although it may seem as if the being is impulsive and irrational, there are many reasons for why he looses patience towards his creator. Together, Victor and the being form an agreement that Victor will create an affectionate companion for his disregarded creature. However, after spending months on this project, Victor realizes the wretched consequences of his actions and destroys his latest creation. Thus, the creature’s annoyance towards Victor is understandable. Victor’s impulsive and rash choices result in the being’s plot for revenge.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Overall, the immeasurable grief and depression Victor experiences throughout his life are understandably results of his own faults. The way in which the innocent and good humans are tortured and killed because of Victor’s rash choices is inexcusable. After foolishly constructing a gigantic and repulsive being, rejecting its existence and thoughtlessly agreeing to create a mate for his creature, the only humans who deserve sympathy are the guiltless people in society including William Frankenstein, Justine Moritz, Henry Clerval and lastly, the monster himself. This pure newborn creature was harshly affected by his creator’s abandonment and mistreatment. Mary Shelley emphasizes the injustice that directly affects the honest beings that are either disregarded in society or who only want the best for Victor.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Does the creature have a life span? After all, he is made of dead parts. Is he immortal? Will the creature die naturally? (Mrs. Vasu) **
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;"> By animating life in an assortment of dead body parts, Victor breaks though the boundary between life and death and ensures the creature’s immortality. Victor works rigorously for two years to accomplish the impossible task of creating life. His passion revolves around the excitement that “life and death appeared to [him] ideal bounds, which [he] should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world” (32). The idea of bringing new life to the world excites Victor, but he fails to consider the consequences of breaking down the seemingly permanent walls of death. The creature is unintentionally made to be physically omnipotent; his unnatural spark of life will never be extinguished by human infliction. He has a “gigantic stature” as well as speed, strength, and stealth (32). He also has the mental capacity to observe and learn from the actions of other human beings. Because the creature has such physical and mental strength, nothing can physically conquer him. Since the monster is scientifically begotten rather than naturally born, he cannot die a natural death. Humans will eventually die of old age, yet the creature’s nonhuman circumstances prevent him from ever dying this natural death. The creature’s body parts have already endured their own life and death; his limbs are old. On the contrary, as a conscious being in the world, the creature is just a baby. He is new life in an old body. For humans, the age of the body and the age of the soul are parallel. However, because these are two separate entities for the creature, it is impossible to calculate his age and therefore any means of natural death. By restoring dead body parts to life, the creature himself conquers death. By proving wrong the commonly accepted belief that death is final, he is simultaneously defying the mortal boundary that all living things must die. Once death is conquered, there is no going back; death can never touch this creature. (Amanda Crowell).

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">How and why does the creature move from a benevolent being to a revengeful monster? What are the causes? (Mrs. Vasu) **
<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Victor Frankenstein intended to create a human being. But, he creates a creature made up of dead body parts, instead. Mary Shelley and Russo suggest that all human beings are brought into the world as innocent and seeking love. At the creature’s birth, he grinned, and stretched out his hand toward his creator. He is seeking the love from his creator, as a newborn baby would do with their parents. But, the creature is rejected by Frankenstein. He is not embraced with joy or shown tender loving care, but left alone to fend for himself as a newborn. Sadness, loneliness, and isolation are the first emotions that the creature feels.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Without a guardian, the creature has to experience the world on his own. He has to be his own teacher. As a creature, he learns from the beings around him. He is intrigued by the beings, and knows that he must stay away because when he comes near, the beings will run away. Shelley suggests that, human beings need to be around each other. Victor secludes himself during his studies and laboratory work, but that does not help him. With isolation, Victor does not have his peers to help him with his laboratory work on the creature. The text proposes that human beings can only function well with other humans around them. The creature is lonely from his birth till the point before he becomes a monster. Every time he comes near a human being, they reject him. He is driven to act as a revengeful monster because of the rejection he receives from his creator and all human beings.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">The creature’s benevolent soul is corrupted by the loneliness and rejection he endures. He did not start as a monster, he was an innocent creature. The creature was a blank slate and society corrupted him. Before he is even given a chance in this life, the creature is rejected by his creator and every other human being that has laid sight on him. He never has a companion or someone to share life’s experiences. The only person he has ever known is the man that created and rejected him. The moment Victor Frankenstein decided to create a creature, going against nature, he created a monster. Like Ben in //The Fifth Child// the creature was set up for failure. Ben’s parents did not listen to the advisement of others to not have children, just like Victor secluded himself from his peers while creating the creature. Both Ben and Victor’s creators did not have an organized plan. And when their plans didn’t work out, they rejected their creations. These rejections caused Ben and the creature to become monsters because they received no support from their creators. Their creators did not care for them. The creature became a monster because of Victor’s selfish and irresponsible action of rejecting the creation that he brought into the world. (Shelby Holland)