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How does Mary Shelley present the character of the monster so as to gain sympathy for him?

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How does Mary Shelley present the character of the monster so as to gain sympathy for him? The creature wonders if he was worthy of redemption. Exposure to these ideas enables the creature to pose the quintessential questions of spirituality: "What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? From whence did I come? What was my destination?" This introspective questioning highlights the creature�s humanity, and makes the reader feel sorry that these questions, which lurk within all of us, cannot be favourably answered. Learning language incites great thoughts in the creature but does not satisfy his longing for companionship. His insights and physical existence are kept to himself. Huddled in the cold outside of community, the creature's newly acquired gift of knowledge serves only to deepen his sorrow. "Was I a monster, a blot upon the earth from which all man fled............I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflict". In the ice-cave of Mount Blanc, Victor Frankenstein is compelled to admit that the creatures "tale and feelings, proved him to be a creature of fine sensation." Relief, however, can only come through relationships. Can the creature risk rejection? Life at the margin of existence has brought out what was potentially virtuous within him. But it does not gain him acceptance into humanity, it only serves to intensify his pain and our sympathy. Sensitivity, intelligence and the creature's pathetic longing for community cannot overcome human revulsion toward the marred creature. ...read more.


The monster had his first touch of kindness shown towards him and it was shattered because of the old blind mans son Felix enters and attacks the monster very viciously. And this will create sympathy because it is the first human encounter he has, and the first chance of friendship. This is all ruined because Delacey's son, Felix comes and viciously attacks the creature. This will create great sympathy for the monster and hate for Frankenstein because we know that it is Frankenstein who started and made all this misery for the creature "Abhorred monster! Fiend that thou art! The tortures of hell are too mild a vengeance for thy crimes; come on, then, that I may extinguish the spark which I so negligently bestowed." "Be gone, vile insect ...Wretched devil!" "...I will trample you to dust!" These quotations from Frankenstein show he is cursing the creature because it is ugly; he is also threatening to kill the creature with his violent threats. This is very shocking because his is threatening to commit infanticide. This is because he believes the monster is evil and judges it from the physical appearance, because he is so shallow. But inside the creature is actually quite kind hearted and very clever. This increases our dislike towards Frankenstein. Most of our dislike towards Frankenstein is created by the words spoken from the creature because the monsters words are so sad and create sympathy for him. ...read more.


This period of her life was dramatically diverse to the one that followed which brought back the gloom of the death of her mother. When Mary was seventeen she gave birth to her first child but was devastated when only twelve days later her baby tragically died. It was said that she then had a dream where her baby came back to life, which, in Frankenstein, is symbolized by the rebirth of the monster. Her familiarity of death only deepened when she experienced the suicides of both her half sister and the ex-wife of Percy. Shelley uses another literary technique, of were she shows us an example of what the monster has missed out on his life by showing us the nurture and caring from another family. The children shows us the importance of child0hood because the children that the monster watches most closely gives him an idea of what he has missed out on, but Victor has had all this and more, this is also the point of were he is questioning himself saying "Who am I". This is because he is seeing this family helping and being together may be is what is making him wonder why he was ever created in the first place. From these views is why I think the monster is the victim of this story and when Victor created him, he of all people should have known that this monster would be in need of great nurture and care ?? ?? ?? ?? Karan Barua 11 - D English Coursework - Mr. Beckett ...read more.

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