Frankenstein: The Creature

"I looked upon them as superior beings, who would be the arbiters of my future destiny. I formed in my imagination a thousand pictures of presenting myself to them, and their reception of me. i imagined that they would be disgusted, until, by my gentle demeanour and conciliating words, I should first win their favour, and afterwards their love." pg. 81

Though it may not always be apparent at times, I do have a heart, and listening to the creature tell his story has (dare I say it?) evoked some sort of sensitivity in me! Okay, so maybe he's killed a couple people, but I kind of see it like an innocent little puppy brutally mauling people. I mean, he really doesn't know any better, right? You can't really be mad at him. He's had no guidance in life and all of his attempts to make friends have failed terribly and he's shunned by everyone, even his own creator/father, who basically treats him as a monstrosity and is scared of him. That is just incredibly sad. Just imagining someone so alone in the world almost brings me to tears. I kind of think that people's reaction to the monster is Mary Shelley pointing out society's fear of novelty and difference. Society finds it threatening. I noticed that when the creature was talking about how he wanted to approach the cottagers, he needed to know their language and approach them gently. In other words, he needed to seem as similar to them and as nonthreatening as possible. It's pure proof that people really do judge a book by its cover. People just assumed the creature was evil because he was different, but in reality, he had begun as a benevolent creature, and he tried to do good for others. I just feel so bad that the world was responsible for transforming him into the monster he became. I think this concept can be applied to the real world. I recall one particular quote I heard on retreat that said, "I am the sum of my experiences." I think that is directly applicable here, and in society. The creature became a monster because of his world experiences. I think that most criminals follow a similar path. This quote definitely proves true.