The Theme Of Nature Vs. Nurture In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Frankenstein, one of Mary Shelley’s most illustrious stories brings up many important ideas and thoughts about society today. One of these is the nature vs nurture debate on Shelley's character known as the monster. In this novel, we have a young protagonist known as Victor Frankenstein, who has a strong desire to discover the secret of life. Driven by this desire Victor finds himself creating a being of “gigantic stature” with superior abilities than man. However, unfortunately once the spark of life was brought into this creature, to Frankenstein's horror he realizes the monstrous being he has created. Possessed by disgust and fear Frankenstein leaves his laboratory and hides from his creation. As said in the story, “I took refuge in the …show more content…
According to the monster, “It was dark when I awoke; I felt cold also, and half frightened, as it were, instinctively, finding myself so desolate. … I was a poor, helpless, miserable wretch; I knew, and could distinguish, nothing; but feeling pain invade me on all sides, I sat down and wept.” (199). In the wilderness this infantile monster is left alone to discover the world on his own. Like a child, he enjoys the beauty of nature, the blue sky, and the singing birds. However, when he tries to partake in the surrounding scenery, he himself is frightened by his own nature and submits into silence. Like Victor, the monster finds an interest in the science of objects such as when he discovered fire for the first time. Although like all creatures they must find a means for survival, which unfortunately for the monster caused him to abandon his shelter and newly discovered fire to go search for a place with better resources. While searching for another place to take shelter in the monster stumbles across a village, with frightened people who attacked because of his deformed features and beat him, which caused the monster to flee in
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