Over the years of its existence, Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” may have lost its edge as a horror novel, yet it has entered the pantheon of horror classics due to the unique nature of its conflict. On the one hand, the story of an insane scientist trying to play God and create a monster is barely relatable to an average reader. However, taking a more profound delve into the hidden meaning of the novel, one will realize that the novel is highly relatable due to the problem of social ostracism and the nature-versus-nurture conflict.
The text agrees with my personal view on the world due to the alignment in the understanding of the proclivity toward judging by an appearance in modern society. Shelly makes it abundantly clear that society sees Frankenstein as a subhuman and a monster: “There was none among the myriads of men who existed who would pity or assist me” (Shelley). In addition, the novel points to the fact that society often creates monsters by rejecting people the opportunity to be treated as equal human beings and, thus, encouraging them to develop negative characteristics. In “Frankenstein,” the monster that Victor creates originally does not show any signs of enmity toward the community. However, when the crowd rejects him, he decides that being violent and cruel is the only way that he can exist. Specifically, the narrator mentions the following: “When I heard details of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased, and I turned away with disgust and loathing” (Shelley). The described position appears to be correct since people are not born inherently good or evil; instead, they are shaped as such by their environment.
Apart from confirming a lot of my beliefs, the text has also challenged some of them. Namely, the idea of scientific exploration, of which I used to be fully supportive, presently seems to have several morally grey areas to me. Namely, experimentation related to human genetics and the cloning of humans may turn out to be more controversial than it seemed to me before. Specifically, the following quote struck an emotional chord with me: “I have myself been blasted in these hopes, yet another may succeed” (Shelley). Pointing to the threats of playing God with science, it suggested that several additional ethical boundaries might need to be established in research.
“Frankenstein” addresses some of the issues that are crucial to me, including the issue of scientific exploration, human nature, and the juxtaposition of nature and nurture, leaving me inspired for further analysis. The novel encourages one to learn more about how the representation of the specified issues has changed over the years. In addition, the novel can be considered the metaphor for the ostracism that an immigrant may face in a new cultural and social environment, including the threat of ostracism mentioned above. Although the described problem does not apply to my experience directly, some of my family members, who are descendants of an ethnic minority, have seen rater hostile attitudes among residents in the past. Therefore, the commitment expressed in eh novel is rather close to my experience as well.
At the same time, reading the novel in the specified light, one might want to point at some of the problems in the portrayal of Frankenstein’s monster. Seeing the latter as the shorthand for a minority will imply accepting his implied inferiority to his creator, which has rather clear colonist connotations. Therefore, approaching the novel from the perspective of nature versus nurture appears to be the most legitimate way of analyzing it. Nevertheless, the specified issue did not prevent me from enjoying the text as a work of art and an engaging story. Despite being widely known and referenced, the story stands the test of time, revealing new and inspiring details.
Overall, “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus” leaves rather positive feelings as a classic of the horror genre. Although it has its problems regarding the implicit social meanings and the presence of elements that have become clichés and tropes by now, the novel makes a good impression. “Frankenstein” introduces its reader to the problem of nature versus nurture, pointing to the presence of problems that are deeply ingrained into the fabric of society. Thus, apart from being a reminder about the importance of humanity, it also encourages the reader to make a difference.
Work Cited
Shelley, Mary. “Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus.” Guthenberg.org, Web.