Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
During Victor's trial for Henry's murder, Victor undergoes tribulations that parallel those of the creature during its first months of life. More significantly, the differences that arise between the two experiences reveal the attitudes of humanity toward outward appearances.
Upon reviewing the conditions of Victor and the creature, one recognizes that both were cast into an area where the beings understood nothing of each other. Victor was among the Irish who mostly viewed him with distrust based on his being a foreigner while the creature's mere appearance got it chased out of villages. Also, both Victor and the creature faced faulty prejudices and accusations. Victor was held for Henry's murder even though he was in Scotland at the time of the murder and the creature faced adversity from the De Lacey's even though he showed them nothing but clandestine sympathy with his collection of firewood.
Although the two beings' obstacles appear parallel, their means of surmounting their obstacles were rather unbalanced. Specifically, Victor had a sympathetic voice in Mr. Kirwin: "He had caused the best room in the prison to be prepared for me (wretched indeed was the best); and it was he who had provided a physician and a nurse," (Shelley, 131). Conversely, the creature remarked that Satan was more fortunate than he because he had companions. Even the elder De Lacey who initially received the creature eventually abandoned it.
This key difference of companionship reflects humanity's acceptance of Victor and rejection of the creature based on the only difference: appearances. The inconsistent attitude of society suggests once again that humans tend to ignore humanity without a perfectly human body.
No comments:
Post a Comment