The Making of Mary Shelley’s Monster: Victor Frankenstein’s Creature case

An excerpt from my bachelor's dissertation in foreign languages.

I chose the concept of the "monster," which is often misunderstood and unfairly labeled by society, to highlight the central issue of alienation. This issue pertains to individuals who are solely judged based on their outward appearance, without being given a chance to express themselves. I identified with the creature in this context, as I, too, felt like an outsider due to my immigrant status, frequently subjected to unfair judgments and treated as inferior. My aim was to provide a voice for both myself and the creature, shedding light on the real monster here: society itself.

Nature has a curious way of making each of us unique in our own right. When we fail to appreciate and value these differences, prejudice, and racism rear their ugly heads. The creature may have appeared monstrous, but society projected its fears onto him. There is never a true monster without society's contribution. This cycle persists, reminding us that when we neglect to understand and recognize someone different as merely a stranger or alien, we may discover that we, too, appear alien in their eyes. We fear others just as we fear ourselves.

The creature ceased to be a monster when it demonstrated that human society can be as monstrous as Mary Shelley's captivating character.

"From the birth of the Creature to its journey alone in a world where it was abandoned, it always attempted not to be an outcast but part of society. The Creature felt love and affection, a desire to help, but its hopes and dreams were shattered. Where once happiness rested, hate took its place. Indeed, the Creature did commit actions that justify it being labeled a ‘monster’, but even before such monstrosities were done, the label of ‘monster’ was hurled at it simply for the way in which its creator made it. The Creature was finally turned into the Monster society wanted it to be:

 I was benevolent and good -- misery made me a fiend."

Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Frankenstein%27s_monster_(Boris_Karloff).jpg?uselang=es#Licencia