The Monster by Mary Shelley

When one considers the novel The Monster by Mary Shelley, one comes to the conclusion that it is a work based on the study of morality. The morality of the main character, The Monster, is clearly presented and it shows the conflict between the religion and nature. It can be said that despite the fact that Shelley was a well known atheist, who did not believe in the role of God in the lives of mankind, the events that take place in the life of the main protagonist are full of biblical allusions. It is a stark contrast to the beliefs of Shelley, which after reading the text would come into question since she was a believer of the in born morality that can be found in mankind. Shelley’s belief that the God is nonexistent and that man has the ability to choose his own destiny is clearly in contrast with what she writes in the novel. The biblical allusions that can be related to the life of The Monster and his creator are in conflict with what Shelley believed, and because of this, one would come to the conclusion that despite her denying it, Shelley was a believer in the existence of God and His influence in the lives of men. It can further be said that Shelley may have found it difficult to separate the religious beliefs that were current in her time from her own personal convictions, and this is expressed through the confusion through which The Monster undergoes in his attempt to find his place in the world.

Despite Shelley’s atheistic beliefs, one can conclude that she was a keen reader of the bible and this is why The Monster is so full of allusions. When one considers The Monster, one would be tempted to compare it to the story of Cain in the bible. While this may not have been Shelley’s original intention when portraying this character, it can be said that it came about unconsciously, since The Monster is rejected both by the society, when he attempts to become a part of it, and by God, since the latter is not the one who created him. The separation which The Monster feels is like that of Cain since he is forced to wander the earth alone without any support from either his creator or from the society. In addition, it can be said that The Monster experiences the same rejection which was experienced by Cain in the bible. The story is meant to show the atheistic beliefs of the author, but it eventually comes to do the exact opposite as seen when Victor, The Monster’s creator, comes to be disgusted by what he has created. This is a sign that despite Shelley’s belief that human beings are superior in their own right, there are limits to their knowledge. Humans do not have the capacity to bear the knowledge and to become creators the way God in the bible is portrayed. The morality of the ability of human beings to create life comes into question, because they do not have the capacity to accept their creations, instead looking upon them as abominations, the way Victor does towards his creation.

One of the most significant parts of the story is when, after creating the Monster, Victor becomes horrified by what he has done because his creation is a grotesque creature. While this may have been true, the Victor does not act like a creator would, because of the fact that he knew exactly what he was creating and could have designed it in any way he wanted to. This turns out not to be the case and his hatred for his creation leads to the Monster reciprocating the same feelings towards its creator. This leads to the Monster going to the extent of killing the brother of its creator in an attempt to hurt him. Victor, on the other hand, refuses to take responsibility for his creation and as a consequence, he is indirectly the reason for some of the bad actions that are taken by it. The Monster demands that his creator creates a mate for him, because since he is not able to fit into the human society and he is hated by the one who created him. The Monster, because he is unable to enter human society, considers himself to be the first of a new species and this is why he demands a mate from his creator. While Victor initially agrees to these demands, he comes to regret this action and destroys the female companion that he was creating for the Monster.

Mary Shelley’s story has been considered by some to be a substitute expression of the feelings which were troubling here deeply because due to the not often cordial relationship between herself and her husband. It has been said to have been an attempt to express her true feelings of the hurt she was undergoing. One would even go as far as to say that she may have related herself directly with the Monster because of the fact that he was shunned by the man who had created him. The idea is that the Monster was a representation of the rage that was going through Shelley because of the hurt that she felt because of her husband’s treatment of her and their relationship. The events which took place in the novel, especially in those places where the Monster expressed his sense of alienation were a true representation of Shelley’s feelings. The issue of morality comes into question in the novel, since the question being asked is whether Victor Frankenstein was right in creating the Monster then after it came to life, rejected it in disgust. It can be suggested that the Monster is a representation of Mary Shelly while Victor is a representation of her husband. Victor’s rejection of the monster is an expression of how Shelley felt when her husband rejected her and was unfaithful. In essence, one would say that Frankenstein is a novel which represents the feelings of Shelley during her early married life.

In conclusion, it can be said that the novel is a representation of the conflict between nature and the ability of human beings as creators. As has been stated above, the biblical allusions that can be related to the life of The Monster and his creator are in conflict with what Shelley believed, and because of this, one would come to the conclusion that Shelley was a believer in the existence of God and His influence in the lives of men. The novel is a story concerning the Monster’s attempt to search for a purpose and a place to belong in life. All these attempts turn out to be futile and as a result, the Monster comes to become bitter towards the person who created him. The novel shows man as a destroyer, because after creating the Monster, he comes to fear his ugliness and because of this ends up neglecting it. Furthermore, he chooses to destroy the female companion he was making for the Monster because of his belief that it did not have the right to exist and to propagate itself. This shows that while man has the ability to create, he is not able to take responsibility for his creations once he seen that what he has made is faulty. Finally, the personal life of Mary Shelley can be seen to be tightly entwined with the story in Frankenstein and because of this, it can be viewed as a fictional representation of the real life events that she was undergoing.