Compare the ways in which the writers of your two texts present what it means to be
human
Both writers Shelley and Atwood present what it means to be human in similar ways in
Frankenstein and The Handmaid’s Tale. Through different characters, which either possess
human qualities or lack humanity, it is made clear what qualities determine a human and it
can be questioned as to whether these human traits are learnt or innate.
Both novels present humans as driven by curiosity and the need to learn. In Frankenstein,
Shelley uses the Creature’s narrative to express how he finds out about his environment
through curiosity and experiments. This is stressed further by the fact that the Creature’s
birth situation results in him lacking any prior knowledge and therefore requires the need to
learn. Furthermore, humanity is emphasised in both novels through characters that lack
human connection. For example, in Frankenstein, the Creature’s narrative is filled with his
desire for human connection which increases and he ends up with the ‘desire to claim their
protection’ and therefore sees human connection as a necessity and a right. In comparison,
in The Handmaid's Tale, the desire for human connection is the driving force behind Offred’s
narrative as she expresses that ‘it’s lack of love we die from’ therefore Atwood portrays the
significance of human connection as a quality humans require to possess. Moreover, Shelley
emphasises humanity through…
Preview ends…buy to see the whole essay (which includes 5 paragraphs and a conclusion)
human
Both writers Shelley and Atwood present what it means to be human in similar ways in
Frankenstein and The Handmaid’s Tale. Through different characters, which either possess
human qualities or lack humanity, it is made clear what qualities determine a human and it
can be questioned as to whether these human traits are learnt or innate.
Both novels present humans as driven by curiosity and the need to learn. In Frankenstein,
Shelley uses the Creature’s narrative to express how he finds out about his environment
through curiosity and experiments. This is stressed further by the fact that the Creature’s
birth situation results in him lacking any prior knowledge and therefore requires the need to
learn. Furthermore, humanity is emphasised in both novels through characters that lack
human connection. For example, in Frankenstein, the Creature’s narrative is filled with his
desire for human connection which increases and he ends up with the ‘desire to claim their
protection’ and therefore sees human connection as a necessity and a right. In comparison,
in The Handmaid's Tale, the desire for human connection is the driving force behind Offred’s
narrative as she expresses that ‘it’s lack of love we die from’ therefore Atwood portrays the
significance of human connection as a quality humans require to possess. Moreover, Shelley
emphasises humanity through…
Preview ends…buy to see the whole essay (which includes 5 paragraphs and a conclusion)
