How is the theme of monstrosity presented in Frankenstein?
Teacher assessed: 30/30
Ostensibly, there is no monster in the novel and, contrary to popular belief, the creature is
simply a point of reference, used by Shelley to reflect the monstrosities in early 19th century
Georgian society. Shelley‘s novel is not truly about a monster and his creator but rather Britain
and her monstrosities. This takes multiple forms throughout the novel including; the monstrous
ambivalence of family, the monstrous treatment of women and the monstrosity of prejudice.
In Volume one, Shelley tactfully uses the relationship Victor has with his father to depict the
monstrous ambivalence of family. Alphonse, Victor‘s father, ‘devoted himself to the education of
his children’ and yet never took the time to explain why the works of Agrippa, Paracelsus and
Magnus were no longer relevant. Victor himself says that if his father had ‘taken the pains’ to
explain why these books were ‘chimerical’ then ‘It is even possible that the train of [his] ideas
would never have received a fatal impulse that led to [his] ruin’. This can be interpreted as Victor
attempting to shirk responsibility for his actions. However, it can also tell us that Victor and his
father have contrasting ideas on the importance of education. Evidently, Victor places too much
emphasis on education whereas Alphonse places too little on it. The disconnect between the
two characters emerges from this point.The verb ‘pains’ highlights the strain between the two
characters' relationship. Mary Shelley’s relationship with her father parallels that of Victor and
Alphonse as it was also strained. Despite the fact that William Godwin advocates for free will
and liberal concepts, when Mary entered a relationship with a married man (Percy Shelley) - her
father disowned her. This revealed to Shelley the duality of knowledge and the complex nature
of one’s system of beliefs. Shelley evokes her personal experiences to demonstrate the vantage
points and limitations of knowledge, especially when acquired through an institution. This serves
as a warning to her reader’s not to pursue knowledge overzealously. The use of the noun
‘impulse’ shows that his fascination was spiralling and uncontrollable. We can see from this, that
Victor recognises this as the point of his demise - which his father could have prevented.
Later on in the novel, the injustice that Justine experiences can only be described as monstrous.
Despite the fact that Victor knows who killed his brother, he does not come forth with the truth
and as a result Justine is wrongly sentenced to death. As he reflects on this, he says ‘the
tortures of the accused did not equal mine; she was sustained by innocence’. The word
‘tortures’ emphasises the state of emotional and physical pain that Justine was in. Mary Shelley
satirically emphasizes Victor’s narcissism when he says that Justine was ‘sustained by
innocence’. This sentiment means nothing as Victor knows that Justine will be found guilty (as
was typical for the working class at the time) and will be sentenced to death. Victor, as an
educated and wealthy man, escapes society’s judgment whereas an innocent, working class
female is wrongfully punished. Mary Shelley is clearly commenting on the prejudice within
society and how corrupt the justice system could be.
The treatment of other women in the novel can also be seen as monstrous, which parallels the
monstrous treatment of women in 19th century British society. The critic H. L Malchow argues
that, ‘a novel is not only a product of inner psychology and private domestic experience, but also
of the wider, enfolding, external environment of shifting values, attitudes and observations which
Teacher assessed: 30/30
Ostensibly, there is no monster in the novel and, contrary to popular belief, the creature is
simply a point of reference, used by Shelley to reflect the monstrosities in early 19th century
Georgian society. Shelley‘s novel is not truly about a monster and his creator but rather Britain
and her monstrosities. This takes multiple forms throughout the novel including; the monstrous
ambivalence of family, the monstrous treatment of women and the monstrosity of prejudice.
In Volume one, Shelley tactfully uses the relationship Victor has with his father to depict the
monstrous ambivalence of family. Alphonse, Victor‘s father, ‘devoted himself to the education of
his children’ and yet never took the time to explain why the works of Agrippa, Paracelsus and
Magnus were no longer relevant. Victor himself says that if his father had ‘taken the pains’ to
explain why these books were ‘chimerical’ then ‘It is even possible that the train of [his] ideas
would never have received a fatal impulse that led to [his] ruin’. This can be interpreted as Victor
attempting to shirk responsibility for his actions. However, it can also tell us that Victor and his
father have contrasting ideas on the importance of education. Evidently, Victor places too much
emphasis on education whereas Alphonse places too little on it. The disconnect between the
two characters emerges from this point.The verb ‘pains’ highlights the strain between the two
characters' relationship. Mary Shelley’s relationship with her father parallels that of Victor and
Alphonse as it was also strained. Despite the fact that William Godwin advocates for free will
and liberal concepts, when Mary entered a relationship with a married man (Percy Shelley) - her
father disowned her. This revealed to Shelley the duality of knowledge and the complex nature
of one’s system of beliefs. Shelley evokes her personal experiences to demonstrate the vantage
points and limitations of knowledge, especially when acquired through an institution. This serves
as a warning to her reader’s not to pursue knowledge overzealously. The use of the noun
‘impulse’ shows that his fascination was spiralling and uncontrollable. We can see from this, that
Victor recognises this as the point of his demise - which his father could have prevented.
Later on in the novel, the injustice that Justine experiences can only be described as monstrous.
Despite the fact that Victor knows who killed his brother, he does not come forth with the truth
and as a result Justine is wrongly sentenced to death. As he reflects on this, he says ‘the
tortures of the accused did not equal mine; she was sustained by innocence’. The word
‘tortures’ emphasises the state of emotional and physical pain that Justine was in. Mary Shelley
satirically emphasizes Victor’s narcissism when he says that Justine was ‘sustained by
innocence’. This sentiment means nothing as Victor knows that Justine will be found guilty (as
was typical for the working class at the time) and will be sentenced to death. Victor, as an
educated and wealthy man, escapes society’s judgment whereas an innocent, working class
female is wrongfully punished. Mary Shelley is clearly commenting on the prejudice within
society and how corrupt the justice system could be.
The treatment of other women in the novel can also be seen as monstrous, which parallels the
monstrous treatment of women in 19th century British society. The critic H. L Malchow argues
that, ‘a novel is not only a product of inner psychology and private domestic experience, but also
of the wider, enfolding, external environment of shifting values, attitudes and observations which
