Explain how "Frankenstein" represents the ideas, attitudes, values and beliefs?.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, represents many ideas, attitudes, values and beliefs of its context, conveying them in such aspects as the issues of life and religion.
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley clearly promotes her views on the definitions of original sin, religion and God, love and life. She does this by creating a monster whose birth does not resemble that of a normal baby but whose intellectual growth does. For the monster, his childlike innocence exists until society ignites his evil actions.
Frankenstein was a scientific genius and ambitious in his studies. When he tried to use his genius to prolong life, he found he had the power to create life. The doctor's scientific success in creating the monster was ultimately a failure for morality. Frankenstein, upon completion of his monster, realized the immorality of his work and rejected it and disassociated himself from it and science. The result of Frankenstein's immorality was death for just about everyone he loved and utter despair for himself. Because of the doctor's irresponsibility, he lost everything including his life.
Mary Shelley shows the values of companionship, fear, trust, and happiness. All of these values the monster wants or portrays, but due to society, he is unable to achieve them. The monster tries to understand these values throughout his life but can't because of the injustice he receives from the humans. When the monster finds his first home at the house of the De Lacey's he understands humans better and tries to mimic them. While his stay here the monster watches avidly to learn how to act "human". The monster feels he can help them out and does so by doing odd jobs during the night. After the monster lives among the family for many years he decides that he will confront the family and tell them about his experiences while living there.