In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature is described by society as a heartless fiend capable of unleashing havoc due to his grim, horrific appearance, and is often dubbed as a monster. However, the true definition of a monster is one who commits malicious acts for personal gain and lacks the caring that a normal human being would have, clearly contradicting the fact that the Creature seeks a healthy bond with his creator and friendships with other human beings. In addition, Victor Frankenstein demonstrates more traits that define a monster than the Creature does due to his hostility to the Creature, desire for power and knowledge, and selfishness.
In several instances throughout the novel, Victor acts in a barbaric and antagonistic manner towards his own creation, despite the Creature's initial kindness and innocence. Shelley utilizes dramatic irony when Victor is unable to discern the Creature's obliviousness after the Creature is born into the world, stating how the Creature "muttered some inarticulate sounds, while a grin wrinkled his cheeks. He might have spoken, but I did not hear; one hand was stretched out, seemingly to detain me" (Shelley 36). Here, Shelley draws a parallel between the birth of a baby and the birth of the Creature. The Creature's attempts at speaking and his first smile resemble a newborn's actions. The author implements visual imagery, depicting the birth Creature holding out his hand towards his creator, similar to the motion of a baby desiring contact with its mother. However, Victor interprets the Creature's actions as threatening and runs away from the scene, leaving the Creature by himself in a judgmental world. Through this parallelism, the author reinforces tabula rasa, which explains that all humans are essentially innocent at and are ultimately shaped by future experiences with other people. In the Creature's case, due to his repeated rejection by society and his creator, the Creature turns away from his amiable persona, illustrating the significance of love and the formation of positive relations.
