"There's a Bit of the Creature in All of Us" (Schildt)

Victor Frankenstein's creation is commonly referred to as a monster, but this "monster" is intended to be a symbol of human nature, not a killing machine. In the article, "183 years after its literary birth, Mary Shelley's monster lives on," it discusses the intended theme of the novel, "Mary Shelley was not writing about the evils of science and progress... but suffering and loss and pain, the feeling of being ostracized-that I think she knew very well. And I think people have always felt that, and so they can feel for the monster too... There's a bit of the creature in all of us" (Schildt). In the story, the monster experiences real human emotions and strives to attain love, acceptance, and friendship. As with humans, the absence of these things causes great despair and can lead to violence. The article describes how these human emotions dictate the creature's actions, "Their creation intentionally hurt only those who tormented him, and wanted nothing more than love and beauty. When he saw a sunbeam for the first time, he reached for it in rapture; when he accidentally killed a child, he screamed in uncomprehending anguish" (Whitty). In the novel the monster is not accepted by humans because of his repulsive appearance. He feels alone because he has no friends, even his creator despises him. To fill the hole in his heart, he requests Victor make him a mate that will accept him for who he is. He is desperate and alone, so he turns to violence when his request is denied. Human emotions are strong and can dictate ones actions. Loneliness and anger can lead to envy and hate, as exemplified through the creature. "I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind" (Shelley 134).

Like the creature, any human would become enraged and violent if they had no friends, and were rejected by everyone. Besides clothing, shelter, and food, the essentials of life are friendship, fun, and love. The monster lacks all of these things, and is therefore miserable. Because the creature's appearance is unusual, no one accepts him, even though he is kind at heart. This shows that you should not judge people by the way they look, but rather by what is inside. As Schildt suggests, everyone has a little monster inside of them, which can influence ones actions especially when they are overcome by these feelings of hate, loneliness, jealousy, and despair. The effects of pain and suffering are the main theme of Shelley's novel Frankenstein. It may have been science that gave life to the creature, but it was human emotions that created the monster.