Notes 2/25: Frankenstein up to Vol. III

Here's a (newish) idea: If you bring up children properly, you will create a better world. Should we let children learn things on their own so that they will not be swayed by prejudices/judgments? There was an experiment done in which a man adopted two children and told them NOTHING. This was taking it a bit too far, and the children became deeply disturbed (they were not told, for example, about the dangers of fire). Thinkers like William Godwin (Mary Shelley's father) said that people learn from what they see; in the Reign of Terror, for example, the peasants had learned from the aristocrats that rulers are supposed to be brutal.


Comparing the Monster to a child:
The Monster is like a neglected child, who has never been taught anything, has never been shown any affection, and is confused about his place in the world. Victor completely abandons his Monster; the neglect thus turns his creation into a monster. This goes along with the idea that your upbringing goes a long way in shaping who you are. But at some level, there is some sort of moral choice. The Monster's behavior, for example, reflects his upbringing of neglect as well as the moral choices that he makes on his own. An example of such a moral choice would be when he framed Justine for the murder.

There is a sense of accomplishment that goes into raising "good" children. Parents can do the same things for their children but have different motives--it depends on whether or not they are looking for happiness for their children or pride for themselves. Parents can put such pressure upon their children to do well that they choose instead to rebel.

The Monster, feeling Victor's neglect, seems as if he will do anything to get his attention--even if it is negative attention. This occurs when he murders William: "You belong to my enemy--to him towards whom I have sworn eternal revenge; you shall be my first victim" (109). Although the Monster does want to kill William at this point, it was not his original intent to do so. The Monster at first was good, and at first looked to William for companionship. Because he cannot have the comfort of companionship, the Monster blames Victor for his unhappiness; he believes Victor owes him happiness.