Frankenstein:The Creature's Life

Essay by kerrilynnCollege, UndergraduateA+, March 2004

download word file, 5 pages 5.0

In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Doctor Victor Frankenstein fashioned a creation almost unimaginable to the human mind. He created, what he called, a "wretch" that looked very different from the rest of society. This creature was perceived as terrifying by all of those whom encountered it and everybody assumed he was vicious, dangerous, and a threat to society. In this novel, the creature takes six chapters explaining his side of the story and how his life, as an outcast of society, had been like. Victor sits and listens quietly as his creation begins to tell the tale of all the stages of his life up until that point in time.

The first stage in the creature's story is mainly based on confusion and fear. He is living and trying to survive in a forest, and is very unfamiliar with his surroundings. He figures out how to start a fire and, thus, keep warm.

A fire was left by some beggars and the creature, feeling its warmth and noticing its light, discovers how to prolong the flame to help keep himself alive. The light from the fire contributed to his attempts to obtain as much food as possible over the time spent in the woods. He gathered berries, nuts, roots, and acorns, already realizing on his own that food is a necessity for survival. Finally, this creature comes across a shepherd's hut, in hope that his life will soon change. The hut, to him, is a new discovery and he notices how it keeps out rain and snow and provides protection from the cold forest; this intrigues him. However, the creature is chased away just as fast as he entered and, while escaping the villagers, comes across a small "hovel" in the country. It is here he discovers the...