Aren’t We All Monsters?

Philosophical analysis of Frankenstein

What does is mean to be alive? Is it to be sentient and to simply be aware of one’s own presence on the Earth? Or is to be alive to serve a community and to pass on one’s genetic history? Lives have value: they are judged on what they accomplish and what individuals do with the life they are given. Some pursue occupations to further the progress of the community and some choose to focus on passing on their genes. Whichever is chose life always has a goal and a reason to be given, a history and goal to work towards. All humans are created with the choice to further the human race and understand that all humans work towards goals. The creature created by Victor Frankenstein is separate from this idea. The creature was an experiment conducted by a man attempting to play god, and in a way succeeded. The creature, an amalgamation of corpses brought to life by electricity, was created with no other purpose than to simply be created. We see the creature develop through the course of the book and try to understand the reason it exists, the reason it was given life.

This monster in unaware of why it walks the earth taller than any other human or why it awoke to the immense power and strength it possesses. The monster has no true purpose to its life other than to exist and prove to scientists that life can be created outside the limits of human anatomy. This fills the monster with turmoil and sets it on a quest to search how it can find another purpose. In observing the De Lacey family, the monster learns the concept of community and the drive one has to protect and serve that community. The monster tried to join this community to be happy and find a purpose in a group effort of living and being whole with those closest to you. Due to the monster’s hideous visage it is unable to join any community, it will never learn the sense of duty that comes with serving a greater good. It can never find life’s pleasure in having friends or family; the monster is alone on the Earth and can never find such purpose. No matter how much the monster impacted the lives of the De Lacey family it never gained their love for it is gross and not a part of their community. The monster learned of comradery and morality; why humans stay together and how they function together to work towards life goals. This monster attempted to do kind deeds and build worth in the form of good work and serving the family from the shadows. This still was neglected for the monster has no home nor reason to be apart of humans.

In realizing this the monster turns to virtue. It vows to destroy any human that would reject it and pledges to remove the lives of those undeserving. Humans are given life to flourish and find happiness in hundreds of different ways, but monster has not a single reason in its existence to have life. This in itself fills the monster with purpose, with life. It has a goal, and while to humans this would be immoral, the monster is filled with virtue. It wants to curse the man that created it and forced it into this terrible existence of empty wandering and rejection. The monster has found virtue in delivering punishment on a man who tried to create something he barely understands. The monster goes to lengths to track down his creator and to threaten him that he could kill him whenever he chooses unless he listen s and understand the pain he has been forced into. The monster searches for purpose and a true life of its own that will satisfy its existence.

Does this validate the monster’s life? Does pursuing a cause, however malicious and bloody still count as virtue. Does virtue justify one’s actions; to pursue principles and ensure others follow them too? Virtue can be seen as the greatest purpose in life to an individual. It fills life with structure and a cause to follow. There are cultures and countries that band together to preserve virtues. People all have different virtues they hold dear; these differ in many ways and even cause fights that lead to conflicts that lead to wars. Ideas are what are seen today as a person’s true strength and defining part of life. To think and ponder one’s own reason to be a certain way and to diversify from others. This results in consequences that could be seen as morally wrong to some yet absolutely right to others. Does the monster’s drive to punish its creator make it right because it wants to show Frankenstein the errors he has caused? Or is the creature evil and in pursuit of a bloodthirsty goal that only leaves others dead for a stupid cause. To the monster this is its greatest purpose. Every person has their own purpose and goal. They all have their own wishes and drives that sometimes serve the community and other times only that person. No matter what the result the person always seeks to flourish in the life they have and to work towards their own goal in life to be filled with purpose and meaning. Does this make humans monsters? What does it mean to be a monster?