Identity, Human Nature, and Development

1. Identity, Human Nature, and Development Group members: Angela Yang, MunaAbubaker, SairaSarwar, Zach Freeman, Richard Mickles, Amir Amami

2. Literal Definitions Identity: the distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity. Development: the act, process, or result of developing; growth; progress. Human Nature: the psychological and social qualities that characterize human kind, especially in contrast with other living things.

3. Victor’s humanity Curiosity killed the Cat...Curiosity is part of human nature; it was Victors' that led him to the creation of the Creature. "I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life...I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter" (Shelley 31). his obsession with his creation isolated him from everyone he knew. His curiosity cost him the life he would have had and brought out the worst of his human nature "I was possessed by a maddening rage when I thought of him, and desired and ardently prayed that I might have him within my grasp to wreak a great and signal revenge on his cursed head"(Shelley 147).

4. Human Nature-The Creature Human Nature is the social qualities that characterize humankind, especially in contrast with other living things. The Creature realizes he will never fit in or be accepted by any human because of his essentially inhuman stature and appearance and the means by which he was created. “’I would bestow every benefit upon [mankind] with tears of gratitude at his acceptance. But that cannot be; the human senses are insurmountable barriers to our union’” (Shelley 129).

5. Human Nature as it relates to the Creature No human in the book, not even The Creature’s own creator Frankenstein, is able to look past The Creature’s ghastly and grotesque appearance. The Creature is immediately shunned by all who lay eyes on him. “There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me…From that moment I declared everlasting war against the species” (Shelley 121). After having his last hope in humankind crushed, The Creature is absolutely distraught and begins to seek vengeance against Frankenstein.

6. The Identity of the Monster “..I was dependent on none and related to none. The path of my departure was free, and there was none to lament my annihilation. My person was hideous and my stature gigantic. What did this mean? Who was I? What was I? Whence did I come? What was my destination? These questions continually recurred, but I was unable to solve them.” (Shelley 104) The monster is unable to make sense of his own existence; he is unable to find his place in the world and his link to humanity. He searches for the answers about how he came to be, and why.

7. Identity of the Monster cont’d “Everything is related in them which bears reference to my accursed origin; the whole detail of that series of disgusting circumstances which produced it is set in view; the minutest description of my odious and loathsome person is given, in language which painted your own horrors and rendered mine indelible. I sickened as I read. `Hateful day when I received life!' I exclaimed in agony. `Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even YOU turned from me in disgust? God, in pity, made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid even from the very resemblance. Satan had his companions, fellow devils, to admire and encourage him, but I am solitary and abhorred.” (Shelley 105) The monster learns of his origin through reading. His new knowledge gives him insight into himself, but it also gives him a sense of personal loss that he didn’t have beforehand. Now that he does understand his nature, he realizes the horror of his situation. Is knowing your identity always a good thing?

8. Victor’s Identity “I am by birth a Genevese; and my family is one of the most distinguished of that republic” (Shelley 27). Victor is the creator of The Creature. He is a great admirer of the Sciences, and remarks that “Natural Philosophy is the genius that has regulated my fate” (Shelley 34). Even though The Creature is his creation, he shows no real sense of duty towards it. Towards the end of the novel, his sole purpose in life is to destroy the monster to atone for his transgressions

9. Victor’s Character Development At the beginning of the novel, Victor appears to be a brilliant young man with idealistic, somewhat naive ambitions. “A new species would bless [him] as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to [him].” (Shelley 47) He becomes arrogant with this knowledge of life and death –“Life and death appeared to [him] ideal bounds, which [he] should first break through’ (Shelley 47) - and pays dearly for his carelessness in exercising this power.

10. Victor’s Development cont’d He descends into a perpetual spiral of immense guilt and depression as a result of the deaths surrounding him and the monster, to the point that he turns into a vengeful, guilt-ridden monster. In the end, his only consolation is that his singular goal in life is to destroy the monster he created to atone for the deaths of William, Justine, Clerval, and Elizabeth, for he, “not in deed, but in effect, was the true murderer.” (Shelley 93) He ends the novel a bitter man, aged many years by his perpetual grief and undying hate of the monster.

11. The Monster’s Character Development In the beginning, we are only provided an image of the monster from Victor’s point of view – a deformed “wretch, the filthy daemon, to whom [he] had given life.” (Shelley 73) Once we get past his appearance and actually get to hear his rather well-articulated story, we learn that he began just as any baby would – “’a poor, helpless, miserable wretch; [who] knew, and could distinguish, nothing.’” (Shelley 105) He learns about the world the hard way, through trial and error and ultimately, rejection. His only desire in life is to be accepted, and as he learns more through his education and confrontation with the cottagers, he knows that this can never be – “there was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me.” (Shelley 143)

12. Monster’s Development cont’d At this point, he changes from naïve and hopeful to dark and bitter, learning how “’to work mischief.’” (Shelley 152) When Victor denies his request for a companion, he devotes his life to destroying Victor’s life. Surprisingly though, the monster shows us at the end that he was not a mindless killing machine, but that each murder hurt him almost more than it did Victor – Victor “’suffered not in the consummation of the deed – oh! Not the ten-thousandth portion of the anguish that was [the monster’s] during the lingering detail of its execution.” (Shelley 238) His desire for vengeance was the only thing that calmed his conscience with every murder, and with Victor’s death, that comfort is taken away, and he is revealed to still be the same miserable wretch that he started out as, now with the blood of Frankenstein’s family on his conscience. He can’t handle the immense pain and grief he feels, and ultimately commits suicide.

13. Sources “Identity.” Dictionary.com. 2011. “Development.” Dictionary.com. 2011. “Human Nature.” Dictionary.com. 2011.