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How does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein take the question of what it means to be human and weather or not there is human nature? In your essay be sure to define terms, identify, assumptions, include examples from the text to support/illustrate and respond to possible objections, and consider alternative interpretations.

Shelley identifies the question of what it means to be human and human nature throughout the book Frankenstein. She leaves mush of the question to be filled by the reader, since she only guides and does not give straight forward answers. Human is not a term easily defined. The common dictionary form summarized is that of a being that posesses human characterists and is defined as a human being. Human nature is even harder to define as it is defined by each individual rather then as a common whole. Shelley leaves you hanging with questions, wanting answers only you can give. Shelley does not tell you if the Creature is human or not. She does not force you to decide if it is human or not she leaves it open for you to answer and for anyone to answer.

Is the Creature a monster or is it a monster in the sense of how we define humans as monsters? Those who rape, child molesters, the handicapped, those with physical deformities; they have all been defined as monsters throughout human history because they do things and are different from those like those who define human. We proclaim those who harm others as monsters because they are doing things most of us can not understand and we proclaim those with physical and mental deformities as monsters because we simply see them as different and different scares us. But was the creator a monster in the human sense or in the sense we get from Hollywood movies with bolts in the neck, or hairy creatures that grunt and moan. This is a question only the reader can decide for themselves. I see the monster as that of a human we do not understand rather then the Hollywood version simply because the Creature may be size different from human but Shelly made it clear that the parts came from other humans. The Creature may be human to some and a Hollywood monster to others but either way it is all human. I feel we fear the monster because of the size and appearance of it as well as the actions he takes that we don’t understand. From Shelley’s writing we know the murder of William was an accident but does anyone see it as such? No we only see it as a murder.

We know the Creature kills William by accident but what about Clerval, or Elizabeth how do we justifiy their murders? Is it human nature to kill more once you’ve killed once? But this question would make the Creature human and give it human nature. Leaving the question of weather human nature is something you’re born or created with or if it’s something you learn and is taught to you over time. I believe you’re born with some characteristics of human nature such as the want and need for food, and the need to be held and comforted as well as the brief understand of love. After these simple things I believe everything is learned and taught to us as human nature. The idea of who care’s for us is implanted as time and certain people care, the idea of good and evil/ right and wrong, as well as free will, and stronger ideas of what we were born with. We know that kids learn all of these by seeing and experiencing, as well as just a common idea of what they already feel. This though brings up the idea of who taught the Creature who ran away from his creator as soon as he was able. He had no contact, no love, yet he still has learned of it and knows his need for that affection. We are able to gather he learned some from the DeLacey family as he watched from his shelter on their land, he also could have learned some from Frankenstein himself in how he hugged him as he was first coming to life and as he watched Frankensteins love for his family and for Elizabeth from afar.

As the Creature asks Frankenstein for a mate or companion, it leaves open the question of what will Frankenstein make for him if he does create his Creature a Creature. The Creature knows what beauty is having seen Frankensteins mother, and Elizabeth as well as other human women. But it leaves the problem of will he create a Creature like he did the first or as a more perfect model also giving the problem of will the new creature have love for the old. Human nature comes with free will and this makes one wonder will the new creator love the orgional or will it want a creator to love that is more improved then the origonal? Shelly leaves many places for the reader to fill with there own thoughts and ideas. I believe the Creature’s Creature would not love him because you can not force human nature to be attracted to everything that’s there and you can’t force love. Love is built and installed into you from birth you know what love it and as you grow it becomes stronger and more known of what kind of love is needed weather physical, emotional, a soft type of love, or a more firm love to gain support from. They all combine to make individual types of love each creature, human, or animal needs.