Moral Ambiguity in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
A guest post by my wonderful sister Jalina
As a bit of a Halloween special, I have decided to feature this essay on Frankenstein that my sister Jalina wrote for her high school English class. Unfortunately, she still refuses to join Substack so I cannot add her as a guest author or anything fancy like that. Please be aware that this post contains major spoilers for the book, so I recommend reading Frankenstein first if you have not already. Jalina also requested that I write something here telling people not to plagiarize her work because reasons… or something. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy reading this fancy literary analysis thing because I know I sure did!
-Rachel
Significance of Moral Ambiguity as suggested in Frankenstein
By: Jalina Schoenberger
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus explores the concept of morally ambiguous characters—those whose behaviour discourages readers from identifying them as purely evil or purely good. In the novel, Victor’s creature undergoes a significant change in his morals when he is rejected by humanity. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley suggests that when an individual has been rejected by their creator, and even society as a whole, they may develop ambiguous morals as a result of their desire for acceptance. The ambiguous morals developed may be caused by the feelings of revenge against those who rejected them, but despite this, the individual will eventually face guilt because of their actions.
Victor’s creature is an example of a morally ambiguous character. When he first comes to life, the creature has no idea who he is or how he came to be. As he struggles to survive alone the creature describes himself as “a poor, helpless, miserable wretch” (103) because he was utterly alone with no one to guide him. As a result, the creature has absolutely no knowledge of the world around him, and least of all a sense of morality; his instinct for survival is the only thing that keeps him alive.
When the creature discovers the De Lacey family, he is fascinated by how the people live their daily lives, the tasks that they complete, and the way they treat each other. But he does not dare to confront these people, for he remembers all too well the way he was treated in previous villages. Children shrieked, women fainted, and men attacked him with stones when he entered a village that very morning. Because of this, the creature feels utterly alone and miserable, rejected by the very species he admires in a world he knows nothing about. As the creature watches the family from hiding, he soon discovers that they are not entirely happy, despite the affection demonstrated between them. According to his observations, the De Lacey family faced poverty and suffered from a lack of food. Deeply moved, the creature does his best to assist their labours, starting by collecting firewood during the night. This is the first time the creature uses his newly found morals to impact his actions. Since the creature had no knowledge of the world when he came to be, all of his morals were impressed upon him by observing other humans around him. The significance of this is that it suggests morals are often formed as a result of one’s surroundings or experiences.
Throughout his stay, the creature learns much by observing the daily lives of the De Laceys. He learns the concept of language and how humans use these sounds to communicate with each other. Other lessons that the creature learned included the history and geography of the very world he was born into, along with the sciences of nature and seasons. He states, “I admired virtue and good feelings, and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottagers; but I was shut out from intercourse with them, except through means which I obtained by stealth, when I was unseen and unknown, and which rather increased than satisfied the desire I had of becoming one among my fellows” (120-121). This sentence demonstrates the creature’s desire for companionship as he admires the affectionate interactions of the cottagers. In this time, the creature not only learns knowledge about the world he lives in, but a moral code based on observing the actions of his friends. Even though he is created from dead matter, the creature is still capable of feeling the same emotions and desires that humans have.
Finally, the creature gathers the courage to confront the cottagers and request their friendship. The perfect opportunity arrives when the children are out on a walk and the old, blind father is left at home alone. When the creature enters their home, the old man welcomes him in and after a while, the creature eventually reveals that he seeks the companionship of some friends who are greatly prejudiced against him. The very next moment the father’s children come home and with horror, see the creature. In response, the son beats him with a stick as he lays on the ground. As the creature lies helplessly, he admits, “I could have torn him limb from limb, … but my heart sunk within me as with bitter sickness, and I refrained” (135). This is significant because it shows that the creature never wished harm to this family, but he was still treated like a criminal. His heart shatters as he is rejected by the fellow beings he has helped and admired, making his desire for acceptance hurt so much more.
At this point in the novel, the creature undergoes a drastic change in his morals. When he discovers that the De Lacey family is leaving forever, he is overcome with rage and burns down the cottage in his anger. Instead of demonstrating kindness and love like the cottagers did, the creature’s revenge is fueled by being rejected by the only friends he desired. Because of his vengeful feelings, the creature will eventually make decisions that prove his ambiguous morals. Now he believes it is acceptable to kill others, as payback for his suffering.
The first instance that suggests the creature’s moral ambiguity is the murder of Frankenstein’s younger brother, William. Contrary to what one might expect, the creature did not intend to kill the boy when he first laid eyes on him. Instead, he is led to believe that if “[he] could seize him, and educate him as [his] companion and friend, [he would] not be so desolate in this peopled earth” (148). But things do not go according to plan, and when the boy mentions Frankenstein’s name, the creature is once again overcome with revenge and decides the boy shall be his first victim. Justine soon becomes his second as he leaves evidence that will prove her guilty of the murder. Both of these actions prove that the monster is willing to make humans suffer, especially his creator, because of being rejected by society as a whole. This contrasts the earlier actions of the creature when he was determined to acquire friendship by helping the cottagers he admired.
Now is the first part of the creature's story when Frankenstein’s involvement begins to play an important role. Up to this point, Frankenstein has had a very noticeable absence from the creature’s life. At first, Frankenstein is excited about the prospect of his new scientific discovery and the idea of creating a living being. But as he regards his creature as it comes to life, he states, “[T]he beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” (57). Overcome with fear at the being he has created, Frankenstein flees in terror, abandoning the creature as it enters the world. This absence of guidance from a creator has a notable impact on the creature throughout the novel, especially in the first days after his birth. The creature feels alone and abandoned, with no knowledge of the world he lives in, and no one to educate him in the ways of humanity. As a result, this contributes to the creature’s feelings of rejection, because when he discovers that he does have a creator, he learns that they abandoned him even before he came to life.
Later on, when the creature does have an opportunity to share his story with Frankenstein, he expresses his feelings as a result of his creator’s abandonment. He says to Frankenstein, “I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam; but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed” (100). Even the creature recognizes that it is the responsibility of a creator to love and care for its creation like its own child. The lack of guidance the creature receives from Victor causes him to develop ambiguous morals more easily, as no one has personally instructed him in what is right and wrong. This suggests that Frankenstein is at fault for the creature’s actions and could have prevented the murder of his own brother if he had actually cared for his own creation. Instead, both Frankenstein and the creature have mutual feelings of revenge towards each other, one for the murder of his brother, and the other for being abandoned at birth.
After the creature shares his story with Frankenstein, he proposes a deal that Frankenstein will create him a female as a companion, and he will promise to never harm humanity again. This is another example of the creature as a morally ambiguous character because he is basing his decisions on the actions of others. Once again, it comes down to his desire for acceptance, and ultimately the revenge that he experiences as a result of being rejected. Frankenstein reluctantly agrees to this request, but after a while, he begins to question this decision and decides against it. He worries that the female “might refuse to comply with a pact made before her creation” (165). When the creature hears of this, he is once again filled with rage and is determined to make Frankenstein suffer by killing his friend Henry later that night. This demonstrates that the creature’s morals are dependent on his happiness and want for a companion in life. Only if he has the chance to be happy, then anyone else has that right as well.
The last example of the creature’s ambiguous morals is the murder of Elizabeth, Frankenstein’s wife, on their wedding night. Earlier the creature promises that “[he] shall be with [Frankenstein] on [his] wedding night” (168). Frankenstein believes this is a threat to kill him on his wedding night, but the creature has something much more painful in mind—the murder of his wife, Elizabeth. Victor has resolved himself to die in this moment, but instead, he will suffer much more by the death of his beloved companion. If the creature does not have an opportunity for a companion, then neither should Frankenstein. When Victor discovers the true meaning of the creature’s threat and stares at Elizabeth’s lifeless body, he is overcome with grief. Because of his initial abandonment, the creature makes it his goal to cause as much suffering as possible to the one who refuses his desire for happiness. The change in morals has grown so drastic; the creature goes from one who selflessly helped those who never knew him to a murdering monster, determined to make humanity suffer.
Despite the shift in morals the creature undergoes, it is not without consequence. Though it may not seem at first glance, he experiences a lot of guilt because of his actions. When Frankenstein dies on Walton’s ship, the creature appears and sorrowfully exclaims, “That is also my victim! … What does it avail that I now ask thee to pardon me? I, who irretrievably destroyed thee by destroying all thou lovest” (219). While the creature took no joy in murdering William, Henry, or Elizabeth, he found it necessary to satisfy his desire for revenge as he was rejected by humanity. This demonstrates that although the creature underwent a dramatic shift in moral beliefs, he was still affected by the serious consequences of his actions, even if he believed them justified. Frankenstein was also not without guilt; he held himself responsible for the murders of William, Justine, Henry, and Elizabeth, therefore resolving with his dying breath to destroy his creation, though he did not succeed.
In conclusion, Mary Shelley demonstrates that individuals may develop ambiguous morals when they are rejected by society and denied their desire for acceptance, which can lead to feelings of revenge and ultimately guilt as a result of their actions. The creature can be defined as morally ambiguous as he transitions from someone who would selflessly help others to a murderer capable of causing so much pain. All the creature ever wanted was a companion in life, but because he was rejected by all he encountered in life he made it his mission to guarantee that his creator would suffer as much as he did. Ultimately, the novel Frankenstein explores the topic of ambiguous morals and how a character may develop these as a result of being rejected by society and a noticeable lack of parental guidance.
Work Cited
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus. Edited by M. K. Joseph, Oxford University Press, 2008.
The book is so different from all the movies. In the book one can feel deep compassion for thr creature and his need for love that he rarely received. We have all been created for relationship and the need for love.