Williams 1

Christian Williams

Mrs. Frizell

ENG 3U

12 December 2010

Human Judgement in Frankenstein

As an evolutionary staple, the human ability to

judge it's surroundings has proven very beneficial. This
discernation allowed early humans to discover what was:
good to eat, good for making tools, comfortable and warm,
and dangerous to it's survival. It is this categorization that
has, over the centuries, thrust mankind into it's current state
of technological granduer. Despite these positive uses,
there exists a much darker side of judgement that Mary
Shelley wanted to demonstrate through her work
Frankenstein. Found throughout the work, are examples of:
negative preconceptions based on appearance, positive
misconceptions based on appearance, and the obvious
consequences of these actions.

The Monster specifically, is regarded throughout as

an evil creature even though his actions are mostly
benevolent. This is, of course, based on his both wretched
and alien appearance. The benevolance of The Monster is
apparant in chapter 12, page 78 "I found that the youth
spent a great part of each day in collecting wood for the
family fire; and, duing the night I often took his tools, the
use of which I quickly discovered, and brought home firing
sufficient for the consumption of several days." Repayment
for the Monster's kind heart is never received as in chapter
16, page 101 "I followed speedily, I hardly knew why; but
when the man saw me draw near, he aimed a gun, which he
carried, at my body, and fired." The Monster, being
percieved as a threat, caused people to flee the sight of him:
chapter 11, page 73 "He turned on hearing the noise; and
perceiving me, shreiked loudly, and quitting the hut, ran
across the fields with a speed of which his debilitated form
hardly appeared capable." Everyone he met, without
knowing anything about his intentions or behaviour, took
his mere presence as an attack on their person. All The
Monster wanted was to make a friend, to not be utterly
alone in the world. Forced isolation is one of the many
negatives of judgement; and, a method Mary Shelley used
in Frankenstein.

There are several instances in the story where

characters are asumed to be friendly, when actually, they
are malefic. An example of this, when Felix believes
Safie's father is being unjustly punished, and Safie's father
has agreed to give Safie to Felix in exchange for his
deliverance, is in chapter 14, page 88 "The Turk allowed
this intimacy to take place, and encouraged the hopes of
the youthful lovers, while in his heart he had formed far
other plans." The Monster himself made such an error, in
believing that the cottagers whom he thought were
merciful, would comfort and protect him. Unfortunately
this was not to be so on page 97 of chapter 15 "Felix darted
forward, and with supernatural force, tore me from his
father, to whose knees I clung; in a transport of fury, he
dashed me to the ground and struck me violently with a
stick." Victor seems like a good guy with proper dreams
and apirations up to chapter 5; however, it becomes
apparent that this is a misconception; based on the fact that
Victor abandons his work upon it's creation. Page 36 "I
took refuge in the courtyard belonging to the house which I
inhabited; where I remined during the rest of the night,
walking up and down in the greatest agitation, listening
attentively, catching and fearing each sound as if it were to
announce the approach of the demical corpse to which I
had so miserably given life." It is dissapointing to find that
one who seemed so trustworty, could turn into one so
feared and hated by those who know the truth about them.
As unfortunate as it may be, the failure to detect malice, is
a way that judgement can be harmful, and is a theme
expressed in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

To fully express the negetivity of inter-human

judgement, Mary Shelley provides obvious examples of
consequences associated therein. From the monsters
oppression, it learns to hate man: chapter 16, page 101
"Inflamed by pain, I vowed eternal hatred and vengance to
all mankind." Had anyone along The Monster's journey
been kind and welcoming to him, he would have remained
there, in bliss, never to hurt a soul. "I am malicious because
I am miserable" chapter 17, page 104. The Monster was
aware of the source of his anger, should he receive any
simple necessity, he would be enraptured and benevolent to
his benifactor always. Being denied all that he asked drove
The Monster to commit tradegies beyond belief, chapter
16, page 102 "The child still struggled, and loaded me with
epithets which carried despair to my heart: I grasped his
throat to silence him, and in a moment he lay dead at my
feet." and furthermore on page 144 of chapter 23 "She was
there, lifeless and inanimate, thrown across the bed, her
head hanging down, and her pale and distorted features half
covered by her hair." These consequences are perhaps the
most important aspect because they allow the reader to
experience, in measurable terms, the harmful effects of
inter-human judgement.

Should've, could've, would've. By the time

heinsight kicks in, it's too late to change the mistakes made.
If society as a whole can keep from basing thier beliefs on
the appearance of their peers, then it becomes very simple
to avoid the obvious consequences. Mary Shelley really
does a bang up job demonstrating her indictment of human
judgement throughout Frankenstein by: oppresing The
Monster, surprising the reader, and having everyone get
wrecked up by The Monster as a result. In the second
chapter, page 20, Alfonse regards Victors early readings as
such: "Ah! Cornelius Agrippa! My dear Victor, do not
waste your time upon this; it is sad trash." If perhaps,
Alfonse had been more caring towards his son's ideas; then
perhaps, the monster would not have been created at all. If
such a thing could be true, then perhaps the whole string of
preconceptions, and misconceptions, were all started by
one careless judgement of a father to a son.