Monstrosity in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Monstrosity in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

In "Frankenstein" Mary Shelley describes that true monstrosity is shown through one’s actions and intentions, not their looks .Despite the fact that the monster Victor Frankenstein creates is a literal example of monstrosity in the novel. There are many parts that give meaning to monstrosity within character's actions. Although Victor appears normal but his ambitions, secrets, selfishness, and inaction make him a monster himself. 

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is created using the life stories of different characters in the novel. The novel itself could be seen as a monster created similarly to Victor's monster. A monster is defined as an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening. By this definition, Victor's creature who is depicted to be eight feet tall and hideous. However repugnant he was on the outside, when Frankenstein's creature begins to tell his tale of sorrow and rejection the creature does not seem to be monstrous. 

Frankenstein shows that what looks like a monster in appearance may not be and what looks normal on appearance may be a monster. While a scary ugly creature may look like a monster .A true monster is formed from within and is seen through actions.

 
This part of the thesis will focus on some aspects of the words monstrosity and monstrous but it will also introduce several authors’ definitions and ideas about what a monstrosity is. The most important factor, that has to be mentioned, is that monsters like Frankenstein’s monster are given some character features that make them different from human beings and that have to be described as features of monstrosity. The monsters like Victor’s monster possess supernatural forces, however, they include some elements of horror and terror that make them monstrous as well.

In accordance to these definitions, Merriam Webster’s classification fits the description of the monster that is designed to be the target of this thesis perfectly. As an example, Frankenstein’s monster incorporates all the points of the definition; he comes to the world as a result of his creator’s experiment, deformed, made of bones, with enormous strength as well as a huge frame and killing its creator’s family members and friends.