3.6.1

Presentation

Test yourself

Theme: Monstrosity

Shelley is careful to present aspects of monstrosity in more characters than simply the Monster. She encourages the reader to question what it is that makes someone monstrous.

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Victor's depiction of the Monster

  • As soon as his creation awakes, Victor refers to it as a “miserable monster”.
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The Monster

  • In Volume Two, when Shelley presents the Monster’s narrative, the reader is surprised by how eloquent and intelligent he seems to be.
  • This contrasts with Victor, who throws constant insults at the Monster and desires to engage him in combat.
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Victor's monstrosity

  • Victor is moved by the Monster’s appeal for a companion and agrees to create one.
  • The Monster’s sensitive and well-thought-out argument at this stage heightens the reader’s sense of Victor’s cruelty and monstrosity when he destroys the companion.
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The role of society

  • When referring to himself, the Monster often seems to appropriate the same type of insulting language used by Victor.
  • The Monster himself claims that it was “misery” which turned him into a “fiend”.
  • This could be read as proof of society’s ability to create monsters through its treatment of others.

Jump to other topics

1Plot Summaries

2Characters

3Key Themes

4Authorial Method

5Context

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