What Frankenstein Can Teach Us About Human Nature

If there is one theme that the gothic novel Frankenstein expresses it is humanity. Throughout the text we are shown example after example of the little things that define humanity: curiosity, love, and mistakes.

The story starts out with one of the most basic instincts of human nature - curiosity. Curiosity drives the character of Victor Frankenstein to devote his life to science. He spends hours upon days of his life in the pursuit of knowledge, finally coming across his major discovery, "After days and nights of incredible labour and fatigue, I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation and life; nay, more, I became myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter" (Shelley 28). Spurred by the excitement of his discovery, and curious to discover more, Frankenstein at once begins another project - building a human being out of lifeless body parts. Curiosity continues to drive him through months as he works on this project, and without this innate curiosity, the story would have no foundation - the monster would not have been created and therefore no plot would exist. We see curiosity not only in Frankenstein's devotion to science, but also in the monster's curiosity about the world around him. He learns to speak eloquently, and describes to Frankenstein his delight in discovering the world:

I was delighted when I first discovered that a pleasant sound, which often saluted my ears, proceeded from the throats of the little winged animals who had often intercepted the light from my eyes. I began also to observe, with greater accuracy, the forms that surrounded me, and to perceive the boundaries of the radiant roof of light which canopied me (Shelley 56).

He also spends time watching a family of cottagers, curious about the way they live and love. Through the monster's curiosity in the family we witness the next emotion common to human nature: love.

The monster watches a family of cottagers and sees their love for each other. Love is a unique emotion. I believe it isn't necessarily an emotion that we are born with, but is socialized into us. Once we have witnessed what true love is like we will forever remember it and seek it. Therefore, when the monster was 'born' it did not know the meaning of love; his creator fled from him, leaving him alone in the world. When he comes upon the cottage and the family residing there he glimpses his first exposure to love.

I thought of the occurrences of the day. What chiefly struck me was the gentle manners of these people; I longed to join them, but dared not... Nothing could exceed the love and respect which the younger cottagers exhibited towards their venerable companion. They performed towards him every little office of affection and duty with gentleness; and he rewarded them by his benevolent smiles (Shelley 60).

After seeing the kindness shown by the family, the monster starts to show signs of kindness himself. He previously would steal part of their food storage to eat at night, but upon realizing that it was hurting the family, he stopped. Also, when he learned that gathering wood took up a large portion of their days, he would take their tools and bring back enough wood in one night to last them for a few days. From then on, the monster sought love. When he approaches Frankenstein he does not punish him for abandoning him, but instead implores him to make him a mate so that he can live in happiness. Though Frankenstein is unsympathetic and unloving toward his creation, we can still see he seeks love in the fact that he created the monster at all. He confesses his desire to create a race that will owe its existence to him and therefore owe him love and respect: "A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs" (Shelley 29).

Another aspect of human nature that is displayed is the tendency to make mistakes. Everyone makes them - no one is exempt. Frankenstein's first mistake was