Rachel Pekelney Period 5 English 12/15/14
The Monster as the Other
Otherness is an important theme in Mary Shelley’s noel Frankenstein! Frankenstein! P"#lished in 1$1$% Frankenstein centers Frankenstein centers on the #rilliant and am#itio"s scientist &ictor 'rankenstein 'rankenstein and his ("est to #ring li)e to a h"man corpse! &ictor s"cceeded s"cceeded in doing so% #"t his creation did not t"rn o"t as he he had hoped! *nstead% he created created a hideo"s monster monster that "ltimately m"rdered m"rdered all o) &ictor’s loed ones and a nd +as alienated )rom h"man society! society! ,r! ,r! 'rankenstein 'rankenstein intended intend ed his creation to #e per)ect and s"perior to man% #"t the res"lt +as the opposite! The Monster can #e seen as the Other% meaning he +as di-erent )rom h"mans% perceied as in)erior% and treated as i) he did not #elong! Mary Shelley contrasts the characters o) &ictor and the Monster #y "sing the Monster’s otherness as a literary deice to sym#oli.e ritish imperialism and the political tensions o) colonial occ"pation d"ring ritain’s e0pansionist period! hen &ictor rst #eheld the creat"re he had #ro"ght to li)e% he +as appalled #y its grotes("e appearance! appearance! &ictor% on on page 5$% descri#es the Monster as haing 3yello+ skin% 3+atery eyes% a
3shrielled comple0ion% and 3straight #lack #lack lips! These physical )eat"res are distinctly di-erent )rom h"man characteristics% and the Monster’s appearance is part o) +hat makes him the Other +hen compared to his creator creator and the rest o) the h"man race! The Monster is "ni("e in that he is the only one o) his kind% )"rther emphasi.ing his otherness #eca"se #eca"se o) that% he does not #elong any+here! any+here! On page 126% in )r"stration% the Monster re7ects on his solitary state8 3hen * looked aro"nd aro"nd * sa+ and heard o) none like like me! as *% then% a monster% a #lot "pon the earth )rom +hich all men 7ed and +hom all men diso+ned9 :s m"ch as the creat"re creat"re tried% he +as neer accepted into h"man society% nor +o"ld he eer #e like &ictor &ictor!! Similar to h"mans% the Monster seeks a-ection and acceptance instead% as the Other% he is )eared and re;ected re;ected #y h"mans! Shelley sho+s a distinct polari.ation #et+een the Monster and &ictor and "ses it to sym#oli.e ritain’s political engagements in the time o) the
??@1$15A! Mary Shelley% #orn in Bondon% +as +ell a+are o) her natie co"ntry’s engagements oerseas +hile +riting Frankenstein! Frankenstein! *t is easy easy to see ho+ this co"ld co"ld hae in7"enced her +riting! She may hae intended that &ictor &ictor represent represent Creat ritain ritain and the Monster the ritish colonies! colonies! e)ore and d"ring the early 1? th cent"ry% ritain esta#lished colonies in *ndia% :sia% the Dari##ean% and :)rica! :)rica! :ltho"gh the natie natie inha#itants o) these colonies +ere considered considered a part o) the ritish Empire% they +o"ld
al+ays #e regarded #y the people liing in England as the racial% ethnic% and c"lt"ral Other Other!! ,i-erences ,i-erences in lang"age% skin color% color% and c"stoms +ere some o) the )actors that separated the ritish occ"piers )rom those they they occ"pied! This parallels ho+ the Monster +as +as ie+ed as the Other #y &ictor and the rest o) society! Shelley all"des to the Monster sym#oli.ing a racial o"tsider +hen Daptain Ro#ert alton% alton% an English e0plorer in the noel% notes ho+ the Monster appeared distinctly di-erent )rom &ictor% a E"ropean8 3e F&ictorG +as not as the other traeller Fthe MonsterG seemed to #e% a saage inha#itant o) some "ndiscoered island% #"t an E"ropean E"ropean =2HA! alton ass"med the +orst and )alsely identied the Monster as 3a saage #eca"se the creat"re creat"re +as perceied as astly di-erent )rom himsel)% a E"ropean! E"ropean! Iessica ale +rites +rites in her essay on Frankenstein% Frankenstein% 3That the otherness o) the monster has strong racial oertones seems like a pla"si#le hypothesis =1$A! The preailing ie+ held #y many E"ropeans d"ring the time +as that their o+n race +as s"perior to others! Shelley "ses &ictor’s &ictor’s description description o) the Monster haing yello+ skin to sym#oli.e ho+ the ritish ritish la#eled people )rom )rom :sia! *n characteri.ing :sians as the yello+ people% the ritish dened the :sians as the racial o"tsider! o"tsider! Shelley sets "p the contrast #et+een the Monster and a nd &ictor #y "sing a parent@child relationship% +hich is another e0ample o) otherness! &ictor had intended intended the relationship relationship #et+een himsel) himsel) and
his creation to #e like like that o) a parent and child! e ass"med that the Monster +o"ld #e loyal and appreciatie o) #eing #ro"ght to li)e% as is sho+n on page 55 +hen he states% 3: 3: ne+ species +o"ld #less me as its creator and so"rce many happy and e0cellent e0cellent nat"res +o"ld o+e their #eing to me! me! A The relationship #et+een #et+een ritain and its colonies colonies had many parallels to that o) a parent and child! oth ritain and &ictor so"ght to #e creators% +ith the ritish attempting to esta#lish colonies and remake remake them to resem#le themseles% themseles% and &ictor seeking to make a #eing that looked like like a h"man! ,espite ritain’s parental parental e-orts to g"ide g"ide the colonies to resem#le itsel)% they +ere "ns"ccess)"l in changing the Others! Similarly% the Monster co"ld neer neer #e changed to #e like like a h"man!
Mary Shelley "ses the otherness o) the Monster as a deice to set "p a str"ggle #et+een #et+een &ictor &ictor and his creation! creation! This str"ggle is sym#olic o) the relationship #et+een #et+een ritain and its colonies! The ritish perception o) the natie inha#itants o) the coloniesJthe Others Jas #eing in)erior set "p tension #et+een #et+een the t+o gro"ps! gro"ps! The ritish did little to help integrate the occ"pied people o) the colonies into their c"lt"re and +ay o) li)e% similar to ho+ &ictor did nothing to help the Monster #ecome a part o) h"man society! society! Shelley may hae intended the death o) &ictor and the s"rial o) the Monster to )oreshado+ the end o) ritish control control oer their colonies! The desire desire held #y #oth ritain and &ictor +as to adance themseles and #ecome more po+er)"l% #"t #eca"se they co"ld not accept and oercome the di-erences #et+een #et+een themseles and the Other% it led to the demise o) &ictor and the ritish Empire!
orks Dited
Shelley% Mary! Mary! Frankenstein. 1$1$! Bondon8 Peng"in Peng"in ooks% 1??2! Print!
ale% Iessica! 3Donstr"cting 3Donstr"cting Donnectedness8 Cender% Se0"ality Se0"ality and Race in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein! Frankenstein! The UCI Undergraduate Research Journal. &ol"me *&8 11@2K! e#! 2KK1!
