In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley examines the question of nature verses nurture. In doing so, Shelley raises the question of whether or not Victor's creation is evil by nature or evil as a consequence of society. Focusing on Shelley's account of the creature through the lens of Rousseau's Discourse on Inequality indicates that man is, by nature good, and that it is society that turns him into an evil monster.
In his Discourse on Inequality, Rousseau lays out his characteristics of 'natural man'. He defines two key motivating principles: self-preservation and pity (Discourse 54/55). He states that all humans feel a strong aversion when they witness the suffering of another creature. Rousseau argues that because man feels this impulse of pity towards others they will not …show more content…
He takes up residence near the cottage of the De Lacey family, he has not yet learned to speak and does not understand human customs. Through his observation of the DeLacey family he discovers concept of compassion. Initially, the monster had been stealing some of the family's food and firewood as a way to secure his own self-preservation, he states “I had been accustomed, during the night, to steal a part of their store for my own consumption; but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained, and satisfied myself with berries, nuts, and roots, which I gathered from a neighboring wood” (Frankenstein, 77). Observing how his actions were inflicting pain upon the family he sacrifices his own self-preservation out of compassion, and tries to ease the family’s The family’s suffering by “…during 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” (Frankenstein, 77). The monster’s compassion and adoration for the family is illustrated with these
In his Discourse on Inequality, Rousseau lays out his characteristics of 'natural man'. He defines two key motivating principles: self-preservation and pity (Discourse 54/55). He states that all humans feel a strong aversion when they witness the suffering of another creature. Rousseau argues that because man feels this impulse of pity towards others they will not …show more content…
He takes up residence near the cottage of the De Lacey family, he has not yet learned to speak and does not understand human customs. Through his observation of the DeLacey family he discovers concept of compassion. Initially, the monster had been stealing some of the family's food and firewood as a way to secure his own self-preservation, he states “I had been accustomed, during the night, to steal a part of their store for my own consumption; but when I found that in doing this I inflicted pain on the cottagers, I abstained, and satisfied myself with berries, nuts, and roots, which I gathered from a neighboring wood” (Frankenstein, 77). Observing how his actions were inflicting pain upon the family he sacrifices his own self-preservation out of compassion, and tries to ease the family’s The family’s suffering by “…during 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” (Frankenstein, 77). The monster’s compassion and adoration for the family is illustrated with these