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Robert Duckett
English 15
Ms. Polcrack
April 29, 2010
The Creature along the Way
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein the creature is created by Victor Frankenstein almost by
mistake and throughout the novel is perceived to be a monster because of what he looks like and
the way that he looks towards the other people in the book. Although the creature behaves
viciously and murders several people, his nature is not inherently evil or malicious.
In the book Victor Frankenstein doesn’t begin to think about creating the creature until
about the end of “Frankenstein 32-34). In the beginning Victor creates the creature but begins to
have doubt about what the creature may turn out to be. As Victor is creating the creature and
seeing his creation as it forms its facial features and other attributes, it is as though he is very
excited to see what his creation will turn out to be. Although Victor seems as though he is
excited to see what his creation will turn out to be. Now although the creature is not fully created
yet this is already affecting the development process of the creature because Victor is showing
that doesn’t really care enough to see the final product and what it will turn out to be. By Victor
not showing that he cares enough for the creature, that can put thought of abandonment in the
mind of creature and could cause him hate his creator in the long run (Coghill). The way that
Victor is reacting toward the disappearance of the creature goes to show that he was at first
excited and had joy about his creation, but as it began to develop it features he became terrified
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of it. Now that the creature has left the laboratory he is now beginning to learn what is going on
and how things work in the world that he is living in. It is also put questions in the mind of the
creature as to where his creator is and why he was created.
In chapter 7, Victor receives a letter from his father that tells him that his youngest
brother has been strangled. This now putting fear in the mind of Victor Frankenstein because he
hasn’t seen. Now it has been 6 years since Victor has been gone from his home and it has been 2
years since he has created his creature. In the back of his mind he scrabbling through many
different thoughts, and finally comes to the conclusion that the creature has committed the
murder of his younger brother William (Shelley 50). It has now been two years since the
creation of the creature and all of the thoughts about it are in the back of Victor’s mind not being
thought about. But when he receives the letter about William all the thoughts about the creature
come back to life and are haunting Victor again.
Now clearly the creature has killed Victor’s younger brother, but Victor doesn’t realize it
until he sees the creature in the flash of lighting. It has been less than 2 years since Victor has
seen or heard about the creature. Over those 2 years the creature has been trying to find out what
is going on around him and how things function in the world he is living. Now you could say that
he is slowing figuring out the things he needs to know. He has figured out who his creator and he
is now using his family to get revenge on him for the things that Victor did and did not do
(Lorcher). Although the family still does not know who killed William, they still are trying to pin
the murder on somebody in the family because they don’t have any leads as to who may have
killed.
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The family finally comes up with the conclusion that Justine may have killed William
(Shelley 52-53). By them accusing Justine of the murder is putting the blame of the creature off
to the side, and it is being ignored. To the creature it just like getting a slap on the hand and be on
your way. By him not getting the blame for the murder sends a very direct message. It is
basically saying that you can do almost anything and get away with.
As the story continues in the book, so does the development of the creature. He is
becoming more emotionally involved in the book. He confronts Victor on a mountain and tries to
plead his case to him and tell him why he feels the way he does. The creature makes a very good
reference to Adam, the first man made on the earth from the bible. When he compared himself to
Adam it showed that he is able to think on his own. Also it shows that he is capable of learning
while on the go (Shelley 68-70). By the creature being able to express himself in way that he has
to Victor shows that he has grown as a person and is somewhat understanding what life is about.
Meanwhile, the creature is still telling his story to Victor but he is telling about his new
life experiences that he has seen an gone through ("UPenn"). The creature is lost in world where
they judge by looks and appearances. They also judge on how you act towards people, and right
from the start people haven’t even given him a chance to prove to them that he isn’t a monster.
So he has to things for himself to in order to survive in this place. He has to steal food from
people that already do not approve of him. He also has to live off land that isn’t of the top most
quality (Shelley 70-71). He is expressing this to Victor so that Victor is able to see where the
creature is coming from and what he has to endure.
In Abraham Maslow’s “hierarchy of needs” chart he has laid out 5 theories of
development in a human being. The deficiency needs, physiological, safety, love, and esteem,
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are four distinct needs that must be met in progression. The growth needs range from
understanding others to helping and loving others. Maslow claimed that without being able to
meet all four deficiency needs, one would not be able to progress into the growth needs (Cherry).
In Frankenstein, the protagonist, Victor Frankenstein, creates a human being in a bizarre
science experiment. He is frightened by creation and leaves the creature to fend for himself.
This allows Mary Shelley to demonstrate the psychological development of the creature. Once
the creature becomes aware of himself, the physiological needs of food and water become
apparent. “I felt tormented by hunger and thirst. This roused me from my nearly dormant state,
and I ate some berries which I found hanging on the trees or lying on the ground. I slaked my
thirst at the brook; and then lying down, was overcome by sleep (Frankenstein 71).” The
creature’s first need felt in the world was hunger and thirst. This agrees with Maslow’s
hierarchy. Before he worries about possible danger or about other people, the creature realizes
that he must find something to sustain itself. With this need met the creature can focus on
continuing the ladder.
According to Maslow, the second need is safety from danger. With the need of food met,
the creature is able to venture away from its present site in search for shelter. “At length I
perceived a small hut… finding the door open I entered. An old man sat in it … and perceiving
me, shrieked loudly, and quitting the hut, ran across the fields … but I was enchanted by the
appearance of the hut: here the snow and rain could not penetrate (Frankenstein 73).” The
creature found his second need. Though he scared off a fellow being, the creature did not appear
to care; he proceeded to eat the food found there and falls asleep. This interaction is integral to
Maslow’s theory. Maslow states that each lower step of the ladder must be achieved before
continuing on to the next. The creature had not yet achieved safety and shelter. Thus, the third
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need of love and belongingness was not a concern for the creature. This accounts for the reason
he was not troubled by the interaction with the man.
There is a long period of time before the creature achieves these two fundamental needs.
However, he acknowledges his need for human affection. He realizes how important it is to him
and that he cannot fail in attaining it. While living in a small shed outside of a family’s home, he
says, “I asked, it is true, for greater treasures that a little food or rest: I required kindness and
sympathy (Frankenstein 94).” Mary Shelley uses the creature to again affirm Maslow’s thesis.
Now that he has both food and safety he can now focus on the psychological need to be loved; to
receive kindness and sympathy. It is a clear progression of the hierarchy that explains this desire
to have friendship. The creature subconsciously knows this need yet Shelley, as author, is aware
of the inherent need that all of humanity faces.
Unfortunately for the creature, the need for friendship and love is not met by the people
he longed to receive it from. He is cast out by his “friends”. This halts his progression up the
ladder. This does not stop the creature though. He decides to try again to gain love and
into it. “I rushed from my hiding-place, and, with extreme labour from the force of the current,
saved her … when I was suddenly interrupted by the approach of a rustic … on seeing me … he
aimed a gun, which he carried, at my body and fired (Frankenstein 101).” Unlike the previous
two attempts, as the creature is deprived of reaching the next need. Yet all hope is not lost for he
believes that there might be one last opportunity to get his need of love met.
Mary Shelley understands that love and affection would lead to the acquisition of growth
needs where the creature could be kindly to mankind. She provides one last plea from the
creature to Victor for this need. “If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should
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return them an hundred and a hundredfold; for that one creatures sake I would make peace with
the whole kind (Frankenstein 105).” The creature tells Victor that he had the ability to love; he
had the ability to continue up the ladder if only he can make it up the next step. Human beings
have failed him but a mate of his own would not. He has the ability to find food and safety but
without this mate, he cannot find love. Victor ultimately denies the creature’s request and the
creature goes on to show how hateful and retched anyone can be who that lacks this
psychological need.
Though Frankenstein was written years before Maslow was born, Mary Shelley had come
to appreciate the Hierarchy of Needs. Without the previous need met, the creature could not
progress to the next level. Without love, neither creature nor human being can proceed to love
another person in this world.