Frankenstein: Hatred vs. Compassion

                I personally believe that one of the most intriguing concepts and themes to consider when reading Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the constant battle between hatred and compassion in the character’s actions. The book is largely focused on the detrimental impact which hatred had on each of the characters and the specific influence that this had on their actions. For example, the creature began as an inherently good-natured being; he felt no natural inclination towards murder or even the infliction of harm upon others; rather, he was kind, gentle, and merely desirous of companionship. However, when the only responses that the creature received in response to his kind intentions were horrified rejection, he was driven to the point of rage and malignancy. The two most potent examples of this lie in his rejection by the cottagers, whom he loved dearly, and the man who shot the creature in the woods after the creature saved his companion. After experiences numerous acts of hatred such as these, the concept of nature vs. nurture came into play as the creature’s good-natured demeanor transformed into that of anger and a hunger for revenge. Therefore, within the first half of the novel, Shelley seems to encourage the idea that hatred is much more prevalent a response among all members of mankind; regardless of race, gender, or nationality, Shelley appears to imply that rejection in the face of fear or difference is the natural tendency of all people.

                However, while the first half of the book (and essentially the entire novel for that matter) is highly saturated with acts of hatred, she also appears to suggest within the second half of the novel that compassion and love are much more powerful entities that hatred. When requesting of Victor that he create for him a woman of the same species, the creature states that, “If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should return them an hundred and an hundredfold; for that one creature’s sake, I would make peace with the whole kind” (Shelley, 105)! With this statement, the creature proves that, despite the innumerable instances in which he faced hatred, he would readily forsake all inclination toward anger and hatred if he could simply be shown love by just one individual. In fact, he supports that the compassion and acceptance of just one human being would outweigh hatred from hundreds of others. He also implies by saying that he would return the benevolence a hundredfold that he would much prefer to love than hate. Therefore, Shelley brings the struggle between hatred and compassion full circle in the second half of the novel by juxtaposing the two entities and comparing their prevalence and strength within mankind.