A Failed Parent
Part 1: A Failed Parent
The negative effect of beauty standards first becomes prominent in Victor Frankenstein's horror at the abandonment of his creation. Victor Frankenstein decides to create a giant human to defeat disease, thus collecting bones and decayed body parts to invent the human. Frankenstein's description of the creature gives off a monstrous-looking appearance, the creature had "yellow skin," "watery eyes," "straight black lips," and a "shriveled complexion," and "he muttered inarticulate sounds" (38). Frankenstein's creation is the opposite of his expectations and goes on to say how no human could bear the sight of the creature's appearance, and it was something that "even Dante could have conceived" (36). Frankenstein comparing the creature to Dante's Inferno exaggerates his creation; the hyperbole signifies that the demons in Dante would not have been as horrid as Frankenstein's human. After, Victor flees from the monster and never mentions the creature.
The topic of beauty is essential to Victor's reaction. Fredricks quotes Mary Wollstonecraft and Wollstonecraft's views on "arbitrary power" (179) and how the idea is toxic: "physical beauty is indicated by birth and not an indicator of an individual's true worth" (179). Victor's reaction toward the creature's metaphorical birth is strong because since the creature is not beautiful, he believes the creature has no worth. As far as Victor is concerned, the creature has no identity and he refers to the creature throughout as "the creature," "demon," "monster," and "the being" because he is not attractive enough.
Victor meticulously describes the visages of those around him and showcases how inhuman like the creature's structure is in comparison. Victor first refers to the physical description when mentioning Elizabeth, his adopted sister, whom he calls his cousin. Frankenstein narrates the story of when he and his mother walked into town one day and saw a low-income family with five babies: "Elizabeth had gold hair, blue eyes, and a sweet looking face; Victor describes Elizabeth as a being heaven-sent and distinct" (16). It is crucial to mention that Victor's mother refers to Elizabeth's siblings as "dark-haired and vagrant" (16), and because Elizabeth is distinctive in comparison to her siblings, she appears more attractive.
Frankenstein makes an interesting comparison between two of his college Professors. Shelley states, "M. Krempe was a little squat man with a gruff voice and a repulsive countenance" (26) --- Victor shows no interest in M. Krempe. However, with Mr. Waldman, he is considered "benevolent," and "short but with a straight posture, and a sweet voice" (27). Mr. Waldman and Frankenstein have a good relationship because Frankenstein prefers his physical features over M. Krempe. Lastly, Elizabeth writes a letter to Frankenstein when he is in college, mentioning her cousin William, and how he has "blue eyes, dark eyelashes, and curling hair," and "dimples, and rosy cheeks" (42). Also, she mentions two sisters in Geneva: "Miss. Mansfield is the pretty sister, who has been congratulated for her marriage with a young Englishman, while her ugly sister, Manon, married a rich banker the year before" (42). People's descriptions are prominent in the book because it appears that if someone is conventionally attractive, they are worthy of attention and acceptance.
Fredricks explains in her essay that the novel circles around the beauty of Northern European ethnocentrism, which explains why some people in the novel might be considered more attractive than others. Fredricks' article points out that because Elizabeth fits this description, her "beauty lifted her above as bearing a celestial stamp" (181), meaning that she fits the societal beauty standards, making her well-liked and accepted. William and Mr. Waldman, and Miss. Mansfield all have similar ethnocentric beauty, making them attractive. Since M. Krempe, Miss. Mansfield's sister, Manon, and the creature do not fit the Northern European look; the three are not appealing. Beauty is significant because the creature's "shriveled skin," "dull eyes," and "black lips" (38) contrast against the Northern European beauty of the people around him. Because Victor is focused on the hallmark of Northern European beauty, he abandons the creature.
The creature pours his heart out to his father, Victor. He tells Victor that "no father had watched him in infant days, and he had no mother to bless him with smiles and caresses, and he had never seen a being that resembles him" (86). The creature knows that he is different from everyone else and is hurt by it. Victor shows no remorse and calls the creature a "detested form" (70). Victor is dismissive toward his creation's neglect. Victor refuses to be the creature's father because the creature looks different, and therefore, he is feared and ignored.
The creature's abandonment leads to attention-seeking behavior. The creature does not act out the lack of attention in a negative way, but because Victor ignores him, he tries to seek Victor's attention. Victor Frankenstein says, "Yes, he had followed me in my travels; he had loitered in forests, hid [...] in caves, or taken refuge in wide and desert heaths [...]" (Shelley 121). The creature follows Victor around because even though he is a creation, he is a living person. All the creature wants is to be loved. The creature tells Victor, "All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me" (Shelley 68). Not only is the creature hated by humanity, but not even his father loves him.
Debapriya Goswami explains Victor Frankenstein's behavior as well as her own argument by using bioethics to explain how Frankenstein needs the ethics of parenthood. Goswami points out how Victor lacks parental responsibility, "Victor Frankenstein is at fault not for creating a horrendous creature, but for refusing to take its responsibility, [...] Victor also emerges as the irresponsible father who evades his parental responsibility" (212). Goswami's statement is essential because the creature mentions above how Victor detests him, showing that Victor will not take care of his creation because of his hatred.
Victor's lack of responsibility is prominent throughout the book. Victor is dismissive toward the creature. Victor states, "You have made me wretched beyond expression. You have left me no power to consider whether I am just to you or not. Begone! Relieve me from the sight of your detested form" (70). When the creature speaks to Victor about how he has abandoned his creation, Victor refuses to acknowledge his irresponsibility. Goswami's argument proves that Victor shows how verbally abusive he is by telling the creature that he hates him and then tells the creature to go away with his ugly form. Lisa Cassidy's article elaborates on how Victor is a terrible parent.
The article points out, [...] very young children are particularly vulnerable before their parents, as parents are charged with providing for children's physical well-being, education, and moral development [and] …. the lifelong emotional interdependence of most children with their parents means that even when (or if) one's children are able to make their way in the world, the parent-child relationship usually continues. (44).
The creature cannot continue a relationship that Victor refuses, so the creature lacks the primary conduct of life.
Goswami explains how Victor Frankenstein's neglect of the creature's appearance is unjustified. The Goswami states, "[R]ejection of the child solely because of its ugliness is not justified at all because our notion of beauty is socially conditioned. As a parent, the father could have definitely helped the child, as well as himself, to overcome this prejudice" (213). Frankenstein made the creature's appearance; Victor projects his anger and guilt onto the creature instead of taking the blame for his creation. Furthermore, Goswami explains, "Victor's incompetence as a parent is further evident in his constant deliberation on how the creature has spoiled his life forever, rather realizing that he had whimsically brought a life into this world and then cruelly rejected it" (213). Goswami's analysis is correct because the creature's apparent ugliness is an excuse for Victor not to take responsibility for his actions.