4) Shelley: A Question of Upbringing

Among many themes in Frankenstein one of the most recurring is the responsibility of parents for their children. Mary Shelley makes us understand, that at least partly the character and doings of a man depend on his upbringing.

Frankenstein's childhood seems perfect, he says that he was "guided by a silken cord", but this guidance definitely lacked a very important lesson - the lesson of responsibility. When his mother decides to adopt Elizabeth, she tells Victor, that she has "a pretty present" for him. He himself says that he was his parents' "plaything". He is taught to consider people as toys and not to have any respect and responsibility towards them. Strictly speaking, he is brought up as an egoist.

Victor's upbringing has its consequences when he "gives birth" to his own "child" - the monster. He abandons his creature, completely helpless, the moment after the act of creation is finished. The monster has to educate himself through his own observations, without a kind guidance of a parent, and all that he sees is humans' hatred towards him. That is the reason why the creature, who had a lot of good potential from the beginning, through Frankenstein's neglect grows up to become a malignant, revengeful and cruel creature.

Frankenstein soon understands what he has done, but lessons missed in the childhood are lessons missed forever, and all that has happened teaches him nothing. So when nearly all Victor's family dies, he doesn't think about his little brother, who survived, and abandons him too in his pursuit of the monster. Ernest, left alone, will also probably grow up with no one to guide him, and God knows how he will bring up his own children.

Through her novel Mary Shelley tries to show the reader that parents' guidance gives us the most important lessons in our lives, and no books or universities can substitute for it.

Works cited:

1) Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley