UMD Romanticism and Revolution
Was it wrong of Frankenstein to persist in his research? Is it so unnatural that humans, created by God in his own image, would seek to create life in their own as well? Most of humanity considers God to be beautiful, tangible or not, and as a whole we seem to regard ourselves as beautiful too. So no, it's very understandable that Frankenstein would want to give life to a creature meant to be even more beautiful than himself. Instead we end up with a man with the appearance of all that's hideous but the feelings and wants of a human. Instead of epitomizing the beauty of mankind Frankenstein sews his creature inside out, with all of man's hidden ugliness on the outside and beauty only inward. Frankenstein's creature is the epitome of all things human: ugly, beautiful, and the tragedies lying between.
Every piece of flesh, every organ, every drop of fluid used in this creature's creation are the ugly parts of mankind. Each stitch trying to hold all this abomination together, and keep some semblance of man. It's a combination so hideous and unfathomable, it's no wonder every human would be horrified and disgusted by the creature's appearance. It can be so hard to really observe your own reflection. But we are so drowned in our terror we fail to notice the beauty lying underneath this skin deep atrocity.
This creature, though constructed of all that's unholy, is the very essence of innocence, love, compassion, and everything that could make man beautiful if we'd try to see it. But how can such beauty thrive in a being so hated and abused? When this creature can't join society he becomes bitter, angry, and jealous. His inner splendor becomes as mottled as his flesh. And thus, mankind has destroyed yet another piece of it's beauty, allowing all that's only skin deep to permeate the soul. The real monster isn't Frankenstein's creature, it's us.
It is not that Frankenstein went to far in his research, it's mankind's unwillingness to look further into a shadow that might reveal true beauty if only we'd investigate. The creature might have been ugly on the outside, but every one around him was ugly within. He is the physical embodiment of everything that we are, inside out. The creature was never the monster, but only a replica. All I need is a scalpel and a mirror, I'll show you the real monster.