Monsters can direct anyone on a fantasy adventure, daring and breathtaking. Try to escape into a world, book, or dream with a monster. The options are all there, if one is dauntless to take this one time experience. Although, humans fear to further investigate what traits constitute a monster. But when labeling someone as a monster, they automatically categorize them based off of their appearance. On balance, Victorian and Romantic novels have been able to incorporate fictional characters to reflect the man’s worst side.
Similarly, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray define monsters as disturbing creatures that provoke terror when misbehaving in a iniquitous form. As a result, humans are classified monstrous when they are grotesque and manipulated; however, if Dorian Gray and the creature are truly monsters, then why is society negatively influencing them with idealistic factors. Victor Frankenstein is an arrogant scientist, who creates a man-made monster seeking acceptance from society. Victor introduces his creation as a “yellow skin scarcely covered with work of muscles and arteries beneath” (Shelley 35).
Why does he describe his creation as a disgusting figure? Well, he surely feels guilt and remorse for going against God’s natural law. Mary Shelley focuses on the monster’s appearance rather than his emotional status that he will develop along the way. Yet Victor feels as if he ‘worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body” (Shelley 35). First of all, why would he go through all that process to fix up a creature. Obviously, he did not think his creation through. Instead, his obsession of creating life empowered him to proceed with his research.
Poor, ‘wretch’ he had no reason to be in this world filled with critics who wish to harm those with defects. After neglecting his piece of art, the monster develops emotions as a human. The creature is a human being because he comprehends at the end of the story, the cruel deeds he has committed. No one really knows why the ‘wretch’ goes under a murderous juncture. But according to Ronald Britton, The Monster’ confesses why he seeks revenge after his master.
The creature testifies that ” when [he] discovered the author of [his] existence that dared hope or happiness.. he impotent envy and itter indignation filled [him] with an insatiable thirst of vengeance”. After Victor destroyed his only dream, he proclaimed from now on he wilI be driven by evil to be content. At this point, the ‘wretch’ notices his purpose in the world is to serve his master only, yet he disobeys him. Victor needs to acknowledge that shunning and neglecting his masterpiece will not serve him any good. In fact, that is why the monster searches for love and compassion because no one ever showed him. Shelley uses the monster to box up all of society’s sins.
However, this is a controversial question: Is he still a criminal, ince he killed two people or the innocent monster who is scolded by his monstrous features? Shelley, the romantic author, left this question behind for the readers to analyze. While little William is playing in the woods, the creature approaches him. As he gets closer he attempts to grasp his attention. The monster thinks thoroughly that this “beautiful child… was unprejudiced, [since] he lived too short a time to have imbibed a horror of deformity” (Shelley 102).
With that idea in mind, “He could seize him and educate him as [his] companion and friend, … therefore he would not be. so desolate in this peopled earth” (Shelley 102). Instead William distinguishes the creature’s abnormal figure, he then places his hands to cover his eyes. Instantly, the monster loses his mind and becomes outrageous. Here, William uses cruel words that will shatter the monster’s heart. The monster whines as he says: “He struggled violently”. ‘Let me go’, he cried; ‘monster! Ugly wretch! You wish to eat me and tear me to pieces— You are an ogre. (Shelley 102).
Not only did those words impact his emotions, but also when William confirmed he was a ‘Frankenstein’. Once again, the miserable wretch experienced rejection and from his master’s brother. Of course, this urges the monster to act savagely and defend himself by wrapping his hand on the little boy’s throat. “The drama that occurred” (Britton 4) highlights the blurred line of what makes a man a monster. After all, here is where Victor goes wrong. He never claims his masterpiece and rejects him in front of those who seem frightened by his ugliness.
If Shelley’s “extraordinarily wise ” (Britton 9) scientist recognized the emotional trauma he caused his masterpiece, he could have convinced him to “quit he world and its miseries forever” (Shelley 103). For this reason, Victor Frankenstein had no justification to culpate a young, clueless, creature who had no recognition of his true identity. Therefore, the abandoned creation is attempting to receive attention from society, so they can accept him despite his monstrous abnormalities. On the contrary, Oscar Wilde’s short novel The Picture of Dorian Gray implicates a rare monster who is corrupted by his natural perfection.
In that case, beauty captures the attention of others, but it hides his raw side. Dorian Gray is a young, “. eautiful creature, who should be always here in winter when we have no flowers” (Wilde 3). With that said, the quote confirmed by Lord Henry assures others of Dorian Gray‘s worthiness in the following chapters. He will be the main character who will undergo an experiment secretly conducted by Mr. Wotton. Therefore, the description of Dorian’s pleasant appearance highlights an important quality one will adore. But we are conflicted with the main person who influenced Dorian Gray in an evil manner.
Could it be Basil his artistic best friend or Lord Henry the passionate hedonistic? From chapter one, Basil has been frightened by Lord Henry’s presence and him wishing to see who was the “young Adonis” in his painting (Wilde 2). Lord Henry seems to be astonished by the this youthful beauty because he describes him as “if he was made out of ivory and rose-leaves” (Wilde 2). For this reason, Basil prevents Lord Henry to interfere with Dorian Gray because his art is based off of him. Lord Henry is known best for altering people’s mind set and to persuade those to consider whether his proposals are correct.
By the way, Lord Henry recognizes his intentions when trying to et a hold of this beautiful monster. He confesses to Basil that he has grown into believing that this “[seems] to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvelous to [him]” (Wilde 3). Meanwhile, in chapter two, Lord Henry finally gets a chance to view and meet for once this fascinating man. Indeed, he is bewildered by his presence and instantly starts to lure him in with his ideas. He does this by dramatizing his compliments towards Dorian Gray regarding his youthful innocence.
He says, “There is something in his face that made one trust him at once” (Wilde 11). Why would he say that to Mr. Dorian Gray? Certainly, Henry is initiating his monstrous experiment. He will use Dorian to conduct malignant deeds and harm those who get in his way of his creation. It is sad to think that Dorian will no longer maintain a long-lasting friendship with Mr. Hallward. Now, he will shun his first founder and creator in exchange for a deceiving, malicious philosopher. And the experiment proceeds when heading out to Mr. Hallward’s majestic garden.
He finds Dorian immersing his face in the fresh lilac-blossoms and approves of his actions. Wotton, directing his irst test, advices Gray “Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure senses but the soul” (Wilde 15). This reflection dwells upon Dorian’s head and rushes him down the path of temptation. Above all, Dorian shows acceptance of Mr. Wotton’s philosophy by burying his head in the lilacs, which symbolizes a monstrous, emotional temptation that will occur later on.
Clausson observes Oscar Wilde’s novel The Picture of Dorian Gray in great detail to indicate what is influencing Mr. Gray’s actions. Nils Clausson’s article emphasizes Dorian’s innocent awakening and his self-development organized by Lord Henry’s ‘implicit recommendations’. He strongly suspects of Mr. Wotton controlling his brain with “subversive words”, which is another place for “the great sins of the world [to] take place.. ” (Wilde 14). Clausson assures his readers that Mr. Wotton is not a good fellow. He is that hedonistic, self-indulged scientist committing to harm Mr. Gray and transform him into an atrocious monster. For this reason, Mr. Wotton is controlling his brain by manipulating his thoughts and tempting him to sin.
Lord Henry explicitly links the quest for self-development “the uty that one owes to one’s life”, … an attack on .. “monstrous laws” that dominate Mr. Gray (Clausson 343). However, Lord Henry is not a sinner, but he realizes he is a great advocate for sin. In fact, Clausson states that one must pay attention to his seducing words because they introduce a series of pure components to a “beautiful creature”, and to carefully observe their destruction take hold of his soul. The results of his experiment were disastrous. Mr. Gray was “terrible enthrall[ed] in the exercise of influence” (Wilde 26).
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Wilde uses Mr. Wotton to demonstrate how society can easily influence others by using profound philosophy to perplex their brain. After all, Mr. Wotton was determined to create the perfect monster. And so he admires Dorian for corrupting his perfection as a clueless, young man. “[Lord Henry] was amazed at the sudden impression, ” he claimed by stating: “The aim of life is self-development”. Truly, Mr. Gray is manipulated by this idea because he incorporates it in his lifestyle to fulfill his malicious temptations. Lord Henry causes Mr. Gray to cross the line between what makes a human an actual monster.
For the ost part, Lord Henry clouds up his brain with negative comments leading him into committing unpleasant deeds. All along, Wilde created Dorian Gray to establish the correct progress of how a beautiful man mutates into a monster due to the Hellenic ideas”. Particularly, the repetitive question of what makes a man transform into a monster relates back to a theme that connects both of these famous novels. The theme of obsession in creating life leads a man into potential destruction in humanity. Victor and Lord Henry are similar because they both perceived their creations were going to go against them.
And so Dorian Gray and the masterpiece undergo a tempted juncture in which they feel as if they do not belong in this negative, idealistic society. Frankly, society is influencing them with “monstrous laws” in order to affect their thoughts, since “it has been said that great events of the world take place in the brain” (Wilde 14). Shelley and Wilde both include fragile, unusual characters in their novels to reveal the negative perspectives they receive when they behave in a monstrous manner. That being the case, humans are created to exhibit their weaknesses when disturbed by impractical, social influences.