Appearance and Acceptance in Frankenstein and the Modern...

Appearance and Acceptance in Frankenstein and the Modern World One of the main themes in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein is the importance of appearance and acceptance in modern society. In todays society, and also in the society of Frankenstein, people judge one often solely on their looks. Social prejudice is often based on looks, whether it be the color of someones skin, the clothes that a person wears, the facial features that one has and even the way one stands. People make snap judgments based on these and other considerations and they affect the way that they present themselves to one, and also the way that the treat the judged person. In Frankenstein the society of that time is much like our own today. It is an appearance†¦show more content†¦Obviously, if this foreign merchant had been a good Catholic Frenchman he would not have been sentenced to death. We today can see numerous examples today of racism in the justice system, think of Louis Riel being hung because he was a Metis, and also think of the modern classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird in which a black man is unjustly sentenced in a racist southern town. However, in one of the biggest acts of hypocrisy and treachery, the same Turkish merchant shows his true racist self when he plans to leave Italy with the daughter he had promised in marriage to the Frenchman that saved his life. It seems that although some progress has been made throughout the centuries, racism still exists and colors our vision of other people. (Pardon the bad pun.) Another similarity in the novel Frankenstein and todays society is that of snap judgments based solely on appearances. Doctor Frankenstein himself does this throughout the book. He shows this when he ...selected his [the creatures] features as beautiful. (Shelley 46). This shallowness is shown again when he accuses the monster of the murder of Williams murder, rightfully of course, but the point is that he accused the monster of a horrible deed just because of his horrible appearance. Even the monster makes snap judgments, in the case of the cottagers he viewed the old man as a man with ...a countenance beaming with benevolence and love, (Shelley 93). This wasShow MoreRelated Themes of Shelleys Frankenstein Essay1421 Words   |  6 Pages Mary Shelley discusses the themes of birth and creation, appearance and the necessity of companionship, love and acceptance in her novel Frankenstein. The themes that are explored in Frankenstein are relevant to today’s modern world. Shelley challenges readers by endorsing and confronting attitudes and values in her text through the events, circumstances and outcomes that take place in the novel, thus causing the reader to reflect upon their own lives and in turn the society around them. 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