Frankenstein's Monster

     The creature created by Victor Frankenstein is actually, with all of his faults and mistakes, more human than Dr. Frankenstein himself. The only thing that the monster wanted was a friend that would care about and understand him. It is in human nature to want to be loved and understood by another human. Victor however, was a solitary being that wanted only his science experiments and research as his companions. At times, he shunned his family and neglected his own health to work on his experiments. In this, Frankenstein's monster shows more human-like qualities than his creator. The creation of Victor also proved that he is more human that his human "father" by showing that he regretted and trying to make amends for his wrong actions. At the end of the novel, he expressed great regret for his part in the deaths of all of Frankenstein's loved ones and was willing to give up his own life in atonement. Frankenstein, though he expressed great guilt for his part in the deaths, never attempted to openly make amends or admit that what he did what wrong and take the consequences. Though, technically, Frankenstein is the human of the two, the doctor, through his actions, proved himself to be more of a monster than his creation. The monster showed regret and longing for companionship, which helps to prove that he is more human than his maker.

Being Human

     Have you ever asked yourself what it means to be human? What makes us different from any other animal? Some would say thumbs; others would say walking upright on two legs. However, there are so many more distinguishing traits between humans and other animal species than just physical characteristics. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, a human being is defined as being “a man, woman, or child of the species Homo sapiens, distinguished from other animals by superior mental development, power of articulate speech, and upright stance.” My definition of a human is based on the fact that humans have reasoning capabilities and can learn from their mistakes. Also, though people who hold different religious views than I may not believe the same, humans are the only beings who have a soul.

     Humans have an ability to reason, though some may choose not to use it, that far surpasses any ability that animals may have. Only humans can reason through a situation in their head and think about all of the different outcomes that could possibly occur during that same situation. Frankenstein by Mary W. Shelley shows this when Victor Frankenstein is debating on whether or not he should create “a being like [himself].” He processed the situation and knew that something bad could happen, yet still decided that the good outweighed the bad. Animals usually rely solely on instinct to choose what their reaction will be when put in a certain situation. Their primal instincts are what keep them alive and are also what may spur them into protecting their offspring or owners. Humans, though they do have most of those same instincts, can overrule their “wild side” with reasoning and by taking a realistic view on things.

     Also, human beings have a soul, whereas other living beings do not. Humans are capable of feeling emotions that animals can not, such as empathy and compassion. Though some animals are of a more gentle nature, they cannot actually “feel sorry” for another animal. In my personal experience as a pet owner, I have witnessed animals mourning the loss of another, yet they always seemed to move on very quickly and went back to normal within days. Humans hold on to memories and emotions, both good and bad, and sometimes have to work to forgive, while animals are normally quick to forget and move on.

     Though some people say that animals show reasoning ability and can reason whether or not they should do specific actions, this is actually not reasoning at all. It is the result of teaching, not a long, drawn out thought process. Animals can only associate actions with specific consequences after the consequence has already been proven to them, usually repetitively. They do not think things through. For example, if a dog bites a person, it gets scolded. Every time that the dog bites, it gets that same punishment. Eventually the dog will come to associate biting with that punishment. However, this is not proof of reasoning or superior mental development because it had to be taught. It did not just think up and understand what could happen as a result of that action on its own. Only humans have the ability to reason out what could happen if they do something, without actually experiencing it before.

     Daniel H. Pink, in his book A Whole New Mind: Moving From the Information Age to the Conceptual Age, tells what common defining qualities of human beings are. ”Telling stories, demonstrating empathy, and designing innovations. These abilities have always comprised part of what it means to be human.” What it means to be human is a highly debatable subject but most everyone agrees that there are differences between humans and the animal kingdom. In my personal definition of a human, humans have reasoning abilities and, though some people may argue against this, they have a soul. Though these are only a couple of the differences between humans and animals, they alone are enough to put humans in a totally separate class than any other living beings.