Ideas of Nature Versus Nurture in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein

When asked this question; are people born blank slates that are formed by experiences and their surrounding environment, or are we born with specific traits? This brings up the question of genetics; can people be born with evil traits? As Mary Shelley writes Frankenstein, we can see little details in Victor’s childhood that could indicate he was shaped by his surroundings and not born with evil characteristics. As children grow up they start to form ideas about what is good, bad, and right or wrong, just like Victor does as he admires his father and his job. Most children follow in their parent’s footsteps in some sort of way, and since Victor’s parents were shown to be noble and smart, he took this as that is how he should be. If Victor were born with negative traits, he would not have wanted to follow in his parent’s footsteps. The reason for him creating the monster was because of his surroundings at Ingolstadt. His professors, such as, â€Å"M. Krempe, professor of natural philosophy. He was an uncouth man, but deeply embued in the secrets of his science†¦ The professor stared: ‘Have you,’ he said, ‘really spent your time in studying such nonsense?’† (Shelley 51) pushed the new ways of science on him causing him to see the possibilities of modern society. The movie portrays this more than the book does, which is good. We see Victor’s professor try to keep him away from the notes and readings on how to create life; if Victor never saw these notes, would he have been able toShow MoreRelatedMary Shelleys Frankenstein1689 Words   |  7 PagesSon, Frankenstein. The novel I have chosen to discuss is Frankenstein. Written in 1818 by Mary Shelley, Frankenstein is classified as a gothic novel, however, Shelly uses both realist and non-realist techniques. I will be looking at her reasons for writing the novel and what influenced her, as well as the realist and non-realist techniques used. 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Nature represents the biological qualities that organisms inherit at birth, while nurture represents the qualities that organisms acquire Read More‚Äà ²for Me, the Story Is Less a Horror‚Ä ¶Than a Larger Than Life Gothic Fairytale‚Äà ´ (Kenneth Brannagh) How Far and in What Ways Do You Agree with This Description of the Text?1960 Words   |  8 Pagesyou agree with this description of the text? Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a novel which forces the reader to question whether it is a simple horror story or whether it is a gothic fairytale of many depths. Frankenstein is considered by many critics as the first modern horror story ever written, and it opened a whole new world of ideas for novels and has inspired many similar works since its publication in 1818. As we see by the prelude, Shelley’s first ambition is to horrify the reader as sheRead MoreEssay about The Reasons for Victor Frankensteins Emotional Turmoil1140 Words   |  5 Pagesand 10. 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According to psychology.about.com: The nature versus nurture debate is one of the oldest philosophical issues within psychology†¦nature refers to all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are – from our physical appearance to our personality characteristics [while] nurture refers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are, including our early childhood experiences, how we were raisedRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Chapters 5 and 11-16 in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein1519 Words   |  7 PagesMary Shelley wrote Frankestein when she was 18, in 1816 but it was published in 1818. Frankenstein is about a man, Victor Frankenstein, who is obsessed with science and who learns how to create life and creates a being in the likeness of man. The being is referred to as ‘the creation’ or just Frankenstein. Mary Shelley was married to Percy Bysshe Shelley who was a Romantic Poet and a great philosopher. In this essay I’ll be comparing and contrasting chapters 5 an d 11 – 16 and exploring the language