In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the
creature finds first and foremost that being rejected from the society of men makes him
feel inhuman. He says that he was born for love--which shows he could be human--and not
to kill, so one can assume that being human to him means loving someone and being loved
in return. The lack of this is something the creature finds he greatly
resents.
Once Victor refuses to make a mate for the
monster, and the creature then learns that Victor intends to marry, he is furious. If he
must be alone, so must Victor. He warns his creator that he will be there on his wedding
night; in fact, he is, and he kills Elizabeth.
By watching
the DeLacy family, the creature learns of other things that make someone human: music,
language, learning, having a family, and helping others. These are not things beyond the
creature's capacity; with these, he feels he couls be human. The one thing that
separates him from the society of humans is his appearance and the
fear it incites.
Alienation and loneliness are themes in
this story. The creature very much understands these feelings from the moment of his
creation. And ironically, one thing that also comes with the human condition is negative
emotions as well, such as anger and revenge. Though these are not to be admired or
aspired to, he learns these human lessons quickly because of the rejection that begins
with Victor Frankenstein, the day he gives the creature life and then flees from him.
The creature can be evil, but he has these human qualities besides being a product of
his environment and is to be pitied.
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