Table of ContentsIntroductionBeauty and Ugliness in FrankensteinConclusionWorks CitedIntroductionIn our society, people unconsciously judge themselves based on their appearance. People have a preconceived opinion about a person's character based on their physical attributes. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a character greatly affected by society's attitude toward unattractive people is the central character, Victor Frankenstein's creation, the Creature. Due to his hideous and horrible face, he is extremely judged based on his appearance, even though he is actually benevolent. As a result of the judgments and attacks he receives from humans due to his physical appearance, he isolates himself from society and becomes filled with hatred and vengeance. Feeling rejected and abandoned, the creature seeks revenge on its creator. Appearance plays a major role in how one is treated in society. Shelley shows that being unattractive leads to mistreatment. The contrast between people treating others as beautiful and ugly is shown by the female characters and the creature. Elizabeth, Safie, Caroline and Justine are judged positively and treated better for their beauty. On the other hand, the creature is judged negatively and treated less well because of its ugliness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"?Get the original essayBeauty and ugliness in FrankensteinWith the desire to have a daughter, Caroline Frankenstein adopts a poor girl, Elizabeth Lavenza, because that she is attracted to her beauty. Unlike her family, Victor describes that she "was slim and very fair, her hair was the brightest living gold...and...her eyes were cloudless blue" (Shelley 22). Elizabeth possesses a delicate and delicate beauty that easily attracts people due to her charming appearance. Her physical characteristics reflect her personality when she is described "as belonging to a distinct species, a being sent from heaven, and who bears a celestial imprint in all her features". Unlike the creature whose evil appearance is intolerable to humans, it is depicted as an angelic being, kind and beautiful inside and out. In the same way that Caroline is seduced by Elizabeth at first sight, as soon as the creature sees Safie, he is instantly attracted to her beautiful face. He describes that he “saw a face of angelic beauty and expression…Its features were of regular proportions and its complexion wonderfully fair.” This is the first time the creature has spoken about a character's appearance. Considering that Safie's beauty attracts the creature's attention, she further captivates her lover, Felix, the son of old De Lacey. For example, when he sees her in prison visiting her father, he falls in love with her at first sight because of her beauty. However, when Felix, Agatha and Safie first see the creature, they are terrified by its appearance and Felix violently attacks it. This shows that due to the creature's monstrous face, it is hunted by those who see it. Another beautiful character that the creature sees is Victor's mother, Caroline Frankenstein. When the creature picks up the locket with her portrait, he describes that she is "a most charming woman... who possesses... dark eyes, edged with deep lashes, and... pretty lips" (144). The creature is softened and hypnotized by its allure. Caroline is the epitome of beauty, not only because she has beautiful physical attributes, but also because she has a good heart. However, his anger returns when he remembers that he is "deprived of the delights which such creatures could give him."procure”. He can't stand being impressed by someone so beautiful when he is constantly rejected by humans who perceive him as ugly and fearful, unlike Caroline. Shortly after, the creature compares Justine's beauty to Coraline's when he sees Justine sleeping in a barn. Although she is not as beautiful as Coraline, he states that she "blooms in the beauty of youth and health...Yet here is...one of those joy-bearing smiles bestowed on all but me." The creature believes that it is being robbed of every smile it can get due to its frightening and monstrous appearance. Since the creature feels deprived of happiness and being treated well, this pushes him to accuse Justine of the murder he committed. Although she is beautiful, Justine is an example that proves the statement "being unattractive leads to mistreatment" is false, because her beauty was not enough to prove her innocence and save her from injustice. The creature's injustice and mistreatment come into play when its horrific appearance causes Victor to abandon his new species. When he first sees the creature, he notices that it has "yellow skin,...hair...of shining black,...teeth of pearly whiteness,...a shriveled complexion and lips that are black and straight”. Unable to bear the sight of his miserable creation, Victor runs away from the creature, leaving him to survive alone in an unknown world. During his first encounter with a human, an old man, he says that upon “seeing him, the old man shouted loudly… and… ran across the fields”. This surprises the creature that it runs away. When he arrives in a village, the villagers scream, faint, run away or attack him after seeing his gruesome face. Unaware of why humans fear and mistreat him, he sees a reflection of himself for the first time, unable to believe that he "actually was the monster that he is, and that he… did not fully know the fatal effects of this wretch. deformation". This shows that the creature is beginning to see himself as the monster that everyone sees. A second instance in which the creature is mistreated due to his appearance is when he turns to De Lacey's blind father to ask for the acceptance. The blind father says that he is "blind and cannot judge the creature's face. He regards the creature as everyone else, calling it a "human creature." Unable to see and judge someone based on their appearance, he is the only character to see their sincerity and kindness. However, like Victor, the creature is rejected and chased away by his prejudiced children, one of whom is l. The attack. Another example that shows the mistreatment of the creature is when he saves a young girl from drowning. He says that he "had saved a human being from destruction and, as a reward, he himself. was now writhing under the miserable pain of a wound.” Even after every human he meets mistreats him, he saves the girl but is shot in exchange for his kindness after witnessing her appearance, showing his injustice. With more resentment towards his creator, he goes to Geneva and sees William, a beautiful child who "was without prejudice and who had lived too short a time to have imbibed the horror of deformity." The creature becomes desperate to befriend William but fails when he screams at the sight of his face, fearing him like everyone else. Due to its physical appearance, the creature can only be considered a monster, a hideous monster that does not deserve to be treated as if it were human. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our writers.