earance is not reflective of what is considered normal, or you are severely disfigured, the predominant culture will label someone bad. Had the monster in Frankenstein be found strolling the local mall in our contemporary times he certainly would have been given a wide birth and had children quickly shuffled away by their mothers. Had he stopped to ask directions from a couple eating soft pretzels by a fountain he would have been greeted with downcast eyes, no response and worse yet their quick and rude departure. In contrast to this scenario we are of the same culture attitude that when we see a normal-looking person on the news who has been arrested for killing people, and eating parts of their bodies, we exclaim “but he looks so normal…he acted so appropriately”. Based on the assumptions he should have been hideously grotesque and had frequent bouts of conspicuous public behavior.Shelley’s Frankenstein, and specifically the plight of the monster, is a true-to-form illustration of cultural feelings about how people should look and act in the context of what is normal. Anything outside of normal is perceived negatively, viewed with suspicion and capable of the worst actions towards others. In this case, it is no wonder the monster unleashes his violent wrath upon those that have shunned and disposed of him. He was just fulfilling his predetermined destiny thrust upon him at the moment he was conceived. I am being somewhat sarcastic here, but I do feel that historically the ideas of what is normal can change. Unfortunately, as Shelley has drastically illustrated with the monster character, the monster is judged by his outside appearance and actions as it relates to what is considered normal....
