Frankenstein and the Tyger Comparison

Good Versus Evil Frankenstein , by Mary Shelley, is a novel that tells the story of a man's scientific endeavors and how through his knowledge bestows life into a lifeless matter which comes to be feared and hated by all. The Tyger, by William Blake, is a poem composed of a series of questions about a tiger that depicts the issues of creation, innocence and experience, and ultimately good and evil . Both pieces of literature describe misunderstood creatures who struggle to define themselves as solely good or evil which then leads to the questioning of their very existence. Through Frankenstein Mary Shelley shows the reader that good and evil are not always easily distinguished, and that human beings struggle with both of these qualities within themselves. The creature in Frankenstein is neither one-dimensional nor easily labeled. The creature does commit heinous crimes: he murders Victor's loved ones and frames the servant girl for one of the murders. It is obvious that the creature dwells within rage and bitterness, but the creature was not born with those qualities. He acquired them through his interactions. The creature first situation of hate and repulsion is when his own creator flees from him. The creature then wanders into a forest and comes across a family who lives in the cottage. He soon starts to love and admire the family for their benevolence. "The gentle manners and beauty of the cottagers greatly endeared them to me; when they were unhappy, I felt depressed; when they rejoiced, I sympathized in their joys" (Shelley 108). He hoped that these cottages would be able to look beyond his appearance and welcome him, but once again he is rejected. With sadness in his heart, he leaves and comes across a drowning little girl. He heroically saves the girl but is rewarded with a gun shot by a man who sees him holding the girl in his arms. All these events eventually lead to the creature's understanding that his sincere intentions will never surpass his