“If our impulses were confined to hunger, thirst, and desire, we might be nearly free; but now we are moved by every wind that blows..” This quote from Frankenstein- a novel written in 1817 by Mary Shelly- is very comparable to Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Theory of “the State of Nature”. Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Theory of the State of Nature. It claims that humans are born as “Noble Savages” – People will be inclined to cooperate not conflict, it is in their nature – Society has corrupted the modern man, Rousseau claims. Sin, Violence, and Anger are a result of political life, churches, and institutions not of human nature. In this essay, we’re going to be examining Mary Shelly’s Novel through the Lens of Rousseau’s Theory. To see if we can gain a better understanding of ideas Mary Shelly was trying to portray in her novel. For this essay, we’re going to regard The Creature as a human and look at his birth, his life, and his death, to see if we can gain a better understanding of Mary Shelly’s novel.

Rousseau’s Theory is sometimes referred to as the Blank Slate Theory, as one way Rousseau’s work can be interpreted is that humans are born as blank slates and their sins are then drawn on by society. The Creature was constructed from other humans’ limbs and organs and was brought back to life as a blank slate. The creature comes into this world as pure and uncomplex, kind and innocent, and humble and caring. He is the definition of a noble savage and although his rough exterior gets him mistaken for a violent savage his first instincts are to “cooperate not conflict”. When the Creature first approaches the village it is not with malicious intent, however, “The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons……”.It was the humans that attacked not the Creature. Examing Mary Shelly’s text through the lens of the State of Nature we can assume this is because the humans supposedly have been corrupted by society and were inclined to attack the Creature whereas the Creature still being a blank slate was not inclined to fight back he instead fled the scene preferring to co-operate rather than conflict.

At this point, the Creature is still a peaceful entity albeit a very hurt one. He finds refuge in a hovel and begins to spend time admiring the De’Lacey family. From a distance, he learns from them how to speak, read, and becomes an educated man. The De’Lacey family rejects him upon him revealing himself in all his repulsiveness. “Cursed, cursed creator! Why did I live? Why, in that instant, did I not extinguish the spark of existence which you had so wantonly bestowed?” screams the Creature after his rejection. Shortly after he swears revenge on the whole Frankenstein family. It is the effects of other beings on him that Force the Creature to swear revenge. We as the readers after examining the text through the lens of the State of Nature can tell that Mary Shelly was trying to educate us on the fact that the Creature was not born Violent but became violent and hateful over time. This was an effect of the creature becoming educated. He began to gain society’s perspectives on the world. Slowly as he began seeing the world through more and more of society’s view he began to view himself as society viewed him, a monster. Allowing him to believe that violence was an acceptable path forwards.

The creature dies up in the arctic a barren and remote desolate slab of ice high above Europe. He dies lonely and sad. Returning to how he started, no more than a few million molecules of dead human flesh floating around the world, “my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds”. Before he dies he speaks aloud to Robert Walton for the first time “I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt”, examining this quote we can see that Mary Shelly was trying to inform us of the idea that the Creature is sick of his life. In the lens of the State of Nature, this means the Creature is returning to a blank slate and washing away the sins that society has purged on him. Next, the Creature speaks to Robert Walton “My spirit will sleep in peace”. Here Mary Shelly was trying to portray that the Creature was looking forward to peace without the pressures of society. Examining this through the lens of the state of nature we can see that the Creature has realized that he is no longer a pure being, due to what the pressures of society have influenced him to do. He is eagerly awaiting his return to the blank slate he will become when he dies.

Mary Shellys Novel wasn’t written as a response to Rousseau’s theory of the State of Nature. However this does not mean they do not share many similarities After examing the text closer through the eyes of the State of Nature, we can understand that the storyline of the Creature has a lot in common with the Ideology behind Rousseau’s State of Nature. When the Creature’s life is examined through the lens of the State of Nature we recognize that he was born a simple sweet being and over time societies beliefs and views influenced him to change and resort to violence and battery. “I have murdered the lovely and the helpless; I have strangled the innocent as they slept and grasped to death his throat who never injured me or any other living thing”. This links to the Big Question, “who is to blame?”. For many decades English scholars have tried to answer this question. After examining this text through the lens of the State of Nature we can very definitely say that society is to blame. It broke his moral, snapped his judgment, tore his life apart, broke his heart, and ultimately forced him and Victor to their demise.