The criticism of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein's Monster" by La Belle Assemblée
The criticism of Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein's Monster" by La Belle Assemblée is one that questions the moral stand of the author in regards to the character in the works. The specific author of the article is anonymous, but it is quite obvious that they must have been a member of the 19th-century magazine. The magazine was a British magazine for women founded by John Bell and was published between 1806 and 1831. It started as a magazine that published poetry and fiction until its merger with The Lady's Magazine and Museum, and it became The Court Magazine and Monthly Critic. Mary Shelley was one of the notable contributors to the magazine especially in the literary section until the priorities of the British women seemed to change, and the magazine became more of a fashion magazine. The thesis of this critical article is that "the writer had the moral in view which we are desirous of drawing from it, that the presumptive works of man must be frightful, vile, and horrible; ending only in discomfort and misery to himself."
Agreement with the thesis
I agree with the thesis. The thesis underscores a question that many would not associate with an act of fiction. One would try to question what would be in the mind of a writer as they write their works. In this case, the fact that the main character defies the Creator to create a human-like being that causes harm to humanity would make one question the morality of both the character and the writer herself. It shows exactly what the writer thinks of humanity as vile creatures whose acts end up hurting them. For instance, the monster goes back to haunt Victor as his creator for the misery he faces due to his looks. The writer demonstrates the critique’s point of view that humans at times make decisions that come to haunt them and make life miserable since the creature does more harm than good.
Evidence to support the assertion
The writer of the critique provides ample evidence to support their assertion. The author begins by acknowledging the fact that Shelley apologized for the works and as such, it cannot be judged for being impious. The acknowledgement underscores the fact that critic is concerned with the morality of the article and not the content itself as such. However, the critic does not do well to question the morality of the writer but is rather focused on the moral standing of Frankenstein as a man who creates a demon that comes to destroy him. It is also rather apparent that the author of this article summarizes the entire novel in his criticism. The only external reference that the author makes is of the philosopher who alludes to the fact that human beings can create a world out of the little given to them by nature. It is a reference that does not allude to the morality of the writer or the main character but is made as a general reference to the ability of Frankenstein to create a monster out of the little intelligence given to him. At the end of the article, however, it is not clear which moral lessons the critic expected the reader to gain from reading from Shelley’s novel.
Similar opinion in Blackwood Edinburg's Magazine
Blackwood Edinburg's Magazine shares a similar opinion of humanity as laid out by Shelley. This is an article that praises Shelley's critique of humanity. In the article, the author states that nature in the novel is altered and, not to soothe the imagination with its wonders but to show the effect that the altering would not only have on the people around but the person who alters it as well. The pleasures of nature are, therefore, only secondary to the way human beings as mortals would be affected. By considering this evaluation of the work of fiction, it is quite apparent that the author, Walter Scott, also seems to question the morality of human beings in the novel and somehow questions the perception of human morality from the perspective of the author.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the first article begins by making a rather clear statement on the morality of the characters in the book and what moral lessons human beings are expected to draw from the work by Shelley. Scott supports this sentiment, though to a varied extent, by praising the critique if humanity that Shelley presents in “Frankenstein’s Monster.”
Works Cited
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine 2 (March 1818): 613-20—by Walter Scott. http://www.rc.umd.edu/reference/chronologies/mschronology/reviews/bemrev.html
La Belle Assemblée, or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine, 2d Series, 17 (March 1818): 139-142. http://www.rc.umd.edu/reference/chronologies/mschronology/reviews/barev.html
