Frankenstein Nature v. Nurture

In Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein", the concept of nature versus nurture plays a pivotal role in the development of the creature. It is often debated whether the monster was created as evil, or if he became that way through his experiences. Some believe the monster was evil from its creation. I contend however, that it was made evil. Initially, the monster was like a newborn. It did not know what to do with itself, and was abandoned. Just as children who are abandoned often end up living hard lives and are more likely to enter into a life of crime, so was the monster. The monster is like an abandoned child. The tough times that met him, were what caused him to act the way he did. He was not inherently evil, as some might claim, rather his nurture, or lack there of is what caused him to murder. The creature says to Victor "If you consent, neither you nor any other human being shall ever see us again..."(Shelley, 105). This shows the monster does not want to kill, he simply wants a companion.  He had no one to teach him, and to help him become a well adjusted member of society. He was forced to be an outcast, hiding in the shadows, because no one would accept him.