In Frankenstein mankind is presented as many things. Shelley tells us of ourselves, and how we are viewed from an outside perspective. It is hard to judge one's self, though Shelley is within reach of such a task. The monster is shunned as many people are although, Shelley extends these tauntings beyond any truth. This still places the brunt of the criticism on mankind itself. Victor and his monster are different physically, but are they really so different on the inside? Through the examination of desires, it will be shown that humans, by nature, are self-absorbed. Often it is in the pursuit to achieve perfection when humans judge by perception. The monster's quest for humanity goes beyond humanity but gets him nowhere.
Our desire to achieve perfection is evident throughout Frankenstein; Victor shows the most just prior to creating the monster. Victor goes on about the beautiful people he used to create the monster, and how great the monster was to be. He learned a hard lesson once the monster comes to life and he realizes the creature isn't as perfect as he had envisioned. In fact, his creation was quite the opposite. Right after the creation of the monster's life, Victor does not think of anyone except himself. This is where human self-absorption relates to the constant striving for perfection. Overall, this shows how Victor, and the human race are just plain selfish, and only concerned with what is best for them. Victor's choice to keep the monster's existence a secret in order to protect his reputation exposes him as both self-centred and reckless.
The monster is stereotyped from the very beginning. This is out of pure ignorance. He is not given any chance to explain himself because he is a "wretch", "deformity", and a "filthy demon". The original judgement by perception is by Victor. The moment the creature is "born", Victor recoils in horror. If the one who gives the monster birth disowns him for his visual hideousness, then there's not much chance of strangers- who know nothing about his past, or even what he is- to be in immediate acceptance.
