In Frankenstein, the monster begins his tale by recounting to Dr. Frankenstein the “original era of [his] being.” He starts out his life in solitude and in a state of disorientation: “No distinct ideas occupied my mind; all was confused.” The monster’s experience is strikingly representative of John Locke’s theory of mind as a blank slate. At first, he can barely discern a leaf from a bird, but his senses gradually become adjusted to his environment. He eventually becomes able to distinguish the different sights and sounds of his surroundings from each other. He says, “I began also to observe, with greater accuracy, the forms that surrounded me…”
The monster makes his way through the woods, encountering new objects. He discovers foods to eat, streams to drink from, and eventually he stumbles across an abandoned fire, which he attempts to maintain and resurrect. Through his experience and practical application of the these things, he is gathering more and more knowledge. Not all his experience is positive, however, as he comes across humans who are so frightened of his appearance that they chase him away. Despaired by his complete and utter dejection, the monster says that he “wished to tear up the trees, spread havoc and destruction around me, and then to have sat down and enjoyed the ruin.” The detestation and rejection he has experienced is beginning to form his personality; he becomes an enraged and hateful being.
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