In contemplating new communities on new terms, Mary Shelley uses her creature to interrogate the basis and boundaries of certain social groups. The creature, in a sense, represents a version of a man, put together by carefully picked out body parts, just as government is carefully assembled of different people. The creatures origins, however, meant that he is unaffiliated with others. He is looked at as a person but not a citizen. He isn't naturalized nor socialized with any certain community. He is the novel's main community seeker. Because the creature is self-dependent and is related to no one he must seek out membership in different groups that don't rely on ties of intimacy, ancestry, or memories as a necessity for inclusion. However, what is very intriguing about Mary Shelley's novel is that she chose to stage the creature's searches for community and acceptance around the most intimate of social groups, family. Normally, it may seem that family groups are not candidates for trying to find acceptance because they are usually defined by special obligations and attachments. Choice has virtually no role in a family's organization, but Shelley's representative households are not solely private unions; instead, they are mobile and joinable. She uses family unions and the fact that the creature is an outsider to think through the problems of the value of affiliation, heredity, and sentiment as the basis of political commonality.
Starting around the second half of the novel Mary Shelley further explores alternatives to familial bases for communal ties through Victor and the creature's relationship. Victor is not given the option of living in a creature-less world. Him and his creation are unable to flee from each others presence. They must confront the task of figuring out how to live in the same world together. They eventually meet on the Alpine slopes. It is there where they form the compact of Victor creating the female companion for the creature, as mentioned earlier. The compact here didn't last, but it actually is a crucial point in the book. It sets up brand new principles of connectivity with certain characters who normally disagree deeply with one-another. The creature begins to suspect that Victor Frankenstein cannot be entrusted to be a loving parent. He then presents himself to Victor as a person who has been deeply injured by Frankenstein's doings; in doing so, the creature blames Victor for his actions. The agreement reached at Montanvert produces a reality effect in the story. It is the moment when the characters' different opinions and interests meet on a common political world.
If one looks only at the surface it will appear that the creature solicits Victor mainly because he is a father figure when they meet. He refers to Victor Frankenstein as his creator and his natural lord and king, and to himself as Frankenstein's own creature. Victor does not argue against these facts. He actually admits that he is the author of the creature. Victor admits that he is the one who has authorized the creature's existence. Back at the laboratory right before he created the creature, he was talking about how his new species would bless him as its creator and source. He was really looking forward to giving the being life. Even though Victor was horrified when the being actually came to life, he now seems willing to be moved by something like paternal care. Frankenstein agrees to hear the creature's story because he felt that it was his duty as creator to render the creature happy before complaining of his wickedness. Victor suddenly has a small amount of compassion for the creature that he has given life, he is prepared to render him happy by sympathizing with the creature and accepting his wish to just be heard out.
However, a closer look of this scene shows the creature's true intent to appeal to Victor Frankenstein's paternity as more strategic than sincerity. The creature seems to only coax Victor into temporarily forgetting his hatred in order to hear what the creature has to say. He placates Victor to buy some time in order to tell his story. In other words, he intends to soften Victor up before he makes the request that may very well decide their fates. The creature's tactic is very strategic. He has every reason to be wary of affective ties. What the creature already knows at this time is that sympathy isn't always given to other people, even if they deserve it. He learned this through the way people have treated him when he done good to them. It is clear that Shelley was making a reference to political strategy here. They get you to think of the sympathies and get your vote, just like the creature is getting Victor's sympathy to coax him into making him a companion.
So, after reading this it is very apparent that there are very many different things to look into when reading Frankenstein. When looked at closer the reader can get a deeper view of the lives of the characters. One may even be able to compare his or her own self to the story. Either way, Frankenstein is arguably one of the very best pieces of literature of all time.
