Your question is central to the theme of nature vs.
nurture in Shelley's
Frankenstein.
Left on his own,
without any nurturing, the creature becomes a monster. Without nurturing, he kills a
child, Victor's friend, and Victor's wife. By the conclusion of the novel, he finds
meaning only in tormenting Victor. Victor fails to be responsible and fulfill his role
as a nurturing influence for his creation, and the monster is the
result.
In contrast, Victor's family is nurturing. Victor
is nurtured and achieves great scientific heights (though he practices irresponsible
science by doing so). And Victor's family takes in an orphan and creates a woman
presented as perfect. Victor's family is nurturing and caring and takes the raising of
even an orphan seriously.
Thus, Victor's rejection of his
creation effects virtually everything that follows in the novel. Clearly, the "natural
man" is inferior to the nurtured man.
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