Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein shows the progression of maturity in many characters seen in the book. The monster in the book shows notable maturity at the end of the novel, however, the progression of maturity is not seen because the story is Victor's narration. The wretch knows that his murders were wrong and ultimately accepts responsibility for his actions. At the beginning of the book, the monster has the maturity of a child and does not know the way humans behave. The monster lacks nourishment and self-control and is emotionally disordered (Marrone 148). The monster in Mary Shelley's gothic novel Frankenstein matures over the course of the book, eventually taking responsibility for his actions and inflicting upon himself the punishment he believes he deserves for his sins. At the beginning of the novel the monster is a child, unable to understand the way humans act. As a newborn, the unfortunate man commits numerous misdeeds, demonstrating his initial lack of maturity. It can be argued that the monster was created with sensory virtue, a benevolent and kind creature. “I have been benevolent and good; poverty has made me a demon. Make me happy and I will be virtuous again” (Shelley 100). This is perhaps Godwin's philosophy of the “innate goodness of man,” considering that much of the ideas in this novel are inspired by him (qtd. in Swingle 51). Marshall Brown notes: When he first encounters language, the monster calls it a "divine science"... the monster's obviously unreliable judgment that humans are "all that can be conceived as noble and divine" when not I am "a simple scion". of the principle of evil” (qtd. in Brown 157). Shelley's monster is incredibly intelligent and “learns with astonishing ease” (Brown 150). Desp...... middle of document ...... 1997.Johnson, Barbara. “My monster/myself.” Rev. of Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, My Mother/Myself by Nancy Friday, and The Mermaid and the Minotaur by Dorothy Dinnerstein. Cherchez la Femme Feminist Criticism/Female Text: Vol. 12, no. 2. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Summer 1982. Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the modern Prometheus. 2003 ed. New York, New York, Bantam Dell, 2003.Sherwin, Paul. “Frankenstein: Creation as Catastrophe.” Rev. of Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus of Mary Shelley. PMLA: vol. 96, no. 5. Modern Language Association. October 1981. Swingle, L. "Frankenstein's Monster and His Romantic Relatives: Problems of Knowledge in English Romanticism." Rev. of Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus of Mary Shelley. vol. 15, no. 1. University of Texas Press. Spring 1973.