It can be so easy for us humans to point out how different each of us is from each other. But do we ever stop and recognize how similar we actually are? Has it ever crossed your mind how similar you are to other human beings? Although two human beings may seem so different due to their background, race, gender, culture, etc…, each desires similar wants and needs. As identified in Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, every human being has similar needs and some take precedence over others. Shown in the novel Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley, the character known as "The Monster", symbolizes someone who is "different" and how others react to this character, as well as what this character wants and needs. To begin, let's take a more in-depth look at the characters in the novel Frankenstein. It seems that throughout the story Shelly shows how different the monster is from Victor and the rest of society. However, if we look closely and take into account the needs that motivate all human beings, we can see that the monster may not be all that different. Shelly uses the monster as a symbol for someone who is not normally accepted in everyday society. As stated by Stephen T. Asma in the article “Monsters and the Moral Imagination,” “in our liberal culture, we dramatize the anger of the monstrous creature, and Frankenstein's is a good example, so we blame ourselves and our 'intolerant society.' for alienating the marginalized from us in the first place” (1). Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs we can break down these motivating factors into physiological needs, safety and protection needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs and self-realization needs. First, in Shelley's novel Frankenstein, the author makes these differences. ..... middle of paper ...... safety, physiological needs, belonging needs, try to help him satisfy that last esteem need by having a partner. To conclude, once you look deeper at how Mary describes the characters in the novel, we see that she symbolizes using the monster and how we each have similarities but are so quick to judge. Using Maslow's hierarchy we can identify how the monster actually relates to other humans. Although the monster commits non-normal acts, so do the other characters in the novel, but because of his creation he is judged. In the novel, Victor created and brought the monster to life. The family beat him up after all he had done for them, and Winston put his crew in danger for his own needs, but no one is judged the same way as the monster. Therefore, we should not be so quick to judge others since we all want the same needs and desires.