In the early 1800s, strained relations between Europe and the rest of the world had a great impact on the history of the modern world. In 1803, the newly formed United States nearly doubled its dominance after purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France. Shortly thereafter, in 1804, Haiti gained independence from France. Ultimately, the United Kingdom was unable to convincingly defeat the United States in the War of 1812 ("World History 1800-1899 (AD)"). Following these events, many Europeans realized that Europe was losing its strong hold on countries in other parts of the world. This created a sense of xenophobia among the more powerful European countries who wished to maintain their world dominance. The Middle East, and therefore Islam, was an area over which Europeans wished to demonstrate their dominance because there were ongoing conflicts between Eastern European countries and the Ottoman Empire ("Ottoman Wars in Europe"). Mary Shelley, author of the 1818 novel Frankenstein, grew up in this period when an attitude of European supremacy was common along with a strong disdain for the Middle East and Islam. In his novel there are multiple examples of anti-Islamic connotations and opinions, each of which influences the overall plot and the attitudes of the main characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Mary Shelley's most obvious example of Islamic racism is the portrayal of the only true Muslim character, the Turkish trader, as an inhuman and evil being. The Turkish merchant, who in the novel is called only "the Turk" and "the Mohammedan", is one of only two characters in Frankenstein to whom Mary Shelley does not give a name, the other being the creature. This draws a pointed comparison between the two. Mary Shelley intends to point out that, like the creature, the Turk is too barbaric and diabolical to have the dignity and value associated with having a name. Shelley further develops the Turk into a selfish and cowardly character when "'he became a traitor to good feelings and honor and left Italy with his daughter...'", undeterred that he had never sufficiently repaid Felix for his actions benevolent (Shelley 89). In the Frankenstein sub-novel that is the story of the De Laceys, the Turk is undoubtedly the evil antagonist who brings shame to the family and is “'the cause of their downfall'” (Shelley 86). The Turk's evil, self-centered attitude and inhuman characteristics are intended to represent the entire Islamic population and demonstrate the "underlying assumption... that Muslims and Turks are not capable of human kindness" ("Frankenstein chapters 13 -16 Summary and analysis ."). Mary Shelley's description of the Turkish merchant as a dishonorable character affects the overall structure of the novel drastically considering that the Turk is an underlying character in the novel. In short, the fate of the De Laceys and the creature lies in the hands of the Mohammedan. If the Turk had been a benevolent and trustworthy character in the novel, then it can be assumed that, like most completely innocent people, the Turk would not have been thrown into prison. In this case the De Laceys would never have met the Turk, and therefore would never have been exiled to Germany. As a result, the creature could not have stayed in the cottage with the De Laceys, meaning it would have developed differently. Even under the condition that the De Laceys met the Turk if he were put in prison simply for "'...his religion and wealth...'", the De Laceys could still have prospered from this association assuming he was a trustworthy fellow (Shelley 86). Under these conditions, the merchant could haveprovide the family with a generous sum of money to help them escape, which would allow them to live somewhere other than their cottage. Again, it's almost impossible that the creature could have stumbled upon the De Laceys if they weren't living in their cottage, and it's their presence that shapes the creature into its future self throughout the rest of the book. Because of the De Laceys, the creature experiences an intense "'love and reverence for [his] protectors..." (Shelley 86) but is greatly distressed after being forcefully rejected by Felix and lives "'without rest or enjoyment...'” (Shelley 97). Neither the creature's interaction with the De Laceys nor its behavior resulting from their relationship would have been possible if the Turk had not been a cruel man. Shelley incorporates further examples of anti-Islamic connotations by distinguishing between the goodness and virtue of Christianity and its lesser ones. , clearly nefarious Islamic actions and beliefs. Like Safie's father, who represents Islamic and Middle Eastern culture, Safie's Christian mother represents Christian and European culture in general. Shelley intends for readers to feel sympathy for Safie's mother, and thus the innocence of Christianity, when she is “'seized and enslaved by the Turks…'” (Shelley 87). This is an act that readers will surely rebuke when they hear of the mother's great aspirations for "superior powers of intellect and independence of spirit..." which she is unable to realize due to the merchant's self-centered attitude (Shelley 87 - 88). Her own inability to achieve desired levels of freedom in life does not stop Safie's mother from coaching her daughter to strive towards the same goals. Subsequently, Safie's mother's superlative and grandiose aspirations are “'imprinted on Safie's mind…'” (Shelley 86-87; Shelley 87). It is no coincidence that a generally charming and optimistic character in the novel, Safie, acts on the virtuous inspiration she receives from her Christian mother. In a span of just five pages during the creature's tale, Shelley is able to effectively convey many similar unjust Islamic actions while clearly discerning the moral actions of Christians. If Mary Shelley had only focused on the lack of respect for Islam instead of also rejoicing in the splendor of Christianity, the plot of this novel would also have been very different. Without the need to include Christian characters to counter the Muslims, there would have been no Christian daughter of the Turk. Safie is a key motivator for Felix on his journey to help the Turk escape prison, an act Felix may not have been inspired to perform without the promise of a future wife. Even if the Turk had had a Muslim daughter, Felix, being a 19th century European without much contact with people of non-European descent, may not have been so enchanted by a Muslim girl. Thus, Felix would not have been so inclined to help the Turk get out of prison, with the risk of the De Laceys remaining in Paris to live. This case would be an exact replica of the scenario in which the creature failed to take refuge with the De Laceys. As a result, the creature would have developed through different methods and would have experienced a different pattern of emotional maturity and emotional outbursts. Throughout the novel, the creature often acted out of intense emotion (such as when it burned down the cottage due to its "'state of utter and stupid desperation'"), meaning that with a change in the creature's emotional pattern there would have been a difference in the creature's actions (Shelley 99). Without Mary Shelley's unwavering determination to prove her point regarding the differences between religions, the plot of Frankenstein would notit would be the same as today's famous version. Mary Shelley makes one last attempt to condemn Islam by making comparisons between the stage of life the creature and Safie are in. until they arrive at the cottage, even if at separate times. By the time the creature arrives at the cottage, it is in the baby stage of life. He had learned from simple physical tests, such as touching fire, not long before creating his hovel near the cottage. THE creature's series of physical tests is very similar to the way a guardian figure tells a normal child which of his actions are acceptable and which are not acceptable. Although Safie is chronologically older than the creature and young adults are certainly expected to have matured beyond the infant stage, Shelley suggests that Safie has not progressed beyond the infant period of life when "[she] turn[s] to door'” of the cottage (Shelley 82). Safie learns new lessons about history, geography, and the "'...system of human society...", as if everything she learned and was told to believe from Islamic culture was so low-level that it wouldn't matter. be respected as a true education (Shelley 85). Therefore, Safie must be re-taught all the basic knowledge so that her mind is not filled with the discreditable Islamic teachings. Consequently, it is logical that in Arabic the name Safie means pure or clean ("Felix, Safie and Agatha"). This represents the need for Safie to purify and cleanse her mind so that she can be “saved from the barbarity of the Arab Islamic world and…[receive] her first lessons in humanization” (Salama). Salama, author of Islam, Orientalism, and Intellectual History: Modernity and the Politics of Exclusion Since Ibn Khaldun, argues that the basis of both the creature's and Safie's lack of maturity in the cottage is due to their horrific backgrounds, meaning that they have an Islamic background. it amounts to a literally monstrous education. Shelley's audacity to call the Islamic background horrible and to argue that Islamic culture simply cannot provide a respectable education is a final and significant addition to an already racist novel. The effect of Shelley's inclusion of the similar life stages of the creature and Safie can be condensed into the importance of the creature's exponential acquisition of knowledge while living in the cottage. Without the need to teach Safie historical lessons to compensate for her horrendous teachings as a child, the creature would not have been able to gain "'a superficial knowledge of history and an insight into the several empires now existing in the world'" (Shelley 84) . It is because of these lessons, in which he is appalled by the frequency of human “vices and bloodshed,” that the creature first begins to feel “disgust and disgust” towards humanity (Shelley 84). Felix subsequently advances from the teachings of the story to explaining the basic social structure, which causes the creature to suffer agony. He realizes that he has no rank in society and is a loner with little hope of future connections with other people. These strong, negative reactions to Felix's teachings were ultimately too powerful for the creature to overcome. He eventually kills more humans in an act of revenge for his misery. The original cause of the creature's misery, Safie's lessons, are a major factor in the development of the creature's future wickedness and unsympathetic attitude towards all humanity. Mary Shelley is known for being a bold women's rights activist who fought for mutual respect between the sexes. His desire for gender equality apparently did not mean a desire for equality of all races and,.