Set against the backdrop of Halloween, a time when the lines between human and monster blur, Maya Barger’s poem “Son, Not Monster” reflects the anguish of abandonment and rejection. Barger’s poem explores the tragic relationship between creator and creation, drawing inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The monster is not inherently evil but shaped by neglect, making him a tragic figure rather than a terrifying one. Through this lens, the poem captures the emotional depth of the monster’s struggle for acceptance, linking well with Halloween’s themes of darkness and misunderstood identity.
This fall, I finished reading Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley for the first time. For me, the most interesting aspect of the novel was the relationship between Victor and his monster. The two hold a bond of both resentment and connection that is comparable to father and son, or God and Man. This is one of the major themes of the novel. Victor abandoned his monster, and in doing so left the monster without guidance and love. Such an act of betrayal is what molds the monster’s feelings of hatred toward Victor. However, the monster still cries upon learning of Victor’s death because Victor was the closest the monster would ever have to family, or more specifically, a father.
The poem below illustrates the relationship between these two characters and is told from the perspective of the monster at the end of the novel. The poem is meant to reflect the monster’s anger and frustration at his creator for being abandoned and scorned rather than being looked after. Ultimately, the monster never understood why Victor felt such disdain toward him. The poem expresses these painful thoughts and feelings of the monster through rhetorical questions, which will never be answered.
“Son, Not Monster”
by Maya Barger
When I first opened my eyes,
And started to rise,
Your admiration to fade.
For I was not born,
but made.
From your own hands I was molded,
Yet still I am scolded.
Father, am I not your son?
Do we not have the same hands?
Does my heart not contract and expand?
For why must you depart?
Am I a monster in your heart?
Alone you have made me
And alone I will forever be.
For my one chance at love,
You destroyed what was our dove.
Thus, no peace shall remain.
I thought vengeance would show you my pain.
If you have made me alone,
To you this feeling must also be known.
I have killed your wife,
I have ruined your life,
And yet . . .
If a monster I am,
I am a monster of your hand.
So, Father, why must you kill me?
And now, as I look at your body,
So still on the floor.
So unnatural you look,
It shakes me to my core.
Your soul no longer there,
Our love will never be shared.
I hate you.
And yet each time I cry anew.
For in an attempt to cheat those above,
You forgot to make me with love.
I am made in your image
So why do I cause such a scrimmage?
Am I a mirror you see true,
Or just a distorted reflection of you?
Perhaps if you hadn’t fled,
But nurtured me to be led,
We would not have befallen this shared fate.
Father,
It is too late.
To the ice I shall go,
Deep in the snow.
Like Lucifer I will slither,
If my cursed flesh can wither.
Maya Barger is a senior at Bishop Eustace Prep in New Jersey. She is currently serving as NEHS President. Maya has also been an active member of the school’s literary magazine and book club since her sophomore year. In addition to writing creatively as a hobby, she is an avid reader. Maya is also a participant in her school’s volleyball team. She has ambitions to go to college and study engineering next fall. Overall, she is extremely excited about the future and grateful for the experiences and opportunities she has been given thus far.
