Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist, wanted to understand what motivates human behavior. Maslow developed his hierarchy of needs to explain how human actions are motivated to meet certain needs. When basic needs are met, a person moves on to more advanced needs or levels, illustrated in their model. As Maslow explains in his hierarchy of needs, human beings will not reach their full development if the progression of levels is prevented. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley strengthens the mastery of one's full potential through the development of the creature denied the need to belong as it begins its path of destruction. When the monster is created, it begins at the first level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The first level of Maslow's hierarchy is physiological needs. These needs, including breathing, food, water and sleep, are essential for survival. Although these were the most basic of necessities, Maslow believed that they were “most essential to survival” (Armstrong 75). In Frankenstein, the monster is forced to provide for these important needs on his own. After its creation, the monster “ate berries that it found hanging from trees or lying on the ground. [He] quenched [his] thirst at the stream; then lying down was overcome by sleep” (Shelley 87). In his hierarchy of needs, Maslow explains that once needs at a certain level are satisfied, “other (and “higher”) needs emerge and…dominate the organism” (Maslow 375). Once the monster has learned to manage its physiological needs, it is able to focus on the second level of Maslow's hierarchy: safety needs. After the monster obtains food and water, he finds a place of safety in the woods where he "retires and lies down happy to have found ...... middle of paper . ..... of "eternal hatred and vengeance towards all humanity" (Shelley 121) and is therefore unable to focus on his own self-esteem or personal achievement. As Maslow explains in his hierarchy of needs, humans will not reach their full development when progression of levels is prevented. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley strengthens the mastery of one's full potential through the development of the creature who has been denied the need to belong as he begins his path of destruction. The monster is capable of satisfying the basic needs of Maslow's hierarchy, but is more dependent on others to satisfy his need for love. As the monster is rejected from the need for love, it becomes more destructive and is unable to move toward the needs for self-esteem and self-actualization. Without the satisfaction of these needs, the monster is denied the possibility of achieving its full psychological development..