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 in order to achieve certain needs. When basic needs are met, a person moves on to more advanced needs or levels, illustrated in his model. As Maslow discusses in his hierarchy of needs, the human being will not reach full development when the progression of levels is prevented. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley reinforces the control 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 starts 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 vital for survival. Although they are the most basic necessities, Maslow believed they were “the most critical to survival” (Armstrong 75). In Frankenstein, the monster is forced to take care of these important needs himself. After being created, the monster “ate some berries which [he] found hanging on the trees, or lying on the ground. [He] quenched [his] thirst at the brook; and then lying down he was overcome with 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). After the monster learns 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 safe place in the woods where he “retired and lay down happy that he had found… middle of paper… of “eternal hatred and vengeance for all mankind” (Shelley 121) and therefore is unable to focus on his own self-esteem or self-actualization. As Maslow discusses in his hierarchy of needs, the human being will not reach full development when the progression of levels is prevented. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley reinforces the control of one's full potential through the development of the creature denied the need to belong as it begins its path of destruction. The monster is able to satisfy the basic needs of Maslow's hierarchy, but is more dependent on others to satisfy his need for love. As the monster is rejected by the need for love, it becomes more destructive and is unable to advance its needs for self-esteem and self-actualization. Without the satisfaction of these needs the monster is denied the opportunity to achieve full psychological development.