The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley tells a bizarre and awful tale of an absurd human creating life and the consequences of his experiment. In this novel, there is an abundance of predictable themes; such as sacrifice, forgiveness, revenge and secrecy. There is one theme I see that stands out the most, solitude. Throughout this novel, we see Mary Shelley using Victor Frankenstein, the monster, and Robert Walton to introduce and emphasize a theme of solitude and the effect it has on a person. Mary Shelley’s theme of solitude plays a substantial part in Frankenstein and human nature.
The novel begins with the four letters written by Walton to his sister. This is the appearance of the theme. It brings out the question whether Walton has anyone else to write to. As the letters progress, we soon find out Walton has no friend, but just wants one. He longs for a friend so he can tell him or her about his ambitions and dreams. Traveling to the North Pole is an incredibly life-threatening trip. If Walton had a friend like Frankenstein, maybe he would not have ventured into the
…show more content…
Solitude, as previously seen, will cause chaos on a person’s life. Victors soon learns that he has made a mistake by creating the monster, and wants others to learn from him, “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.”(Victor Frankenstein). The theme of solitude makes us reflect on the actions we have as human beings. Do we as humans persuade solitude on others around us? Perhaps Shelley, expressing through Frankenstein, is using this theme to alert us at our own acts of evil towards others. Whatever the reason may be, Frankenstein persuades solitude causing evil amongst others, and we all see the need we acquire for
Throughout time man has been isolated from people and places. One prime example of isolation is Adam, "the man [formed] from the dust of the ground [by the Lord God]" (Teen Study Bible, Gen. 2.7). After committing the first sin he secludes "from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken" (Teen Study Bible, Gen. 3.23). This isolation strips Adam from his protection and wealth the garden provides and also the non-existence of sin. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, is able to relate to the story of Adam and the first sin to help her character, the Creature, associate with Adam. The Creature is able to relate because "[l]ike Adam, [he is] apparently united by no link to any other being in existence"
Friends will determine the direction and quality of your life. Loneliness is a battle that all people will once face at a certain point in their life; it is how they handle it that determines the outcome of that battle. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein loneliness is the most significant and prevailing theme throughout the entire novel. Shelley takes her readers on a wild journey that shows how loneliness can end in tragedy.
Isolation has a negative effect on Frankenstein by making him fall ill. “But I was in reality very ill; and surely nothing but the unbounded and unremitting attentions of my friend could have restored me to life. The form of the monster on whom I had bestowed existence was forever before my eyes. By very slow degrees, and with frequent relapses that alarmed and grieved my friend, I recovered” (55). With Clerval by his side, Frankenstein recovered
Walton is isolated in different ways: his boat is stuck in the ice, in the middle of nowhere up north, and he is also isolated because “I have no friend”. The first type of seclusion, “encompassed as I am by frost and snow”, is one that is also found later on in the novel when Frankenstein would lock himself away to create his monster for example, and mirrors Walton’s state of mind, thus being loneliness. Consequently both types of separations are greatly linked. However, the lonely seclusion of having no friends is the most prominent and important in this novel. Shelley stresses this idea by having Walton communicate his constant desire for “the company of a man who could sympathise with me” and how he “bitterly feels the want of a friend”. This theme is also crucial in the play as Walton’s desire at the beginning of the novel, will then be echoed by the monster’s request to his creator for a companion which, by his refusal, ignites the feeling of revenge in the monster. Furthermore, this theme of isolation is key in the story also because, it plays a great part in why Walton welcomes Frankenstein on his ship in the hope of making a friend. Walton even declare that “my affection for the guest increases every day” despite him being miserable and mysterious. This idea that Walton feels deep liking for a guest he knows nothing about yet accentuates his social isolation as his desire for a friend is so strong, that he would be ready to befriend a complete stranger thus clouding his judgement on hearing Frankenstein’s story. This thus influence the reader’s view of the rest of the novel as we begin to doubt the reliability of the narrator thus picturing Frankenstein in an even more negative light throughout the
"A Hermit is simply a person to whom society has failed to adjust itself." (Will Cuppy). In the gothic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley we follow the life of Victor Frankenstein in 18th century Germany. Shelley displays a recurring theme of isolation and how it drives once good people to do terrible things. If civilization does not adjust itself to a creature of any kind they will be forced into isolation and ultimately self destruction.
Victor Frankenstein’s personal accounts of loneliness and isolation show the effects involved with making an impulsive and passionate decision. Frankenstein predicts the loneliness he could experience if he were to create the monster as he observes, “When I am glowing with the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate in my joy” (Shelley 13). Frankenstein knows what kind of situation he is putting himself into prior to constructing the monster. He is passionate and carelessly rebellious against his own knowledge and his previous predictions in giving life to the creature. Frankenstein knows there will be “none to participate in [his] joy,” but he acts out of his own passion and desire to be “glowing” which in turn gives him extreme loneliness. This
Isolation can cause someone to be or become emotionally unstable. In the book Frankenstein, Victor creates a creature that comes to life, and he later abandons the creature. The creature then becomes isolated. Because of this isolation, the creature seeks revenge and wants to get back at Victor for even creating him in the first place. An example of the creature’s revenge is demonstrated in the book after the creature has found him and is sharing his story with Victor: “Frankenstein! You belong then to my enemy-to him towards whom I have
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, illustrates an interesting story focusing in on many different themes, but what most readers may miss, is the similarities between Victor Frankenstein and the creature he created. As the story develops, one may pick up on these similarities more and more. This is portrayed through their feelings of isolation, thirst for revenge, their bold attempt to play god, and also their hunger to obtain knowledge. These are all displayed through a series of both the actions and the words of Frankenstein and his creature.
Human are the most social animals in the world. When becoming isolated, it a signal that emotions have been turned amongst ourselves. If not already there, it is normal to feel depressed, lonely, alone. In Mary Shelley's gothic novel, both the monster and Frankenstein are isolated. Frankenstein will not tell anyone about his creation because he has no one to pour his emotions out to. This causes the loss of his family, friends,and lover. Until the end, he tells his experience to the force but was never really believed so his tale is only really heard by Robert Walton, an explorer with ambitions as strong as Victor himself. In Shelley's novel, she characterizes Victor Frankenstein and the monster as being isolated to convey their misery.
They make choices that isolate themselves from everyone else. However, other characters are forced into isolation for reasons that are not in their control. The actions of another cause them to experience loneliness. The story begins with Robert Walton writing to his sister, Margaret, about his voyage to an undiscovered place.
Emotional isolation in Frankenstein is the most pertinent and prevailing theme throughout the novel. This theme is so important because everything the monster does or feels directly relates to his poignant seclusion. The effects of this terrible burden have progressively damaging results upon the monster, and indirectly cause him to act out his frustrations on the innocent. The monster's emotional isolation makes him gradually turn worse and worse until evil fully prevails. This theme perpetuates from Mary Shelley's personal life and problems with her father and husband, which carry on into the work and make it more realistic.(Mellor 32) During the time she was writing this novel, she was experiencing the emotional pangs of her
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein examines two phenomena of human nature, scientific curiosity and loneliness; the latter will serve as the focus of this essay. The very manner in which Frankenstein begins, that of the correspondence of an unattached explorer who longs for a companion on his voyage, with no one to write to but his sister, establishes the theme of loneliness immediately.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein brings the judging nature of society into question by asking if loneliness is brought upon oneself, or developed through the interactions humans have with each other. With this, she analyses the blunt and ambiguous effects it can have. Shelley admits that humans often pass blame onto others for things they should take responsibility for however she also believes that some things are out of any single beings control. These two ideas are used by Shelley to analyse how loneliness can emerge into one's life. Mary Shelley depicts the effects and perils of loneliness as having a very negative effect on the lives and personalities of those individually consumed, while doing this, Shelley also clearly shows how it not
Much of Frankensteins loneliness has been attributed to his ugliness. A study co-partnered with the University of Chicago states, “socially active, popular, and connected individuals are also healthier and more physically appealing and intelligent than are individuals who perceive themselves to be relatively socially isolated,” meaning social isolation has a tremendous affect on health and happiness (Cacioppo 4). The effects of social isolation are physiological as well as psychological. This may also explain why Mary Shelley gave her creature a burning ambition to make Victor’s life a living, flame consumed Hell. Frankenstein’s monster has psychological defense mechanisms.
Alienation and isolation have been apparent in society since the beginning of man. When an individual stumbles outside the realm of social normality they are viewed as degradation to society or a threat to normal society.(“Truthmove” 2012) In the gothic tale of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley frequently displays the many different forms of alienation. Victor Frankenstein and his creation were two of the characters in this book that went through alienation and isolation.