Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a Gothic novel about a man, Victor Frankenstein, and his monster creation. Due to the monster’s hideous appearance, Frankenstein flees and abandons him, letting the monster roam freely into society. Each of the three head characters, Robert Walton, Frankenstein, and the monster encounter isolation at some point in the novel. In Frankenstein, Shelley illustrates the theme of ‘isolation is unpleasant if one cannot tolerate being secluded’, which helps the reader understand that friendship is important, loneliness can create depression, but isolation is also essential at times. To begin with, Shelley utilizes the theme ‘isolation is distressing’ to illustrate the importance of friendship. Isolation and the significance …show more content…
The theme ‘isolation is unpleasant’ relates to Walton on a compassionate level, as he is in desperate need to bond with someone. The reader can grasp from Walton, who has “...none to participate [his] joy” (Shelley 4), that friendship is important because having friends prevents being alone, keeps you cheerful, makes life enjoyable, and provides support in the face of adversity, which is exactly what Walton needed on his voyage. Furthermore, Shelley demonstrates through the monster that isolation is unpleasant to reaffirm to the reader that loneliness produces depression. During his tale, the monster tells Frankenstein that he came across a boy and thought that he “...could seize him… [and that he] should not be so desolate...” (Shelley 102). This usage of the theme ‘isolation is unpleasant unless tolerated’, helps the reader understand that the monster’s loneliness put him in desolation. His solitude was unbearable, and it caused him to become so dismal that he pondered taking a boy against his will just to have a friend. Comparing himself to the devil, the monster is in a heartbroken state because “...even that enemy of God and man had friends…[he is] alone” (Shelley
Three of the main characters in Mary Shelley 's 1818 novel Frankenstein have commonalities that may not be immediately recognized but are significant in terms of theme. Robert Walton, a man who sets out to seek new land, Victor Frankenstein, a man who sets out to create new life, and the Creature, who sets out to become accepted, are all different in their own ways but tragically the same. Though the first use of the word "isolation" did not occur until 1833 (Merriam-Webster), Frankenstein is replete with instances in which the three central characters must confront their alienation from others. Understanding a mariner, a mad man, and a monster may seem like a difficult task to accomplish, yet with Shelley’s use of isolation as a theme it
In Robert Walton’s journey he feels a sense of loneliness, for instance in letter two he states, “But I have one want which I have never yet been able to satisfy, and the absence of the object of which I now feel as a most severe evil, I have no friend: Margaret: when I am glowing in the enthusiasm of success, there will be none to participate in my joy; if I am assailed by disappointment, no one will endeavor to sustain me in dejection.” (Shelley, Frankenstein letter 2). This letter represents how Walton mourns over
Isolation is a popular feeling and theme faced by many characters in both Brave New World and Frankenstein. “Community, Identity, Stability” (Huxley 1), are the first
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the author’s view concerning the role that human connections play is that humans need others in their lives in order to function correctly. As conveyed by Shelley, isolation and separation from any other beings leads to misery. Not having companions around also leads to a lack of the ability to behave constructively. Shelley’s views are conveyed throughout the novel through the decaying well being of certain characters.
Isolation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, has several themes imbedded in the text. One major theme is of isolation. Many of the characters experience some time of isolation. The decisions and actions of some of these characters are the root cause of their isolation. They make choices that isolate themselves from everyone else.
In the Romantic period of literature, nature was often associated with isolation in a positive way. Throughout the novel, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley, there is a strong symbolic relationship between loneliness and nature. However, Shelley uses the relationship to show the negativity of being alone. The relationship of nature and loneliness is displayed through three characters in the story: Victor Frankenstein, his creature, and Robert Walton. At the times when the characters are alone and in need of companionship, they feel depressed, confused, and angry; they do not think clearly, and, consequently, they make wrong decisions. They seek refuge in nature, and try to use its beauty to find answers and to fill their void of friendship. Yet, none of the characters ever overcomes their bouts with loneliness because they never find true comfort in nature.
This is especially seen in the main protagonist and antagonist Victor Frankenstein and his creature, respectively. The lack of exposure to the world early on in life led to Frankenstein’s isolationism. The monster’s absorption of this trait from Frankenstein due to its abandonment and emotional scarring led it as well to be rejected by society. The repercussions of their chase of each other ended with their exclusion from being considered sociable and humane. Loneliness and isolation are important to Frankenstein’s plot, making for the advancement of the story itself. Ultimately, Frankenstein’s obsession with the acquirement of knowledge, the creation of a monster so absurd that it was outcast from society, and the dissension between the two led to their solitude from humanity an untimely
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the main theme revolves around the internal and external consequences of being isolated from others. Being isolated from the world could result in a character losing his/her mental state and eventually causing harm to themselves or others. Because both Victor Frankenstein and the creature are isolated from family and society, they experienced depression, prejudice, and revenge.
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, loneliness is a key theme. There comes a point in the novel where Dr. Frankenstein has to make a decision: to either make his creature an equal woman companion or to refuse his protégé and face the dire consequences. At this point, Frankenstein is knowledgeable that his creation is the murderer of his brother (and indirectly caused the execution of his family friend Justine). He sees just exactly the problems that his creation has caused and how much pain his family is suffering from these losses. On the other hand, the monster offers peace and a ceasefire to Frankenstein’s family if he obtains what he most desires.
Shelley also uses isolation to show people’s fear throughout the novel. The characters primarily affected by this isolation due to fear are Walton, the monster, and Victor. Walton is isolated as a result of fear because he wants to explore and find new ways to become “more,” and in turn is running away from society and is isolating himself from them because he is afraid he will not live his dreams. Also, when the stranger, Victor, comes on board Walton was very cautious in approaching him and isolated him so that he could talk to Victor personally. He did this because he feared what the “stranger” had to say and did not want pote...
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the main theme of the story was isolation. Both internal and external consequences were the cause of being isolated from society. Frankenstein began to feel depressed after the creation of the monster and decided to isolate himself from his friends and family. Frankenstein kept his creation a secret from everyone because he was afraid of the consequences. Ironically, Frankenstein was the main problem for all of his sufferings. He thought that he could keep everyone safe if he were to not tell them about the monster, however, everyone died because he wanted to keep everyone from the truth. The creature also suffered many consequences from being isolated. He wanted to be part of a family, and feel
In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the Creature executes extreme and irreversible acts due to his isolation from society. Although the Creature displays kindness, his isolation drives him to act inhumanely. The Creature, pushed away from his creator because he is an abomination, and indicates his isolation as the only one of his species. As the Creature gets more comfortable with the De Lacey ’s, he approaches the old man as his children are gone but before he can explain himself, the children come home and see the Creature, “Who can describe their horror and consternation on beholding me?
An idea becomes a vision, the vision develops a plan, and this plan becomes an ambition. Unfortunately for Victor Frankenstein, his ambitions and accomplishments drowned him in sorrow from the result of many unfortunate events. These events caused Victors family and his creation to suffer. Rejection and isolation are two of the most vital themes in which many dreadful consequences derive from. Victor isolates himself from his family, friends, and meant-to-be wife. His ambitions are what isolate him and brought to life a creature whose suffering was unfairly conveyed into his life. The creature is isolated by everyone including his creator. He had no choice, unlike Victor. Finally, as the story starts to change, the creature begins to take control of the situation. It is now Victor being isolated by the creature as a form of revenge. All the events and misfortunes encountered in Frankenstein have been linked to one another as a chain of actions and reactions. Of course the first action and link in the chain is started by Victor Frankenstein.
We as humans want to be with each other. We actively pursue this goal be finding friends and significant others. While a moderate amount of solitude can be good we crave togetherness with others. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein isolation is a key theme in the novel. The creature created by Victor Frankenstein is driven into isolation from society based on people’s fear of him. Both the creature and Victor experience first hand the effects that isolation have on the creature's actions. Thus Frankenstein shows very clearly how lifelong isolation keeps someone from developing a moral compass and in turn makes them do wrongful deeds.
...ry. The loneliness of Frankenstein and the monster drove them miserable for most their lives, and in the end, to death. Walton on the other had, turns back to civilization, perhaps learning something from the story of Victor Frankenstein. In the book Frankenstein, there were many moments of glory for Victor Frankenstein, but in the end he only ending up destroying many of his family, himself, and the monster after suffering through loneliness and grief for a big part of his life.