How do you feel in loneliness? What do you do when you're alone? How do you act alone? The definition of solitude is the state or situation of being alone. We see solitude a lot in “Frankenstein”. The function of solitude in the novel is to show how being alone can drive you to do certain things, how things affect you and what you do with loneliness.
In “Frankenstein” both Victor and the creature face solitude but react to it in different ways.
Victor shows the function of solitude by how he acts when he was little when he did the opposite of what his father told him about the books he read, this shows the effect of being alone when Victor was little is what he read and what he grew up learning about and how he thought about the world.
…show more content…
The creature was rejected by his “creator” when he knew nothing at all, this leads to his first act of loneliness which is leaving and going to Geneva, and when he gets there his next act is killing William. Then he learns to adapt to being in the wilderness alone so he learns to drink from the stream and eats berries, and then learning the “magic” of the fire. After this, we read he finds a cottage in the woods beside another cottage which a family lives in. The creature wants to be accepted so much he learns as much as he can about the family. For example, he tells Victor how he learns how the family works the garden, how it looks to be in a family, how everyone has a certain role to keep everyone alive and the idea of sacrifice. In learning this he decides to help the family and get wood for them when they're asleep at night. So here we see loneliness affected the creature different and how he did a good deed. Throughout the book, we see the creature is actually really caring he’s just been rejected, beat down and alone so much that he thinks the only way he cannot be alone is if he does humankind as they do
Rather, it is others who alienate it because of its grotesque appearance. The monster is quite literally ‘born’ into perpetual isolation beginning with Victor’s abandonment of it. He denies it domestic safety when he flees to his bedchamber. Victor disregards the monster’s utterance of “inarticulate sounds while a grin wrinkled his cheeks,” then escapes its outstretched hand “seemingly to detain [him]” [Shelley 49]. Examining the monster’s body language as though an impressionable infant, its actions can be read as a child-like plea for its father though the absence of speech not yet learned. Instead, its unattractive appearance causes Victor to run, leaving the creature alone with no information about himself or his surroundings. Therefore, Victor’s abandonment is a crucial justification of the monster’s negative experiences with society and nature and actions in desiring community. The monster’s alienation from family is the missing first school of human nature, and the first lesson where he learns he does not belong. The creature leaves into the wilderness to learn about the world and himself on it own, only to understand his interactions are
As a response to the Enlightenment movement in 18th century Europe, Romanticism gradually began to undermine the way people thought about human consciousness and nature itself. Appreciation of the natural beauty of the world and pure, human emotion bloomed in Europe as Romanticism’s influence grew ("Topic Page: Romanticism”). Romantics valued Individualism and thought that being close to nature would make them closer to God (Morner and Rausch). People also searched for solace in nature to overcome the adversities and cynicisms that followed the French Revolution ("French Revolution."). Romanticism and Romantic ideals influenced Mary Shelley, and that influence can be seen throughout her novel Frankenstein. The two main characters, Victor Frankenstein
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.
The complete isolation he felt was what drove him to commit acts such as murdering William and later, Elizabeth and Clerval. Here, the figure of the outcast is not only longing for feelings of acceptance but is also a person who begins to despise the people who don’t include it. The Creature begins to demonstrate the consequences of not getting the acceptance and embarks on a different route: to conflict pain on others, particularly Victor.
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.
While Dr. Frankenstein my be lonely in the sense that he is so utterly bound by worry that he cannot interact with those whom he loves, the monster is forced to endure absolute isolation and censure from all people. Throughout history, hum...
Through her exceptional use of the previously stated elements she educated the readers on the dangerous effects of solitude, a theme that is still in play today. Isolation can be felt by anyone who feels alone or forgotten in today 's society. Just as the monster felt alone many people across the world feel as though they do not fit in, they feel like they have been left behind and abandoned. This is why isolation is an everlasting theme in the world, because it will always be apart of
Victor avoids association with his family and many others during the time which he is developing the creature, and solely interacts with professors at his time at Ingolstadt. The theme of association with others goes hand in hand with the theme of isolation, as Victor seems to prefer keeping to himself. Many compare the creature to Victor and the way they are similar, but the creature longs to be apart of society, and to be loved by others, or by a family. The opposition is Victor’s inability to grasp a relationship with those who seek one with him, while the creature is kept from associating with anyone from the outside world due to the way he looks. Shelley ties together the theme of association with others to isolation, and family as many of the people Victor hides from is his family. The importance of associating or communicating with others for Victor is the less likely chance he will fall ill when isolated. Shelley provides many instances, which she places the importance of associating with others on both Victor and the
Victor’s loneliness leaves him devoid of purpose and determination, a shell of a human whose essence has been entirely obliterated. Even so, if Victor had not created this unnecessary monster, his family and friends would not have been strangled by his creation. By creating this wretched being, Victor fabricates his own downfall and forces his own seclusion in Frankenstein.
...s creation as a way of revenge and payback for all the distress he brought to the creature. The creature, beginning as the most innocent, is alienated by his creator and every individual who witnesses his presence. Finally, Victor isolates himself from his beloved ones in order to fulfill his ambitions. All these misfortunes are caused by the lack of moral decision making. Unfortunately, these decisions ruined the life of many people involved in Victor’s life. All these events are the proof of what people’s actions can result into when isolation is a major theme in one’s life.
In “Frankenstein”, Mary Shelley presents the idea that alienation can cause a decline in both mental and physical health. There are many examples of this throughout the novel such as when Victor is working on his creation and bringing him to life, as well as when the monster sees Victor and begins to explain his life, during the making of the female monster, and throughout Victor’s life. Ultimately, both mental and physical health can be directly impacted by alienation.
Human needs for companionships is evident throughout the story Frankenstein for Victor’s family and others. Loneliness is expressed as one of the themes early on in the story with Robert Walton writing letters to his sister. The cause of loneliness differs from characters because there are a plenty of ways humans get lonely. Having wild ambitions and looking different can cause others to not associate with them. The source of loneliness is caused by being different. In the book Frankenstein, loneliness is a major theme which is explained and shown with each character with the creature experiencing the most painful loneliness of all of them.
"Solitude and Isolation in One Hundred Years of Solitude :: One Hundred Years of Solitude." Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Paper, and Book Report. Web. 30 Dec. 2009. .
In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, one of the key themes is loneliness. For many, most of their time is spent with people, whether it is friends, family, coworkers, or strangers. Many of the characters in this book break that norm and spend countless hours alone. Having time to reflect and think about everything. Sometimes, the characters are still lonely, even with people, and sometimes friends around them.
Mary Shelley in her book Frankenstein addresses numerous themes relevant to the current trends in society during that period. However, the novel has received criticism from numerous authors. This paper discusses Walter Scott’s critical analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in his Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine Review of Frankenstein (1818).