Frankenstein Isolation Essay

Everybody will at one point in his or her lifetime experience isolation or anger. Isolation can be chosen or forced, but anger is something that needs to be controlled. To control anger you need to be taught how to and time to practice it. This skill is usually taught to children by their parents; however, this is not always the case, as some children are abandoned by their parents. Abandonment can cause depression, anger, and the absence of valuable life lessons which upon further inspection are all interconnected. In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this loop is represented by the story of Victor Frankenstein’s creature. Shelley shows how being forced into isolation can affect a human. Today there are television shows of human attempts to survive

alone in the wilderness, but when these people return to civilization, they are shown to be completely changed.

This however, greatly differs from forced isolation. Forced isolation leads to anger and the desire to harm others. The creature’s story shows how the isolation Victor has forced him into has affected him. Therefore, Victor’s irresponsibility toward his creation leads to the creature’s thirst for revenge.

When Victor finally finishes his creation he realizes the monstrosity he has built and instantly abandons it. This event is usually related to as the creature’s birth but, he is forced into isolation because not even the one human he has a connection to can provide him companionship. Author Steven Asher states that chronic loneliness is the result of maladjustment in youth and adolescence (75). This is the case with the creature from “birth” he is never taught how to do or handle anything leading to the inability to solve problems. In Frankenstein isolation always has a negative effect on the characters. For example, Robert Walton is constantly searching for a

companion on his voyage because of how lonely it is. He seems like a madman because of his loss of contact with people according to author Don Nardo. When Victor arrives at his ship he believes he is the one he has been looking for, but shortly after he dies and once again Walton is left in isolation. Victor also shows how strong the effects of isolation are. He chooses to live in isolation and withdraws himself from society three times when creating both of his creations and when the creature kills Elizabeth. Companionship is a necessary aspect of life and can provide second opinions and help in situations. Victor even admits to enjoying the company of his friends and his family as a child in the novel. When Frankenstein and the creature meet on a cliffside in the novel Nardo writes, “The creature tells Frankenstein of its misery at being cut from humanity” ( ). The concept of being lonely is very powerful as it shapes how you act and what you do. People who have no one to talk are never able to get their ideas across or feel good about themselves. The effects of isolation can also cause a short temper and stem from childhoods without influential figures in them.
Victor is essentially the creature’s father he is not its actual father, but in the same way Victor brought him into the world.

According to Diane Papalia fathers are more influential on a child’s idea of gender identity and gender-typing. Fathers are also known to be more influential on their son's cognitive abilities than mothers (Papalia). This shows how important having a strong father figure is. Harriet Hustis writes, “Shelley's novel focuses on an aspect of the Prometheus myth typically overlooked in the more traditional version of the Titan's defiant martyrdom, namely, an offspring's need for sustained guidance, influence, pity, and support from its creator” (1). Without guidance a child is helpless and will never find ways to solve their problems which is without doubt necessary in life. Just as similar the creature has no guidance, influence, or pity from Victor. Without this guidance he has no way to predict outcomes of decisions except with guessing. This is very dangerous because the creature does not know what could cause himself harm or even more problems. He is left by Victor to learn for himself in a hostile environment with no life experiences usually displayed by parents. According to Barbara Newman, parents who help their children achieve their goals more set up their children to communicate more because of this interaction. If Victor would have helped the creature get off of his feet the entire plot of the book might have been different. Nardo writes,

“the issue of parental nurture cannot be ignored in the story. Indeed, it is the absence of such nurture that causes much of the trouble" (92). When the creature is “born” he is helpless and is not looking to harm anyone, but he is denied compassion. Nardo also explains how the creature began its life confused, unknowing and needy like an infant (92). The creature did not receive any life lessons from Victor because he did not take ownership of his creature. This hatred towards the creature leads to the creature’s anger because of his inability to receive compassion and care.
The creature believes Victor owes him for abandoning him to suffering in a hostile environment according to Hustis, but Victor ignores this request. In the article Introduction to Anger Management it states that, anger is a fundamental emotion that everyone experiences. It also explains that humans learn to express it by copying the same angry behavior modeled around them (Adamowicz). The article Social Costs of Anger also explains that people who are angry frequently have a higher chance of being depressed than others (Mills). This relates to how angry Victor acts towards the creature when it approaches him on the cliffside. As displayed in this book as well Introduction to Anger Management tells that angry people are capable of great violence. This is shown in the creature’s story. It is important to learn how to express anger correctly which is usually taught by parents to discipline their children, but without a parent the creature did not understand how to express his anger. In the article What is Anger? it is explained that some people are fully aware of their anger, but others are not (Mills). This may have been the case with the creature because he did not know really what anger was. In the article Social Costs of Anger it is written that people who are constantly angry have less friends than those that are not (Mills). Mills also writes that anger is a signal something is not right (What is Anger?). The creature knows something is not right because he is continuously sad throughout the novel.
In the article Motivational Effects of Anger it is stated that anger makes one feel powerful (Mills). The creature’s failure to express his anger appropriately leads to his thirst for revenge, but this ends up with him taking his anger out on the wrong people. Don Nardo writes, "In time, these feelings cause the wretch to curse its creator. Such hatred is the natural result, the creator explains, of 'the reflections of my hours of despondency and solitude'" (98). The creature’s anger seems justified because of the pain Victor has caused him, but the creature does not handle this situation in the best way possible. In Motivational Anger Effects of Anger it also explains that anger can give you the energy to defend yourself. However the article continues and explains that sometimes these people believe that the pain caused to them entitles them to harm others to cause the same pain they felt (Mills). The creature feels exactly the same way with an entitlement to violence, and if Victor would have cared for the creature it would have felt differently towards Victor. He takes his anger out on Victor’s family to make Victor feel isolated and alone like he does, but he could have just harmed Victor instead of innocent people. Harry Mills explains how using anger to get what you want by making others afraid and showing the power you have makes you no more than a bully (Motivational Effects...). This shows why having influential parents is important to teach self control and how to correctly direct anger.
In conclusion, the losses Victor faces are a result of his decision to force his creation into isolation. The isolation leads to sadness and loneliness with the absence of knowledge to solve problems and controlling emotions. This leads to the creature misdirecting his anger and thirst for revenge for the pain Victor caused him. Isolation is very powerful and leads to changes in the way one acts or lives. They have no one to talk to and can not express their emotions like the creature does throughout the novel. Victor’s failure to fill the role of a father in the creature’s life leaves him without valuable life lessons that help children to act appropriately in social interactions. The creature is left to fend and learn for himself, which leads to the wrong ideas. This forced isolation results in the natural reaction of anger and the desire to get revenge for the suffering he has dealt with. The missing life lessons prevent the creature from learning to direct anger correctly and the murders of some of Victor’s close family ensue. The creature is also not aware of his anger because he has not been taught of this concept. Finally, these three concepts all connect as the missing father figure leads to the other two. The creature may seem like a complete monster, but Victor fails to recognize that some of the creature’s suffering is his own fault. He causes the creature to learn to be violent as he has to fend for himself. In the end, Victor is the cause of his own losses because of his irresponsibility.