Frankenstein Loneliness Essay

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.

Frankenstein is a story of human need because most characters are in need of others or have each

other to be with. Shelley makes the theme of humans need for each other obvious as the absence of companionship causes the characters to act without reason. For example, Victor’s childhood is close to perfect as it can be, although he probably took it for granted. The demise of Victor first occurs when he was fixated on learning natural philosophy and acquiring vast amounts of knowledge. This is because of Caroline’s death which causes Victor to lose a source of comfort. Since his parents had cared for Victor deeply, he now lost his favorite parent. Victor struggles to cope with the death as he reflects, “ I seemed to have lost all soul or sensation but for this one pursuit”(44). This one pursuits is what helps Victor to continue living after his mother's death. Victor is one example in Frankenstein where human need for others is shown.

Victor and Robert are very comparable to each other.

They both share the same motivation in their pursuit of obtaining their goals. The root of their loneliness is caused by their ambitions. This is different than creature whose loneliness is from being hideous. Although, Robert ambition isn’t as crazy as Victor his ambition will definitely caused the same fatal outcomes for those involved. Victor loneliness isn’t as severe as Robert because at least Victor has a friend in Henry. Robert knows that he is lonely while Victor doesn’t acknowledge loneliness until his loved ones start to die. Robert in his letter to his sister expresses desire to be acquainted with someone when he says, “ You may deem me romantic, my dear sister, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend. I have no one near me….to approve my plans……..I am too ardent in execution”(13). Robert loneliness is somewhat different than Victor as Robert recognize his problem, and he has the desire of obtaining a friend while both Victor and Robert actions causes their loneliness. The creature didn’t do anything to cause him to be

lonely.

Since, the creature loneliness isn’t controllable by him, he deserves the most sympathy from readers.

The creature did not decide to come into the world being so different that no one will be near him. When the creature did good deeds, he gets shot in return. Any other person who would be in creature shoes would be just as confused and angered as he was. He has never felt where he belong to anyone. When he was created, Victor couldn’t look at him and wished that he would be gone or dead. All living species all have a natural instinct to belong to someone. This means have a relationship such as family and friends. The creature knows he is destined to be lonely and knows Victor is the cause as he says to Victor, “ I was not even of the same nature as man...When I looked around, I saw and heard of none like me… I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me”(102). The creature knows he is the only one of his kind which makes sense when he was a female version of him. The agony also causes him to be not gentle to humans, and he resorts to murder to get back at his father. The creature gets the title of being worthy of getting sympathy because no one wanted to be near him even his

creator.

Loneliness is one of the main themes in the story Frankenstein. Each character has experience experiences both loneliness and belonging. Victor and Robert are very similar characters as they have the same type of loneliness caused by their ambitions. Creature loneliness looks which is given to him by default causes him to be lonely. Thus, the creature should get the award for most worthy of receiving sympathy.