Isolation In Frankenstein

The novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, written in 1818, presents the story of a curious man’s pursuit of knowledge and the aftermath of his choices. In Frankenstein, English author Mary Shelley illustrates the thematic message that solitude often results in unfavorable and even dangerous consequences through employing a motif in which the main characters frequently become detached from those around them and subsequently experience some sort of adversity. This recurring event of seclusion and the repercussions that follow reinforces the theme that both deliberate isolation and unsolicited loneliness can lead to a need for companionship, and, in both cases, a lack of fulfillment in that need can culminate in destruction. Depicting

this message through several scenes featuring the main characters, Victor Frankenstein and his monster, Shelley’s gothic tale epitomizes isolation’s role in the path to devastation.
Frankenstein’s key protagonist, Victor, first demonstrates intentional isolation quite early on in the story, leaving his home and family in Geneva to attend the university of Ingolstadt to study science.

In his own words, Victor, who was always “surrounded by amiable companions…[was] now alone” (25). Despite knowing that he would isolate himself, Victor chooses to leave and immerse himself in his studies anyway. Consequently, months pass, and he becomes increasingly obsessed with creating life, owing to the loss of his mother. Victor finds himself sick and anxious after slaving away endlessly, describing himself as a “wreck” and “oppressed by fever” (35). This first instance of the motif portrays the theme that isolation has its ramifications. Due to his choice to isolate himself, Victor’s health begins to decline, as does his concern for his own well-being and mental state. Victor is consumed by his obsession, and there is no one there to care, so he does not care either. In this situation, Shelley exemplifies what a person becomes when they are alone for too

long.
Soon, Victor succeeds in bringing his creation to life, though he instantly isolates himself again, this time abandoning his new companion upon viewing its appearance. As with the first instance of isolation, Victor deliberately leaves, taking “refuge in the courtyard…where [he] remained during the rest of the night” (36). He was neither forced away from the creation nor threatened; he chose to be alone. However, Victor chooses to leave for a different reason than before: He left for college in pursuit of knowledge, while he left his creation out of horror. Despite his reasoning, the result is still the same. The motif is again depicted, as Victor succumbs to a nervous fever lasting for many months. Even after his recovery, “any sight of a chemical instrument would renew all the agony of [his] nervous symptoms” (43). The outcome of Victor abandoning his creature is illness and an aversion to his one true passion—science. The effect of isolation is disadvantageous to Victor and his pursuit of knowledge; he is unable to function at his full potential after being isolated. At the very least, Henry Clerval’s presence back in Victor’s life serves as a small remedy for his sickness and practical aid in returning Victor back to his normal life, thus demonstrating the fulfillment of the need for a companion.
Meanwhile, Victor’s creature has run off itself, isolated from humanity and lonely not by choice, but because of factors out of his control—namely, his appearance.

The creature’s isolation differs from those situations of Victor, as Victor chooses his isolation knowingly, coupled with the fact that there are individuals who want to be associated with him, whereas the creature has no one. After being rejected by a family he had become attached to, the creature calls Victor his “father,” “creator,” and one whom he could “apply with” (100). The creature had lived in isolation for so long, lonely and contactless, and he faced a harsh dismissal from those he was fond of; thus, the creature hoped to find solace with his creator. Victor refuses to help his creation, notably because the creature had murdered William, Victor’s youngest brother. The creature points out, “I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?” (105). Another instance of the motif is presented once more: The creature suffers too long from solitude, no one gives him comfort, and he ultimately resorts to violence and murder out of his misery. Destruction ensues in both Victor and his creature’s life. The creature becomes a monster, and Victor endures another loss. In other words, isolation acts as the trigger to both the characters’ actions and the experiences they

encounter.
Accordingly, the creature, prompted by his loneliness, asks Victor to create for him a mate, so that he can end his misery. For this reason, Victor isolates himself another time, agreeing initially to stop the creature’s suffering, and his detachment is followed by more devastation. In creating the second creature, he becomes “immersed in a solitude where nothing could for an instant call [his] attention from the actual scene in which [he] was engaged” (120). Paralleling the first time, Victor works day and night, away from his family, friends, and even the creature for whom he was completing the task. In this instance, Victor is isolating himself with the hope that the end result will be the creature leaving, as was the reason for him abandoning the creature when he saw it in the first place. His situation is also different from the creature’s isolation, since Victor’s is again voluntary. Following Victor’s bout of solitude, Henry Clerval is murdered, and Victor is the prime suspect. When he sees Henry’s lifeless body, “the human frame could no longer support the agonies that [Victor] endured, and [he] was carried out of the room in strong convulsions” (129). The motif has occurred again, with Victor isolated and finding himself with a loss, pain, and illness. He simply wants to return to Elizabeth, his most faithful companion; however, due to this occurrence, he is unable to return. Instead, Victor develops a fever and becomes deluded. Victor had been all alone, vacillating between whether to create another monster or not; without input, he changed his mind, so the creature murdered Henry. The choices made by Victor and his uncertainty regarding the creation of a second creature, which resulted in Henry’s death, reflected Victor’s lack of contact with his friends and family. The motif portrays the importance of companionship in difficult circumstances.
At last, Victor is able to return to Geneva and marry Elizabeth, though she is murdered on their wedding night by the creature. True to the motif, Victor becomes isolated one last time after her and his father’s death. Consequently, he becomes set on retribution, spending rest of life trying to catch the creature to exact his revenge. In contrast to Victor’s past solitude, his isolation in this instance is not wholly by choice—he becomes companionless through the actions of the creature. He only chooses to leave everything he knows when he has no one left. Indeed, Victor’s isolation resembles that of the creature’s: There is no individual that wishes to be either of their companions. Victor “pursued him; and for many months this [had been his] task” (150). Alone, he traversed the earth in search of the creature, but his failure persisted as a product of his isolation. Alone, he achieved nothing but desperation and suffering. Shelley used the motif a final time during this stage of Victor’s life to demonstrate the hardship that comes with isolation. As Victor lay on his deathbed on Walton’s ship, he instructed Walton to “seek happiness in tranquility, and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing [him] in science and discoveries” (162). Victor’s advice to Walton contradicts his actions and choices throughout all his life; he always pursued his ambition and sought happiness in hunting for new things. Victor’s altered values illustrated the guilt that he felt. After a life of isolation and pursuing his passion over companionship, Victor died full of regret, having put himself through so much misery.
In short, the destructive behaviors of all people and the struggles they endure tend to correspond to the conditions of their relationships. Forlorn individuals are rarely able to withstand all of the pressures of life without reverberation. Thus, humans inherently need companionship. Though written almost two centuries ago, Shelley’s Frankenstein still delivers a compelling social commentary on the effects of isolation and the universal human experience.