Isolation In Frankenstein Essay

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Throughout Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, isolation presents itself as a formative experience for both Victor Frankenstein and his Creation. Be it willingly, unwillingly, permanent or temporary, both characters find themselves in situations where they experience complete isolation from all of mankind. The effects of this isolation can be only seen as a destructive experience for both characters. During their respective experiences in isolation, hatred and violence embeds itself within them. The development of these emotions leads to the death of both characters, making isolation the driving force behind the destruction of both Victor and his Creation.
During Victors time at university, he devotes himself to a life of isolation and creation,

in which he opens up the pathway to his demise. Having discovered his pursuit to effectively reanimate the dead, Victor shuts himself away from the world to pursue his vice, locking himself “in a solitary chamber, or rather a cell at the top of the house, and separated from all other apartments.”(Pg 55) Victor becomes completely disconnected from the world, and fails to contact anyone including his family. During his residence in this hovel, Victor becomes gravely ill, inarguably a result of his isolation and work:

Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree; the fall of a leaf startled me, and I shunned my fellow creatures as if I had been guilty of a crime. (Pg 55)

Victor has become both physically and mentally ill, furthering his quarantine from man by developing a fear and neglect for human society.

This sickness shows the first effects isolation has had on Victor, as it has developed fear and sickness within him. In this state of isolation, Victor manages to succeed in his work and creates what he sees as a monstrosity. The creation of this monster, while it is indeed a success in science, is the beginning of his demise. By having created this abomination in his state of sickness, induced by isolation, one can assume the Creation is in fact a product of Victor’s isolation. This deduction makes isolation the factor which sets in motion the death of both Victor and the ones which he holds dear. In an interesting choice, arguably the result of lack in Victor’s skill, Victor chooses to forever segregate his creation by bestowing it with a hideous form. Its gargantuan and vile appearance forces the Creation to be isolated from society, as anyone who saw him would be horrified. Victor is no exception to this fact, as when he sees his creation for the first time, he flees in a state of horror, abandoning his creation to fend for itself. In doing so, Victor has left his creation without a connection to the world, as it no longer has its creator and is unable to interact with society. This creation’s immense isolation from birth embeds within him an everlasting sense of disconnection with humanity, which will in time evolve into

hatred.
Having been left to fend for himself, essentially a newborn child left alone in the world, the Creation experiences and cements his own isolation, which inspires a newfound hatred within him.

own. After departing from the laboratory within which he was created, the creation explores the wilderness, learning basic knowledge about the world around him. While wandering about the wilderness, he discovers his hideous form in the reflection of a ...In his travels, he stumbles upon a cottage, upon the side of which is a small shelter that he takes refuge in. For some time he lives there, learning the language and history of the cottage dwellers. He develops a connection to this family, whom he sees as kind and generous people, and begins to help them by bringing them firewood. Developing a deeper sense of affection for the inhabitants, he decides to approach the blind old man who lives within while his children are away and win his favor. The Creation must approach the blind man when he is alone so he does not frighten the family, as knows of his hideous form; “I had sagacity enough to discover that the unnatural hideousness of my person was the chief object of horror.”(Pg 91) The creation believes if he can earn the old man’s affection, who will be unaware of his deformity, then he may be accepted by the blind man’s children in spite of his monstrous form. However, this plan goes horribly wrong, and when the children return early they are appalled by the Creation, physically

attacking him and casting him out into the wilderness. Having been rejected by the only people he felt attached to, the Monster reenters total isolation with a newfound hatred for the race of man, with one in particular.

There was none among the myriads of men that existed who would pity or assist me; and should I feel kindness towards my enemies? No; from that moment I declared everlasting war against the species, and more than all, against him who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery. (page 94)

This abhorrence of man, whom he describes as “enemies”, is the direct outcome of his expulsion back into isolation by the cottage dwellers. Twice now, he has been cast out by those he feels love for, embedding within him an everlasting disdain and distrust for all men. The impending “war”, which the Monster shall wage, will focus on Victor, as according to the monster it is he “who had formed me and sent me forth to this insupportable misery.” At this point in the novel, the reader can see the folly within Victor’s decision to cast out his Creation into everlasting isolation; as it is this isolation which has transformed this arguably docile creation into a bloodthirsty monster. However, after the Monster meets his creator, he begs him to create a mate so he may not suffer life in solitude. In exchange for a mate, the Monster promises peace, but Victor denies the request and banishes the Monster to eternal isolation. The denial of this request completes the Monster’s transformation, instilling within him a feeling of revenge only satisfied by making Victor equally as isolated. To achieve this, the Monster sets out on a warpath, killing all who Victor loves, leaving him alone and miserable
With Victor's loved ones having been killed, and the Monster having been denied a mate, the two enter a cat and mouse chase across the greater part of the content. Victor’s lust for vengeance drives this chase, as he wishes to extinguish that which he brought into this world, and that which has taken the joy from Victor's life. The two are now entirely isolated from humanity, having no connections to anyone in the outside world, besides each other. This one final connection ironically leaves Victor wishing to destroy his one final relationship in the world, and thus makes his quest one which he wishes to end in total isolation. Travelling far into the ice caps of the north, seeking vengeance on his Creation, Victor becomes trapped on a small floating piece of ice. He is rescued by Walton, the initial narrator of the novel, who hears his tragic narrative. Shortly after hearing the tale, Victor dies, leaving the Monster without a single relationship in the world. Seeing his creators lifeless body, a feeling of remorse falls upon the monster; “Yet even that enemy of God and man had friends and associates in his desolation; I am alone.” (Pg 147) This isolation is the most absolute we have seen thus far in the novel, and is so immense it is in fact fatal. Seeing his creator, and final acquaintance in this world, cold and lifeless, the Monster decides to take his own life as he no longer sees purpose in living. This suicide is crucial to seeing just how formative isolation is within this novel. While the characters have seen forms of isolation, none have been absolute, except for this instance in which the Monster takes his own life. This shows the raw effect such a state has on even the most murderous of beings.
The influence which isolation has on the novel’s two main characters establishes this state as the primary factor behind the demise of both Victor and his Creation. The effects such solitude has on Victor deteriorates his state of mind and makes him act without care of repercussions, as without his loved ones he truly has nothing to lose. Likewise, the rejection from both his creator and all men he has been acquainted with drives the Monster to become a murderous brute, intent on making his creator's life a living hell through extinguishing those whom he loves dearly. The destruction and tragedy seen in the novel leads the reader to question whether Victor, the one who created and isolated the Monster, is responsible for the deaths of his loved ones. Furthermore, one should question who in fact is the true monster.