Examples Of Solitude In Frankenstein

670 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What are the effects of isolation and loneliness in Frankenstein

Solitude is one of the most significant elements in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Throughout the novel, it is clear how alienation has consequences on nearly all the characters of the novel, in one way or another. Shelley’s personal solitude is reflected in her writing of the novel. Whether it is a chosen or forced solitude, it’s the common link between three characters: Victor Frankenstein, the creature, and Robert Walton. The author’s personal life was coloured by solitude. She found solitude even in her gender because it isolated her from the company of men who shared her interests and aspirations. Whilst writing Frankenstein, Shelly faced a very painful and tough isolation after the death of both: her husband and her child (Percy …show more content…

He has spent his time reading ancient science alone even when his father tells him he should not read those books, he has kept on reading them. His obsession with knowledge has leaded him to spend months in complete isolation, working on his creation, with not interaction with any humans. Not even his family whom he has ignored their letters in the period of the project. Even his working place is isolated from the rest of the house “In a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house, and separated from all the other apartments by a gallery and staircase, I kept my workshop of filthy creation” This solitude led to the creation of the creature that eventually destroys Victor’s …show more content…

The creature longs for a companion. His forced solitude starts when Victor flees away from him and completely neglects his responsibilities toward him. Being left alone, the creature wanders by himself, facing more disapproval from every single person he meets. People either flee from him or they attack him. Having human nature, the creature needs care and love, yet he doesn’t receive any and not just that, he does not get any kind of affection, people show violent behaviour towards him. After his last hope to tell his story to the blind cottager has been met with failure, he gets fed up from his loneliness and from all humans. “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.” All the crimes he does after this, is a reasonable reaction to all the hatred he has received. Even when Victor has promised him to create a spouse for him, he destroys it, so the creature kills Elizabeth and Clerval, which shows how the more hate he gets the more crimes he commit. Isolation has created a monster from a creature that is originally

Show More
Related

  • The Values Of Society In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    431 Words  | 1 Pages

    In Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, values of society are clearly expressed. In this particular society and culture, a great value is placed on ideologies of individuals and their contribution to society. In order to highlight these values, Shelley utilizes the character of Victor Frankenstein. Frankenstein is the main character of the novel, and with his alienation, he plays a significant role that reveals the surrounding society’s assumptions and moral values of individualism and use in society. This is done through Victor’s actions of self-inflicted isolation.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Human Connections In Frankenstein By Mary Shelley

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Isolation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    1383 Words  | 3 Pages

    Isolation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, has several themes imbedded in the text. One major theme is of isolation. Many of the characters experience some time of isolation. The decisions and actions of some of these characters are the root cause of their isolation. They make choices that isolate themselves from everyone else.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein- Can Comfort Be F

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Romantic period of literature, nature was often associated with isolation in a positive way. Throughout the novel, Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, by Mary Shelley, there is a strong symbolic relationship between loneliness and nature. However, Shelley uses the relationship to show the negativity of being alone. The relationship of nature and loneliness is displayed through three characters in the story: Victor Frankenstein, his creature, and Robert Walton. At the times when the characters are alone and in need of companionship, they feel depressed, confused, and angry; they do not think clearly, and, consequently, they make wrong decisions. They seek refuge in nature, and try to use its beauty to find answers and to fill their void of friendship. Yet, none of the characters ever overcomes their bouts with loneliness because they never find true comfort in nature.

    Read More

  • Secrecy in Frankenstein

    993 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: the original 1818 text. 2nd ed. Ed. D.L. Macdonald and Kathleen Scherf. Peterborough: Broadview, 1999.

    Read More

  • Character Differences In Frankenstein

    1486 Words  | 3 Pages

    After killing his younger brother, Elizabeth , and his best friend, Victor after having no family left wanted to put an end to it all so he ended up chasing his creation and dying before catching it. After bringing the creature into this world and leaving it behind to fend for itself the creature endured lots of agony and pain from society which drove its rage to Victor and his family and he ended up kill this younger brother and soon to be wife. Both were isolated from society, Victor brought isolation upon himself through locking himself up to create the creature and ignoring everything around him as stated in the article, “The summer months passed while I was thus engaged, heart and soul, in one pursuit. It was a most beautiful season; never did the fields bestow a more plentiful harvest, or the vines yield a more luxuriant vintage: but my eyes were insensible to the charms of nature. And the same feelings which made me neglect the scenes around me caused me also to forget those friends who were so many miles absent, and whom I had not seen for so long a time. I knew my silence disquieted them; and I well-remembered the words of my father: "I know that while you are pleased with yourself, you will think of us with affection, and we shall hear regularly from you. You must pardon me if I regard any interruption in your correspondence as a proof that your other duties are equally neglected.” As

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Motif Essay

    946 Words  | 2 Pages

    Isolation is one of the major motifs that resonates throughout Frankenstein. Tying into the romantic style of the novel, Shelley uses this element all the way through the work to show a repetition of isolation, an aspect that is present in almost every character in the novel and expressed primarily in Victor and the monster. But even some other minor characters such as Justine, Caroline, and Walton deal with isolation in one way or another.

    Read More

  • Victor Frankenstein’s Isolation

    976 Words  | 2 Pages

    An idea becomes a vision, the vision develops a plan, and this plan becomes an ambition. Unfortunately for Victor Frankenstein, his ambitions and accomplishments drowned him in sorrow from the result of many unfortunate events. These events caused Victors family and his creation to suffer. Rejection and isolation are two of the most vital themes in which many dreadful consequences derive from. Victor isolates himself from his family, friends, and meant-to-be wife. His ambitions are what isolate him and brought to life a creature whose suffering was unfairly conveyed into his life. The creature is isolated by everyone including his creator. He had no choice, unlike Victor. Finally, as the story starts to change, the creature begins to take control of the situation. It is now Victor being isolated by the creature as a form of revenge. All the events and misfortunes encountered in Frankenstein have been linked to one another as a chain of actions and reactions. Of course the first action and link in the chain is started by Victor Frankenstein.

    Read More

  • The Use Of Alienation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

    800 Words  | 2 Pages

    Three of the main characters in Mary Shelley 's 1818 novel Frankenstein have commonalities that may not be immediately recognized but are significant in terms of theme. Robert Walton, a man who sets out to seek new land, Victor Frankenstein, a man who sets out to create new life, and the Creature, who sets out to become accepted, are all different in their own ways but tragically the same. Though the first use of the word "isolation" did not occur until 1833 (Merriam-Webster), Frankenstein is replete with instances in which the three central characters must confront their alienation from others. Understanding a mariner, a mad man, and a monster may seem like a difficult task to accomplish, yet with Shelley’s use of isolation as a theme it

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Theme Essay

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Consequences Of Frankenstein In Mary Shelly's Frankenstein

    1740 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein secretly creates a monster without considering the consequences. After the creation of the monster and throughout Victor’s life he and the monster suffer constantly. Because Victor keeps his monster a secret from his family, friends and society, he is alone and miserable. The monster is also alone and miserable because he is shunned by society due to his grotesque appearance.

    Read More

  • Frankenstein Theme Analysis

    1191 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the novel Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, the main theme of the story was isolation. Both internal and external consequences were the cause of being isolated from society. Frankenstein began to feel depressed after the creation of the monster and decided to isolate himself from his friends and family. Frankenstein kept his creation a secret from everyone because he was afraid of the consequences. Ironically, Frankenstein was the main problem for all of his sufferings. He thought that he could keep everyone safe if he were to not tell them about the monster, however, everyone died because he wanted to keep everyone from the truth. The creature also suffered many consequences from being isolated. He wanted to be part of a family, and feel

    Read More

  • Allusion In Frankenstein

    880 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shelley uses the change in the tone of the monster over time to show how isolation affects its demeanor and sanity. This quote shows the evolution of the monsters tone after continual isolation. Variances in tone such as these display the detrimental effects of isolation on the disposition of individuals who crave companionship. To further advance her theme, Shelley uses allusions to the Bible to assist the reader in understanding that isolation has damaging effects on man.

    Read More

  • Obsession And Obsession In Frankenstein

    1376 Words  | 3 Pages

    Isolation from friends, family, or the world, is not very healthy for the human mental state in general. If you find you are isolating yourself due to something you are passionate about, it might be an obsession. As a rule, if you want to keep a sound state of mind, you need to interact with others. Hughes’ mental state only deteriorated after his long stint of isolation in his movie booth; Frankenstein isolated himself from the world while creating the monster, and never confided in anyone about his creation, making him grow paranoid and frightened; the creature himself lived his entire life in isolation, or as a separate entity. All three characters remained obsessed with different ideas. For Hughes it revolved around his germaphobia and building his reputation; Victor’s was about secrecy and obtaining knowledge; the creature was obsessed with companionship and revenge on his creator. In the beginning, Mary Shelley focuses on Victor’s obsession with gaining knowledge. From an early age, Victor had always been interested in dangerous, fantastical ideas that eventually lead him to the creation of his own monster. Victor had been passionate about science since the moment that he first read the works of Cornelius Agrippa. He was fascinated by the idea of extending human life, curing death, and even by the destructive force of lightning. Later, Shelley

    Read More

  • Theme of Loneliness in Frankenstein

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus. Edited with an Introduction and notes by Maurice Hindle. Penguin books, 1992

    Read More

More about Examples Of Solitude In Frankenstein

Open Document