Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Theme of loneliness in books
Loneliness theme in literature
The theme of loneliness
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
One of the most significant themes in Frankenstein is loneliness. Several characters in Frankenstein show traits of loneliness significantly. Mary Shelley, the writer of this book, connects loneliness to the character of Victor, and shows how it affects the surroundings and the characters. Victor isolates himself from his surroundings and the society around him, mainly due to his self obsession and an obsession to make and give life. This eventually leads him into creating a creature, and regretting his actions later on. As Victor chooses his path into loneliness and isolation, he leads himself into avoiding and leaving situations, focusing on only his work, the state of mind of being an introvert, as in choosing not to express feelings or …show more content…
I provided myself with a sum of money, together with a few jewels which had belonged to my mother, and departed.” (192) He was calculating and calm at periods when otherwise delirium or death would have been my portion. With all these mixed feelings, he decided to leave everyone, as he believe that being alone gives him peace. Even in the past, Victor had found peace for himself by leaving home and isolating himself. These actions show that his choice of isolation have led him into turning into an introvert. Victor passes away in the end. “The work was soon finished; in a few minutes a tumultuous sea rolled between me and my enemy, and I was left drifting on a scattered piece of ice that was continually lessening and thus preparing for me a hideous death.” (199) He states that he was done with his responsibilities, and leaves to the sea. While he was at shore, he dies as a lonely and bitter person, as he chose that lonely and bitter lifestyle. In conclusion, loneliness played a major role in Victor Frankenstein’s life. Victor chose the path of loneliness and isolation from everyone in his life. This loneliness has affected many major events in his life, and had played a major role in his relationships with the people
When Victor flees the creature, he becomes lonely and unhappy. He rejects his own works. If he stayed and taught him the creature would at least have a chance of happiness. When the monster flees to the cottagers he learns about human nature. He quotes “I continued for the remainder of the day in my hovel in a state of utter and stupid despair. My protector had departed and broken the only link that held me to th...
..., 66). This is when Victor is talking to Henry Clerval, someone who used to be a very close friend of Victor’s. Victor is saying that he does not want to talk to Henry, he would rather remain alone. This shows that he has been “cut off” from society. He does not even acknowledge his own friends. His study has made him unsocial, and he does not know how to act in a social environment, as he is so used to being in solitude.
Victor first becomes isolated when he allows himself to indulge in the writings of old philosophers, like Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, and Magnus. The writings of these philosophers
Being isolated and separated from other people for a prolonged amount of time, can gradually make a person miserable. In Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein is a martyr for Shelley’s view that a lack of human connections leads to misery. Victor being from a highly respected and distinguished
Victor Frankenstein claims, “No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself'; (Shelley, 19). His early life was filled with love and nurturing from his parents, his beautiful and adored companion Elizabeth, and his best friend Henry Clerval. However, after he leaves his home to continue his education at Ingolstadt, he remarks, “I, who had ever been surrounded by amiable companions, continually engaged in endeavoring to bestow mutual pleasure, I was now alone'; (Shelley, 25). Frankenstein no longer feels all the happiness he once felt when he was united with his family and friends. He alienates himself from others because he thinks he is “totally unfitted for the company of strangers'; (Shelley, 25).
With the different trips that Victor endures individually, it hints a sense of individuality as he seeks isolation from the world. He is also a very emotional man, who loves his family. As death of his family members occurs, he becomes emotionally unstable and seeks revenge against his creation. Ultimately trying to end the life he so vigorously wanted to create. This reflects both the passion and individualism theme from the Romantic
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
...s creation as a way of revenge and payback for all the distress he brought to the creature. The creature, beginning as the most innocent, is alienated by his creator and every individual who witnesses his presence. Finally, Victor isolates himself from his beloved ones in order to fulfill his ambitions. All these misfortunes are caused by the lack of moral decision making. Unfortunately, these decisions ruined the life of many people involved in Victor’s life. All these events are the proof of what people’s actions can result into when isolation is a major theme in one’s life.
He not only turned away the being he had brought into the world; he also denied the creature companionship, friendship, and happiness while continuing to seek his own. Victor gained new purpose and even on his deathbed holds to the principle that he is justified in desiring the death of his enemy. Moment before his death he turns to Captain Robert Walton and says, “I feel justified in desiring the death of my adversary. During these last days I have been occupied in examining my past conduct; nor do I find it blamable” (156). He even begins to lose the small amount of compassion he had for the creature’s struggle.
...as made of different people, so he had different personalities, and therefore could not be expected to act as a normal person. Upon his creation, he was left not receiving the protection and guidance he desperately needed. His feelings were the same as any other humans: grief, and distress, anger. But, instead of calmly diffusing his anger, he chose to destroy that which made his “enemy” happy. There was never a good reason to bring the dead to life, despite all of Victor’s claims. Because of his arrogance, and lack of a functioning human heart, he disregarded everyone’s opinions and advice and sought to do what was right for himself and not even attempting to protect his family, regardless of how he claimed he did. His incompetence cost his entire family’s life, but fortunately, saved that of Walton and his crew mates. So, at least, he did one good.
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.
Victor Frankenstein's upbringing in a perfect society ultimately led to the destruction of his life which coincided with the lives of those emotionally close to him. Victor was raised in an atmosphere where beauty and physical appearance define one's quality of life. This superficial way of life results in a lost sense of morals and selfishness, which in turn produces a lost sense of personal identity. This can cause a feeling of failure and resentment in the later stages of life which, in Victor's case, can be externalized into a form of hatred directed toward himself.
It is when Frankenstein realizes how different he is to other people that he realizes his uniqueness and individualism. “I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as man. I was more agile than they and could subsist upon a coarser diet; I bore the extremes of heat and cold with less injury to my frame; my stature far exceeded theirs. When I looked around I saw and heard of none like me. Was I, then, a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled and whom all men disowned?” (Frankenstein, 150). While Frankenstein is by no means a human, he is made up of human parts and still craves love and affection. His rejection from everyone he sees, including his creator makes him feel like an outcast. It was because of Victor that Frankenstein couldn’t bear to be who he was made to be and felt a need to run into isolation. Victor not only created a monster physically, but also mentally turned him into someone he didn’t have to be. Both Frankenstein and Victor struggle with balancing their personal wants and needs with societies expectations and the people around them. That is one of the true struggles of being one person living in a world of many, you have to do what makes you happy while making sure it doesn’t effect other peoples happiness negatively. Victor doesn’t do a good job of
The next character that we meet who is lonely is Victor Frankenstein. At first he doesn't seem to be because, since he was a child he has had Elizabeth as a constant playmate and friend, along with Henry Clerval. But when he leaves to go to college in Ingolstadt, he feels all alone because he has left all his friends behind him. Although his professor, Waldman, befriends him, there, at Ingolstadt, he spends many hours secluded and alone, working on his creation, the...
Friendship is one of the most common human desires found all over the world in every different type of people. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, this deep-seeded need is explored, especially as it manifests itself in the hearts of three great men. Captain Walden writes to his sister about the loneliness that he is experiencing on his journey at the very start of the book. Then, as the story progresses, a similar want can be found in Victor despite his tightly woven relationship with Henry Clerval. The Creature is constantly denied his lust for companionship demonstrates the horrible consequences of incessant loneliness. His amiable nature combined with his grotesque appearance proves to be a horrific collaboration that serves only in gaining rejection as he is shunned, quite irrationally, over and over again by all living beings. The Creature's suffering could only be abandoned if he were able to encounter an unprejudiced and completely tolerant friend. Shelley masterfully conveys the importance of a kindred spirit and the overall necessity of loyalty between people.