Companionship In Frankenstein

Frankenstein Literary Analysis Everyone has a companion. Some have their dog, some have their family, their best friend, a neighbor, and the list goes on. Sometimes people take this for granted because it’s a natural thing to have companions all around us. Imagining a world, where someone is utterly alone, forced into the world with no one to talk to, no one to lay with, no one to help them, is a heartbreaking thought. The creature in Frankenstein would understand what that is like pretty well. As he travels along, alone, his deep need and longing for someone becomes apparent, which is why it is one of Shelley’s main messages in the story Frankenstein. Shelley conveys that companionship is a basic need through tone, point of view, and metaphors.

Shelley uses point of view to show progression of events for both the creature and Frankenstein and how lack of companionship led to their downfalls. Point of view makes the reader sympathise for the characters, such as Frankenstein when he loses Elizabeth or the creature when he tells his story of being alone in the woods. Because Frankenstein is the narrator, the reader can see his side of the story and his feelings towards the creature and the events caused by him. Frankenstein is wracked with agony as the creature takes away his brother, friend, and wife. In this way, the reader starts to feel anger towards the creature for causing their deaths, but as the point of view is switched, the creature’s feelings and reasoning for the events he caused becomes clear. If the narrator had been the creature, the reader would sympathize with him for creating him to be alone vs feeling bad for Frankenstein’s loss. The different point of views offer more evidence to support the author’s message about companionship. Shelley writes from Frankenstein’s point of view, “I have but one resource; and I devote myself, either in my life or death, to his destruction” (Shelley, 1818, p 188). In this quote, we can see how the lack of his wife, friend, and brother has driven him insane with anger and revenge for the creature. He becomes infatuated with killing the creature, which is basically his downfall. This shows

Her use of metaphors conveys how companionship is a basic need. One example of a metaphor Shelley uses is the weather or nature. This is seen when the characters are both happy, so good weather appears. Cold, stormy weather, like on Victor’s wedding night, indicates his depression and his doom. Another example of metaphor, is the creature himself. The creature is a metaphor for Frankenstein’s life. Both are socially reclusive, have a desire for a companion, and struggle with thoughts of revenge. As the story progresses, Frankenstein becomes increasingly like his creation. By making Frankenstein like his creation, it is more apparent he is lonely too, which further proves the point of needing a companion. This use of metaphor exaggerates how both characters need companionship to stay sane, or they will wallow alone with