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Empathy And Companionship As Depicted In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Throughout the novel, Mary Shelley emphasizes empathy and companionship as critical humanistic traits; yet, the content depicts the creature displaying these traits while Victor Frankenstein instead embodies the opposite inhumane psychological characteristics that would define him as a monster. Victor's fascination with playing God and creating a new species that "would bless him as its creator and source" ultimately displays his narcissistic intentions that opens the door towards his unhappiness and cruelty. (Shelley 40) Beyond this door, we see that Victor's lack of empathy towards the creature and even his own family enhances his own moral disengagement towards society. Although the creature may display the physical characteristics that
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Approximately sixty percent of Americans report that they feel lonely regularly which is a societal complication (Santos). Humans are social creatures and they require contact with others . Loneliness can be described as the feeling of being alone regardless of the amount of social contact with others while social isolation is the lack of those social connections completely (CDC). The two go hand in hand and can often lead to each other causing deeper rooted issues. Novels such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, short stories like George Saunders “The 400-Pound CEO, and websites including the CDC all demonstrate or examine the effects of loneliness and social isolation on an individual.

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Throughout the novel, Victor's actions are motivated by his own desires and ambitions, often at the expense of those around him. In Chapter 7, he reflects on his pursuit of knowledge and states, "It was the secrets of heaven and earth that I desired to learn; and whether it was the outward substance of things or the inner spirit of nature and the mysterious soul of man that occupied me, still my inquiries were directed to the metaphysical, or in its highest sense, the physical secrets of the world" (Shelley 50). With this quote, Shelley shows Victor's preoccupation with his own intellectual pursuits, which take priority over his relationships and the well-being of those around him. Another example of Victor's lack of empathy can be seen when he creates the creature without considering the potential consequences for the creature's well-being. He states, "I had desired it with an ardor that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart" (Shelley 34).

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Companionship is when a person discovers themselves and can show the best from inside of them. Most times a person learns to see the positive in everyday life activities and have a purpose. A person can become happy and forget about many troubles such as stress, anxiety, or depression. Also, that person has someone to talk to if they are going through a rough time even if they do not want to affect the other person with their troubles. More likely that person is going to appreciate others and events that occurs around them.

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The novel Frankenstein brings to light many problems and situations that shed light on the faults of mankind. Cruelty was a huge factor in the novel; throughout Frankenstein is cruel to his body and to his creation. When he first makes the creature he runs from it, leaving the creature to fend for himself; even when reuniting with the creature he continues displays cruelty. The creature, in turn exhibits Victor cruelty right back. Within Frankenstein cruelty can be attributed, often affecting both Victor and the creature; serving as a crucial motivator and revealing their anger, pain, frustration till eventually both die.

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Some people find it crazy to feel sympathetic for someone they do not know, let alone someone who is not human. Frankenstein written by Mary Shelley is about Victor Frankenstein, a young student studying science who creates a creature from a science experiment. The Creature is given life and eventually becomes responsible for the death of a few characters, but rather receive sympathy for his actions because he’s experienced a bad childhood, being all alone and only having the desire to be accepted. Firstly, the Creature has a bad childhood, and the main cause for that is Victor abandoning him. In the awakening of the Creature, Frankenstein says “I had desired it with an ardour that far exceeded moderation; but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream had vanished.

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But these are not thoughts befitting me; I will endeavour to resign myself cheerfully to death, and will indulge a hope of meeting you in another world”(24). Victor shows the strong love of family in his childhood “No human being could have passed a happier childhood than [me]. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence” (Shelley,40), he raised with excellent conditions and with parents who loved their children, but we do not see that Victor gives this love to his creature and ignored him, notwithstanding the fact that the two figures shared many characteristics. As a result of Frankenstein 's darkness and ignorance toward his creature, he refused to accept the monster because of his physical appearance and Frankenstein sees the creature as if he were the monster when the creature

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The duality of man is often portrayed in stories, but in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”, it is exemplified in the character traits of Victor and his Creation. The Creature is described as a grotesque and horrifying monster, but he is molded by how others react to him and force him into the shadows. The Creature is not the monster of the story because Victor refuses to take accountability for the actions and consequences of his creature. Victor is the true monster of “Frankenstein” with his twisted morals and ideologies, that push unfortunate circumstances onto his peers around him. At the beginning of the story, there is a series of letters from Walton to his sister that paint his adventures and dreams on the sea, in the fourth letter Victor is introduced and instantly portrayed as an

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Frankenstein In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, revenge is seeked by a project of an isolated scientist who wished for companionship and glory from his works. Victor the main character had a prophecy that he could bring the deceased back to life. He created this eight foot, hideous beast stitched up out of dead body parts, and brought it to life. At the sight of this monster Victor pushed him away leaving them both all alone.

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„I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me; whose eyes would reply to mine. You may deem me romantic, my dear sister, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend” (Shelley 163-164). This is the wish of the scientist Robert Walton whose letters start Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Unlike the first thoughts coming to mind when hearing the title, friendship is one of the main topics in the story and the wish Walton expresses in the beginning stands for the desires of all the main characters. Not only Walton feels to be in need of companionship, the central character Victor Frankenstein does so too and even the Creature he brings into being expresses its strong wish to belong to someone.

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The evidence provided in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein indicates that Victor should not create a companion for the creature. Shelley’s novel indicates that Victor’s obligations to his family prohibit him from creating a second creature. Victor feels as if he is responsible for expressing gratitude towards his family, for they have supported Victor throughout his life in Geneva. The novel expresses his parent’s unconditional love for him through their caress and passion ever since he was an infant.

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In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein brings his creation to life and has to endure the repercussions of his actions. While Victor is in fact human, the question of whether the creature or Victor is more human still stands. Humanity is demonstrated as compassionate in the book and monstrosity is the opposite. The creature is more human because of his developed personality and desire to be human. Victor, although born into a humane family, evolved into everything bad about humanity; he developed obsession, resentment, and manipulated life to conform to his idealities.

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In life there are many evils that will try to defeat a person but the key to living a happy, fulfilling life is learning to have empathy for others who are facing their own evils. Empathy is hard to have if a person has not endured any real struggles in their life. Being able to know firsthand how it feels to go through difficulties helps create a level of empathy that leads to compassion for one another. Victor Frankenstein is a prime example of someone who has faced evils in their own life but in the end did not find compassion for others, instead he found his own hell. In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Victor’s lack of empathy opens the door into his world of selfishness, cruelty, and unhappiness.

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In Frankenstein, the creature shows the importance on the need for friendship. The creature feels lonely because he has no friends. The creature states, “…no Eve soothed my sorrows nor shared my thoughts; I was alone,” (Shelley 93). The creature is clearly stating that he feels alone. Even Adam had Eve and his creator when Adam and Eve was on Earth to share conversations with (92).

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In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, readers follow the life of scientist Victor Frankenstein and his creation. The accomplishment of creating life is quickly overshadowed by Victor’s lack of responsibility regarding the monster’s needs. Victor doesn’t give it respect or love. Society’s rejection of the monster is responsible for his evil tendencies.

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Although you might not know it, there is always someone that loves you. Love is the expression of someone liking someone by their inside. In the book “ Frankenstein” retold by Mary Shelley, she expresses tragical love of both the monster and Victor’s life. the love in this book is symbolized by all the letters sent to Victor. Last but not least, people should love what they already have and not ask for more.

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