Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley is the story of Dr. Victor Frankenstein and his quest to pay for his transgressions against nature. Victor attempts to create life and succeeds. His neglect for his creation leads to the death of his loved ones and himself, as the monster seeks vengeance upon its creator. The monster is shunned and despised by society in the story, but Dr. Frankenstein is the real outcast of the story. Victor’s intellect sets him apart from the rest of his peers. Sciences and the secrets of the universe interested Victor as a child, while Elizabeth and Henry were more interested in worldly knowledge, “ It was the secrets of Heaven and Earth that I desired to learn…”(Shelley 23). Victor, even as a child, does not want what normal …show more content…
His outstanding knowledge and dedication towards the truth sets him apart from society. Ambition causes Victor to be alienated from society. During the process of building his creation, Frankenstein secludes himself and works himself sick for many months on end, “In a solitary chamber, or rather a cell, at the top of the house, and separate from all the other apartments by a gallery and staircase, I kept my workshop of filthy creation; my eyeballs were starting from their sockets in attending to the details of my employment.” (39). Victor has sealed himself away from the world so that he may achieve his goal. He has given up the chance to visit Genova and even the most beautiful scene of nature is unable to snap him out of his trance. Victor purposely secludes himself in the hopes of achieving his goal. Ambition being a source of separation can be seen in Captain Walter also, which is why Victor tells Walter his story, “I have no friend” (4). Walter feels as if he cannot relate to anyone aboard his own ship because they do not relate to him. Walter does not share his ambitions with his crew and he stands at a higher intellectual level than his shipmates and that leads to a distinct barrier between him and his crew. To reach his goal, Victor turned his back on humanity and chose to live in