Frankenstein Isolation Essay

Isolation is commonly attributed to negative connotations, which is a fair assumption given how it is portrayed in popular culture. However, loneliness and isolation can in fact become powerful avenues for the attainment of positive or productive attributes. Furthermore, isolation breaks societal norms and allows an individual to obtain peace with oneself. Isolation is utilized as a means of positive self-development and discovery that allows one to reflect upon their behaviour and life. This is accomplished through the usage of isolation as a method of reaching transcendence, the ability to adapt isolation into a period of self-reflection, and the utilization of isolation as motivation for various personal endeavours. Isolation commonly

Particularly, the idea of sublime nature is elucidated when Victor exclaimed that “the sight of the awful and majestic in nature had indeed always the effect of solemnizing my mind, and causing me to forget the passing cares of life” (Shelley 116). Victor acknowledges the ability to remain isolated in the grandeur environment of the European Alps. He explains that the mere isolation in nature allows him to clear his mind and become at peace with himself. In this instance, Justine had just been wrongly executed. Victor’s overwhelming guilt led him to retreat to the sublime nature of the Alps alone. This further proves that isolation in an appropriate environment leads to improvements in clarity and focus. Moreover, isolation is an integral part of the short story ‘The Dune’ by Stephen King. The main character Beecher has spent a large majority of his life alone but also isolated with the knowledge of the names in the dune. This loneliness leads him to reveal that; “The truth, counsellor, is that I was afraid. I felt – I still feel” (King), which conveys his inner thoughts and demons. His isolation around the dune has allowed him to reflect upon the circumstances that he is in. The dune, in a way, guides many of the decisions he makes. The

This can be attributed to a period of transcendence experienced at a single time, or due to a culmination of smaller experiences. Throughout ‘The Husband’s Stitch’ by Carmen Maria Machado, the culmination of smaller experiences by the wife results in critical self-reflection. The story follows the persistent husband who insists on untying his wife’s green ribbon. These events sparked periods of self-reflection in the wife, which culminates in her exclaiming, “do you want to untie the ribbon? I ask him. After these many years, is that what you want of me?” (Machado). This reaction was a consummation of decades of persistence from her husband, which created tension at times. These events enabled her to reflect upon not only his actions but her responses. The events at the finality of the story are meant to inform her husband of the repercussions of his actions, which was not understood earlier in the story given his persistence. Furthermore in ‘Frankenstein’, Victor uses isolation throughout the events of the story to self-reflect upon the implications of his decisions. Particularly after pursuing the monster in the Arctic, Victor is found by Walton. In these moments, he reflects upon his journey and demands Walton to “seek happiness in tranquility, and avoid ambition, even if it be only the apparently innocent one of distinguishing yourself in science and discovery” (Shelley 216). In this excerpt,