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Frankenstein Mental Health Essay

1200 Words5 Pages

Mary Shelley's iconic novel, “Frankenstein”, published in 1818, goes into the intricate and often neglected topic of mental health. Despite being primarily recognized as a Gothic horror story, Shelley's masterpiece offers a profound exploration of the effects of isolation, trauma, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge on the human psyche. Through her characters, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, Shelley illustrates the tragic consequences of neglecting one's mental well-being and the profound impact it can have on both individuals and society. This essay will dive into the themes of mental health in “Frankenstein”, shedding light on the complexities of the human mind as portrayed by Shelley. Mary Shelley's “Frankenstein” explores the …show more content…

In “Frankenstein”, the characters experience varying degrees of isolation, leading to profound effects on their mental well-being. Victor Frankenstein himself is plagued by the ramifications of his ambitious pursuit of knowledge, ultimately isolating himself from society. This self-imposed solitude takes a severe toll on his mental health, as evidenced by his poignant statement. "I shunned my fellow creatures as if... I had been guilty of a crime" (Shelley 56). Victor's remorse and withdrawal from society highlight the detrimental impact of isolation on mental well-being. The weight of guilt, compounded by a lack of human connection, exacerbates his deteriorating mental state. Similarly, the creature, abandoned and rejected by his creator, grapples with profound loneliness. Unable to find acceptance in society, he suffers from a deep sense of isolation that fractures his mental equilibrium. "I am alone and miserable; man will not associate with me" (Shelley, 131). The creature's desperate plea for companionship reveals the detrimental consequences of …show more content…

Victor's relentless pursuit of knowledge and his aspiration to conquer the secrets of life propels him into a destructive spiral. As his ambitions consume him, his mental state progressively deteriorates, leading to profound consequences. "In a fit of enthusiastic madness, I created a rational creature and was bound towards him, to assure, as far as was in my power, his happiness and well-being" (Shelley, 56). Victor's admission of his "enthusiastic madness" underscores the toll his ambitions have taken on his mental well-being. The weight of his creation becomes an unbearable burden that torments his psyche. Furthermore, Victor's obsession with his creation leads him to neglect his mental health. As he becomes increasingly consumed by his ambition, his mind descends into a state of paranoia and delusion. "Every night I was oppressed by a slow fever, and I became nervous to a most painful degree" (Shelley, 79). Victor's deteriorating mental state reflects the adverse consequences of unchecked ambition, illustrating how the pursuit of knowledge can exact a heavy toll on one's psychological well-being. “Frankenstein” further examines the dangers of unrestrained ambition and obsessive behavior on mental stability. Victor's insatiable thirst for knowledge and desire to play God blinds him to the potential consequences of his actions. His relentless pursuit of scientific breakthroughs consumes him

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Isolation can have a large impact on someone's behaviour and actions. Mary Shelley uses this information in ”Frankenstein” to show how being isolated from society can affect someone or something. Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” explores themes of isolation throughout the novel and shows what isolation can do to a being leading it to irrational and manic behaviours. This is evident throughout the novel especially when The Monster is talking about being lonely and its effect on him. “I am alone and miserable”

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When looking at the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, it is easy to identify the many characters within. Upon looking deeper into these characters it is clearly shown that each has their own unique “faults.” While analyzing the titular character, Victor Frankenstein, one should be able to see that he suffered from two very serious mental illnesses that brought about his end, post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD and depression. PTSD is an anxiety disorder that typically occurs after going through an extreme emotional trauma that involves death or harm. Post-traumatic stress disorder was first brought into the national picture with war veterans, but it is not limited to only them.

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In the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, both Victor Frankenstein and his monstrous creation experience depression through social isolation. They encounter these issues differently however as Victor willingly “deprived [him]self of rest and health” as well as answering letters from his loved ones, while his creation must endure “fatal prejudice [that] clouds [the] eyes” of the humans around him, they only see him as a “detestable monster” leaving him with no one but himself (Shelly 43,122). As Victor purposefully pushes away from others, his creation longs to be with them but must adhere to the wishes of society and hide away as well. Extreme social isolation leaves one with only their thoughts which can be harmful to the mind and cause them to succumb to

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Victor Frankenstein is the quintessential “mad scientist” and his madness comes to a head when he attempts to reanimate a human corpse which he pieced together himself. This project completely overtakes his life and he states, “In a solitary chamber, or rather cell, at the top of the house, and separated 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 (Shelley 33).” Frankenstein’s internal dialogue, as we see here, relays the circumstances surrounding his self-imposed isolation. In spending countless hours slaving away to create life, he has sacrificed his health, both physical and mental. The isolation he has brought upon himself leads him, “... to forget those friends who were so many miles absent and whom I had not seen for so long a time (Shelley 33).”

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Emotional and physical isolation in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are the most pertinent and prevailing themes throughout the novel. These themes are so important because everything the monster, Victor, and Robert Walton do or feel directly relates to their poignant seclusion. The effects of this terrible burden have progressively damaging results upon the three.

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He leaves the creature in a wretched state as he feels sadness and anger more often than a normal man. Schoenfelder et al. illustrate this idea by explaining that those who experience improper close relationships early on in life will experience issues with mental health and romantic relationships (Schoenfelder et al.). The creature feels excessive amounts of anger which would lead to a poor mental state and caused him to be an issue to

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He hyper focuses on his studies in an attempt to suppress his emotions, and as a result, goes further and further down a lonely path, completely isolated and trapped with his ideas and thoughts. Victor doesn’t feel quite right, but continues to work on his project, but when it is completed, and the creature comes to life, “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled [his] heart,” (Shelley 58). Victor completely neglects everything except his creation, due to his prolonged grief, but his devotion blinds him to the monstrosity he has been creating. After Victor abandons his creation, he suffers through a deep depression, unable to reconcile his guilt, grief, and other painful emotions. He struggles to find joy in his life, constantly stricken by the weight of his decisions, unable to forgive himself or take any steps toward stabilizing his mental health.

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A prominent motif in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is alienation and how alienation sets the wheels of the plot into motion. In Frankenstein, loneliness due to its milieu and isolation from society make the creature dangerously capricious. Therefore, the creature’s isolation from society expresses a person's traits which are affected more by nurture (alienation) than by Nature. Frankenstein grounds its argument in a symmetrical pattern, with social

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Mary Shelley, in her book, Frankenstein, has a reoccurring theme of isolation, in which she isolates the main character, Victor Frankenstein, from the rest of society in order to create a creature. Likewise, the creature that is created is also isolated from the rest of society as he is rejected from his creator as to his appearance. The theme is present throughout the novel as it reinforces Victor’s downfall from a normal boy to a grown man intrigued with creating life as he slowly becomes a madman that everyone soon fears. Isolation causes a loss of humanity as it affects the mind and body. Isolation from society does not teach social interaction, causes regret about oneself, provides one with negative feelings, and causes regretful actions.

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He dreamed of creating a new species but gave no thought to the hardships they would endure or the catastrophes they may cause (Oates 548). Victor takes responsibilities for their achievements and imagines his creations seeing him as God, but when he goes through with his plans, Victor does not feel any responsibility towards his first creature and its failings due to its unusual and horrifying appearance. Victor describes that “the beauty of the dream vanished, and breathless horror and disgust filled my heart” due to the creature’s looks (Shelley 57). This highlights the unknown and uncontrollable nature of life and death as well as the superficiality of the world in the novel. This may also reflect Mary Shelley’s view of the world and how quickly its inhabitants will turn on someone who does not fit their strict societal

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He experiences extreme guilt, anxiety, and despair, haunted by the consequences of his creation. Victor's emotional instability hinders his ability to maintain healthy relationships and leads to self-imposed isolation. Victor's mental health issues also impact his cognitive functioning. He becomes consumed by his creation, neglecting his responsibilities and losing his ability to think rationally. Victor's declining mental state leads to poor decision-making, impaired judgment, and an inability to address the repercussions of his actions effectively.

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He is aware of his otherness and knows that he is “shut out from intercourse” (84) with the people he holds so dear. It can be argued that this is the point where the creature’s humanity is the strongest throughout the course of story. He has a basic understanding of human societies, he speaks and reads their language, shows compassion and, most importantly, seeks their company and friendship. In his knowledge that social belonging is the missing component to his own happiness, he confronts the people he secretly observed only to, once again, be met with fear and anger (94-95). He comes to realise that he

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In the years since Frankenstein’s release many readers of the famous narrative have come to regard Victor Frankenstein with little affection. They cite his selfish and reckless behavior, which frequently cause the misery which torments him. However, Victor’s self-centered nature, goes beyond simply a flaw of character, it is indicative of a deeper affliction, narcissistic personality disorder; or NPD. NDP is characterized by an over inflated sense of self, beyond what is developmentally appropriate. Classic symptoms of NDP “are grandiosity, a lack of empathy for other people, and a need for admiration.

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Victor’s isolation and confinement is what led to the decline of his physical and mental well-being. These texts work together to display how Victor’s pursuit for knowledge suppresses his ability to reach his full potential. Victor is unable to maintain his affectionate relationships with his loved ones because of his pursuit for achievement. In addition to Victor being affected by

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Isolation and abandonment can cause many different reactions from people. In the words of William A. Sadler Jr., a sociology professor, “We often do not know how to cope. It can make us confused, distraught, depressed, frightened, and even outraged” (Sadler 105). In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, several of these effects are presented in Victor Frankenstein and his creation. They both suffer from being isolated from their creator, society, and family units.

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