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Frankenstein Theme Of Loneliness Essay

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In this excerpt from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the scene reveals the creature’s desperation to befriend the Delaceys to escape his loneliness. After approaching the old Delacey, he expresses his yearning for companionship and protection from his family. However, Felix, Safie, and Agatha suddenly enter the hovel and confronts by the creature. The creature’s rejection is shown by the “horror” (96) on the faces of his friends and being struck “violently with a stick” (97). His only link to humanity is broken, and he is isolated from society. This passage exhibits the central themes of loneliness and rejection as experienced by the creature. The themes are also prevalent in other characters throughout the novel, such as Victor Frankenstein and …show more content…

In his second letter to his sister, he states that he has “no friend” (4) and that he desires the “company of a man” (4). Although Walton is on a ship full of men, he still feels lonesome. He is not physically alone, but emotionally, as he is not around people who have the same interests as him. This parallels the creature as both characters desire a companion to improve their current state of suffering. They want someone who is able to empathise and understand them. The isolation that Walton experiences is caused by his devotion to his expedition. He desires to “tread a land never before imprinted by the foot of man” (1). This alienates him from society because he is searching a place that has no inhabitants. Unlike the creature, Walton does find the “admirable being” (157) in Victor Frankenstein. He learns about the dangers of ambition, which ultimately induced loneliness in Frankenstein and him. When his perfect companion dies, a sense of pathos is developed for Walton because the friend he has always wanted is no more. But, Frankenstein serves as a warning to Walton about the dangers of ambition and isolation. Walton’s loneliness was caused by his ambition, and by seeing the consequences of that path, he decides that risking his life is not worth the rewards. Robert’s loneliness takes the form of wanting a companion who understood him, and it originated from his aspirations of exploring a desolate

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Walton also says “determined man” clearing showing his determination to complete the task. 8. The reader’s first perception of Victor Frankenstein is that he is crazy. This is a fair judgement because Frankenstein is first seen dog sledding and then when offered to get onto Walton’s boat out of freezing water hesitates. Frankenstein can be perceived as to having a strange altitude of loneliness when he is with Walton.

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Frankenstein is in utter disrepair, his limbs nearly frozen and was surely fatigued and sick. Frankenstein was suffering greatly. Not only physically, but Frankenstein appears to be a somber and melancholy person. Despite Frankenstein’s sullen demeanor, Walton is greatly intrigued by Frankenstein’s story and past.

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He was alone but was intent on conquering his fears and being brave. He grows tired of his company, but only wants to talk to someone that is like himself. She furthers goes on to say “Masculine humanity only recognizes its own image on the bias of gender, class and race (Pon, 36)”. A person must be European, wealthy and a male for Walton to consider talking to him. The placement of these paragraphs was logical and gave examples to support how Frankenstein displays

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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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For example, “grief and fear again overcame me” (52), which portrays the highly frail condition of Frankenstein. Even though he is the most visible and brightest example of misery, the whole family is suffering of the loss, in a more profound way, as Ernest describes, how in such a joyful event such as the reunion of Frankenstein and his family, “’tears instead of smiles will be your welcome’” (55). The loss of innocent William has had such an impact on the family, that now anything cheerful in life turns into

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An unsatisfied need for a sense of belonging transforms Frankenstein’s creature into the monster it ultimately becomes. Therefore, I argue that the predominant theme in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is the need for social belonging

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Beginning with Victor abandoning the creature at birth, the series of revenge and hatred-filled events begin to occur as both attempt to find justice and retribution. The creature stole the lives of everyone beloved by Victor, and Victor stole the monster’s chance at happiness by abandoning him. As the characters continuously harm each other, their isolation increases as well as their sanity. In the end, numerous family members perish, Victor Frankenstein dies of physical exhaustion, and the creature conveys his desire to

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The two passages above, one from Frankenstein, and one from The Creature, highlight their perspectives on life having either been supported by a family or growing up with no parental guidance. This shows a parallel relationship between the two passages. Ultimately they both end up left in solitary, only having each other. In The Creature’s passage, he talks about his desire for a family.

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Companionship is the closeness or familiarity, a true fellowship among people who for some reason have a connection. “I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me, whose eyes would reply to mine.” The quote is from Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Robert Walton longs for a friend. The creature wanted a female companion.

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His social deficiency causes him to become sad and lonely. Alas aboard Walton’s vessel appears Victor Frankenstein and Walton finds the companion that he longed for. Walton and Frankenstein are immediate companions when they meet aboard the vessel because they are both very lonely. They had common experiences and virtues that strengthened their unanticipated bond. From this, one can see that social poverty connects characters to each other and creates a need for people that causes loneliness and despair.

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The monster on the other hand had known only loneliness from the second he opened his eyes. The monster learns through painful rejection that he will never find companionship because humans are unable to see past his ghastly appearance and in anger tears away one of Frankenstein’s many companions. This begins the spiral of anger and loneliness that leads to the monster killing nearly everyone Frankenstein is close to. This, inadvertently, forces Frankenstein to have the same feelings of anguish and loneliness that he first instigated in the monster. Frankenstein never realises that all the monster wants is a companion, he cannot see his own emotions reflected in his creation.

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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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Though it could never kill you, isolation is one of the most painful and horrific states that anyone has ever experienced. In Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein, Walton, and the creature exchange the role of storyteller. Victor is a brilliant inventor who was inspired to study science from watching lightning strike a tree. The creature was given life and sentenced to live out its life without love by Frankenstein. Walton was an adventurer who is brought into the story by his willingness to help a person in need.

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Isolation and a lack of companionship is the tragic reality for the monster, who was abandoned by his creator and is repulsive to everyone that he comes across. Victor removes himself from society for many months; severing nearly all human contact then renouncing his creation based on the monster's appearance. As the monster matures he begins to understands the relationship the cottagers share with one another, while the monster, “yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures: to see their sweet looks directed towards me with affection was the utmost limit of my ambition. ”(Shelley). Armed with nothing but the longing for a real connection, the monster approaches his unknowing hosts only to be “brutally attacked—by those he trusted...because of their human ignorance.

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On the other hand, Frankenstein was able to obtain love much easier than the creature. Although it was easier for Victor, he shows his desire for love in a letter he wrote to his father; “My dear father, re-assure yourself. I love my cousin tenderly and sincerely. I never saw any woman who excited; as Elizabeth does, my warmest admiration and affection my future hopes and prospects are entirely bound up in the expectation of our union” (Shelley 108). Here Frankenstein’s love for his Elizabeth is displayed and characterizes his desire for love.

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