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Isolation In Frankenstein Research Paper

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Destruction of Isolation in Frankenstein Among a desolate setting, a tale of tragic ambition and limerence unfolds, as a scientist and his monstrous creation become consumed by the grasp of alienation. In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, the main character, Victor pursues his scientific endeavors at the University of Ingolstadt. His goal, to achieve something great never done before, was met. In doing so, he creates a monster. Victor's relentless pursuit of knowledge leads him to forsake personal relationships. Soon after Victor brings his creation to life, he abandons it, leaving the Creature to evolve independently. In Frankenstein, isolation drives both Victor and his Creature to self-destruction. The theme of social isolation in Frankenstein …show more content…

In the Afterword by Keith Neilson, the depiction of Victor's lack of responsibility is further explained. When pursuing his scientific endeavors, Vitcor “more or less collapses” (Neilson 236). Throughout the novel, the only person Victor admits ownership of his creation is Robbert Walton. Before confessing the truth, Victor emotionally builds a wall between himself and others. When in contact with the tragic realities of his creation, “He just drifts through life, letting others make decisions for him” (Neilson 236). When returning home, Victor’s brother is killed by the Creature leaving for Justine, the servant, and nanny for the Frankenstein family, to be executed. Scared to speak up, Victor condemns the truth. Left feeling guilty, Victor admits, “Solitude was my only consolidation, deep, deathlike solitude” (Shelley 85). Time after time, Victor emotionally blocks out the world around him, allowing his thoughts and emotions to consume him. Voluntarily, Victor believes that by quarantining himself, his mistakes and problems will be pushed away. Emotional isolation, consuming both Victor and his Creature, emphasizes the damaging effects of loneliness in Shelley's

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The intricate depiction of Victor Frankenstein's and his creature's parallel journeys in Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" emphasises their common experiences with loneliness, the pursuit of knowledge, and the disastrous results of unrestrained ambition. Victor's words throughout the book vividly capture his sense of isolation: "I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body... I had desired it with an ardour 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 42). Here, Victor becomes emotionally isolated due to his intense desire to learn and his ambition, which causes him to feel horrified and disgusted

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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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The Theme of Isolation in “Frankenstein” Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” discusses numerous themes, however, one of the most prevalent is the theme of Isolation. Shelley relays this theme through the characters of Robert Walton, Dr. Victor Frankenstein, as well as Frankenstein’s monster in their letters, thoughts and actions, respectively. Each character will experience the multiple facets of this theme countless times throughout the novel, and all will make critical decisions regarding their place in society.

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Isolation is a key theme in both the lives of Victor and the monster in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Solitude is used to highlight how when left alone without anyone to even interact with one can go mad. The advancement of technology in science could lead to our own destruction. The main plot of the story can be seen clearly in the writer, Mary Shelley’s life as she wanted to seek fame in her creation of the story. Victor Frankenstein and his monster both experience isolation from society throughout the novel.

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In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, both of the main characters undergo physical and emotional isolation. This enforced or chosen solitude causes Frankenstein to become over-ambitious and harbor secrets from his family and friends, leading to his demise. In the monster, isolation turns to misery, which causes him to become vengeful against his creator and all the world. Through these examples of total isolation, Shelley shows that when people have no connection to others in the world, their worst characteristics and flaws are brought out. Victor Frankenstein was the first character to show a major flaw while in isolation.

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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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