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Isolation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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The former president of Indonesia, Sukarno, once said, “The worst cruelty that can be inflicted on a human being is isolation.” Humans are social creatures, who need social interaction in their lives; being forced into isolation is known to cause low self esteem and loneliness. Isolation, according to Sukarno, is the worst possible cruelty for a human being. In Frankenstein, isolation is a recurring theme in multiple characters throughout the novel. Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein, suggests that isolation leads to dangerous behavior. The author shows this through Frankenstein’s thoughts and actions concerning the monster he created, and the monster’s habits following the discovery of its loneliness.
Victor Frankenstein’s thoughts …show more content…

A second quotation that furthers the argument takes place when Victor contemplates the problems he created for his friends and family. “But I felt that I had no right to share their intercourse. I had unchained an enemy among them whose joy it was to shed their blood and to revel in their groans. How they would, each and all, abhor me and haunt me from the world did they know my unhallowed acts and the crimes which had their source in me!” (Shelley 176). This quote shows that isolation causes dangerous behavior. Mentally, Frankenstein is damaged, which is evident when he states that he feels no right to share experiences and converse with his family. Secondly, while in isolation, Frankenstein created a monster. The isolation drove him to create this monster because nobody could help him with his decisions, which presented Frankenstein with awful consequences. Indirectly, Frankenstein’s isolation caused physical destruction to his family because it made him ignorant of the repercussions of his creation. Victor Frankenstein does not feel that he deserves respect from his family because of these actions. Lastly, Ashley Craig Lancaster’s article From Frankenstein’s Monster to Lester Ballard: The Evolving Gothic Monster …show more content…

Throughout the plot of the book, the topic of isolation occurs frequently. Mary Shelley conveys the message that isolation causes dangerous behavior through the characters in the piece. Victor Frankenstein’s thoughts and actions towards the monster and the monster’s destructive habits following its isolation portray this

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