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Loneliness And Social Isolation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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Approximately sixty percent of Americans report that they feel lonely regularly which is a societal complication (Santos). Humans are social creatures and they require contact with others . Loneliness can be described as the feeling of being alone regardless of the amount of social contact with others while social isolation is the lack of those social connections completely (CDC). The two go hand in hand and can often lead to each other causing deeper rooted issues. Novels such as Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, short stories like George Saunders “The 400-Pound CEO, and websites including the CDC all demonstrate or examine the effects of loneliness and social isolation on an individual. Loneliness and social isolation can hinder a person's ability to form connections with …show more content…

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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Dury gives a comprehensive look at the effects of loneliness and social isolation and supplies

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The effects of isolation are also shown in an article by Harvard Medical School. The author shares the frightening effects of isolation on a person. They state, “People who feel lonely (disconnected from others) have been shown to have faster rates of cognitive decline than people who don’t feel lonely loneliness

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Society Made Monsters Societal isolation is not talked about as much as it should, it creeps into a person’s mind and fills them with apathy towards their fellow man. No quote better emulates this than in Chapter Seventeen of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, “I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all of mankind?” The Creature is beseeching Victor Frankenstein to end his loneliness by providing him with a woman like him.

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The speaker's loneliness leads to his hostility towards society, which isolates him even further. In conclusion, Frankenstein and the two poems by Claude McKay all convey the theme of isolation and loneliness. The works reveal that being disconnected from society can have devastating consequences on one's mental and emotional wellbeing. The characters in these works are all isolated in different ways, but they all share a desperate need for companionship and acceptance.

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As readers can see, isolation does not only make a man lonely, but also brings about the effects of loneliness and isolation upon those around him. Frankenstein’s toils have led him to become a recluse and as a result of this, those he was once close with he has now lost true connection with. But, Frankenstein’s isolation was brought on independently and was of his own doing. The isolation his creation will soon come to be acquainted with, however, was the fault of his

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Social Isolation in Frankenstein Frankenstein has been a classic thought to every new generation since its creation in 1816. In the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelly, the theme of social isolation is prominent in its characters and the atmosphere. In the book, social isolation is more commonly seen in the monster and in his creator Viktor. To begin, social isolation is displayed through the monster very often throughout the book. It is first seen in the monster as he has been abandoned by his creator and by society itself.

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The Effect of Social Isolation in Frankenstein Frankenstein, a novel approximately over two hundred years old, has a pattern of consistent themes regarding mental health and loneliness. Throughout life and in literature, mental health has been stigmatized for centuries, causing uneducated and incorrect definitions of different illnesses to materialize. In the past, mental health wasn’t as recognized as it is today, however, scientists in the twentieth century can now recognize patterns in the information and literature written so long ago. In Frankenstein, it’s been noted that mental illnesses and personality disorders such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression show persistent examples where that can be seen throughout the story. Varying

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An Israeli writer Yehuda Berg once said; “Unfortunately, it is human nature for us to only learn and grow from a place of emptiness. It's hard to learn when we are winning and on top of the world.” This quote highlights the idea that learning and personal growth often come from moments of isolation. In other words, loneliness can result in becoming isolated from society in both positive or negative ways. Loneliness comes in many forms; emotional, social, and existential.

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It is quite telling that the most severe punishment in our society other than the death penalty or torture is solitary confinement. Although, isolation is in itself a form of torture, it can drive someone to the brink of insanity. Although published nearly 200 years ago, Mary Shelley clearly understood the potential detrimental effects of isolation, as demonstrated in her famous novel, Frankenstein, where both main characters, Victor Frankenstein and his creation, suffer from and cause isolation for the other. Mary Shelley directs the reader to believe that isolation is the true evil, not the monster, Victor or any emotion inside of them. At the beginning of the novel, Victor is isolated from other people, causing to forget his scientific

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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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„I desire the company of a man who could sympathize with me; whose eyes would reply to mine. You may deem me romantic, my dear sister, but I bitterly feel the want of a friend” (Shelley 163-164). This is the wish of the scientist Robert Walton whose letters start Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Unlike the first thoughts coming to mind when hearing the title, friendship is one of the main topics in the story and the wish Walton expresses in the beginning stands for the desires of all the main characters. Not only Walton feels to be in need of companionship, the central character Victor Frankenstein does so too and even the Creature he brings into being expresses its strong wish to belong to someone.

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By denying both main characters the sensation of domestic affection, or any other kind of social belonging, Mary Shelley highlights the importance thereof. The resulting isolation became the driving force behind both Frankenstein and his creation’s abominable actions which, in turn, shows that trying to avoid isolation and seeking the feeling of social belonging is the primary message of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and of

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The psychological toll of isolation can be devastating, leading to feelings of worthlessness, insignificance, and detachment from society. Two primary sources of literature are Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, explore the theme of isolation and its effects on the individual.

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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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“Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god” (Aristotle). Romantic period writer and author, Mary Shelley, depicts two characters in her soft science fiction novel, Frankenstein, that is exquisitely similar to those who “would find delight in solitude” as quoted by Aristotle in his Politics. In Shelley’s Frankenstein, the parallel of Aristotle’s two presented personas consists as Victor Frankenstein as a god and his horrific creation, the Monster, as a wild beast. Unambiguously, Victor is indeed the god of the Monster because he created him, consequently bringing the Monster into existence. The Monster too is merely a wild beast from the perception that he appears to be a frightening and violent creature.

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