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”
Frankenstein: From Benevolent to Feind “I was benevolent and good; misery made me a fiend.” (Shelley 69) Said by Frankenstein’s monster, this quote truly defines him: initially an affectionate, love-seeking creature, he transformed into an enraged killer, angry at humanity for the undeservedly poor way he was treated. Victor Frankenstein is an unique, complex individual who encounters a similar change of nature for similar reasons. The quote—though spoken by the monster—encapsulates the evolution of Victor Frankenstein’s personality; misery—a product of isolation and loneliness—aroused a deterioration of temperament from an initially benevolent Frankenstein.
Henceforth, this scene is another factor that furthers the idea that frankenseins creation’s violent actions were not mindless, but to seek justice for his creators monstoris actions. Some argue the creature's violent actions make him more monstrous than Frankenstein, but it is crucial to remember that the creature's violence is a response to the cruelty and rejection he experiences at the hands of others. To contrast, Frankenstein's actions are driven by a desire for personal glory and achievement rather than noble or empathetic motives. In summary, by analyzing Shelley's language in the passage, it suggests that Frankenstein is portrayed as more monstrous than his creation. Despite counterclaims that the creature's violent actions make him more monstrous, Shelley's language presents a convincing case that Frankenstein's absence of empathy along with his selfish motives are more monstrous than the creature's violent
The novel Frankenstein brings to light many problems and situations that shed light on the faults of mankind. Cruelty was a huge factor in the novel; throughout Frankenstein is cruel to his body and to his creation. When he first makes the creature he runs from it, leaving the creature to fend for himself; even when reuniting with the creature he continues displays cruelty. The creature, in turn exhibits Victor cruelty right back. Within Frankenstein cruelty can be attributed, often affecting both Victor and the creature; serving as a crucial motivator and revealing their anger, pain, frustration till eventually both die.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is a classic novel that explores the consequences of cruelty, both towards oneself and others. Through the course of the story, the theme of cruelty functions as a crucial motivator and major social and political factor, driving the plot and the development of the characters. This essay will analyze how cruelty functions in the work as a whole, the impact it has on the characters, and what it reveals about the perpetrator/victim relationship. One of the most striking examples of cruelty in the novel is the treatment of the creature by his creator, Victor Frankenstein.
Frankenstein explores peoples’ lack of forgiveness and compassion toward the unknown. Shelly demonstrates this lack of understanding in three distinct ways: Victor Frankenstein’s blatant disgust/hatred of his creation, the cottagers’ aggressive reaction to seeing the creature, and Victor’s refusal to attempt to understand him. When the monster was created, he had no idea of the harsh world into which he was being thrust. This lack of preparation and guidance turned him into a cold, unforgiving monster; he lost his innocence and became this horrible, dangerous monster. Frankenstein perfectly exemplifies humans’ lack of compassion and the long lasting effects it
How does Mary Shelley’s construction of the secondary characters reflect upon the protagonist? Throughout Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, character parallels and analogies between Victor Frankenstein and the creature are strongly emphasized. More evidently, the character doubles between the creator, Victor, and his creature are presented through their demeanor, their desires, and their demands. Shelley emphasizes parallelisms of nature, alienation and vengeance to underscore their similarities, leading some readers to interpret Victor and his creature being so similar that indeed, they are the same person. Both lonely and outcasts in the world, Victor and his creation live forlorn and dreary lives, hungry for the love of another, desperate for
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.
In Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Shelley casts light on the experiences of dehumanized outcasts such as the monster in her novel. By depicting the forced isolation, the monster faces as he grieves the loss of his supposed parental figure, empathy is cast upon a critically evil entity within the novel. Furthermore, the author justifies the actions of the monster by its experiences, allowing the reader to simultaneously justify the sympathy they feel towards the creature. “Solitary and abhorred,” the monster paints the character of a perfect outcast in a situation that readers can link themselves to as well (Shelley 93). Overall in the novel, though the author may be inclined to feeling sympathy for the more humanistic beings within the novel, sympathy is drawn towards the cursed and away from, “the accursed Creator.”
The monster is a novel that tries to provide answers to questions that have been able to confuse the author and readers. Published in 1818, the novel is famous for the rich ideas that challenges the mankind’s knowledge and its probability to be used for the good and evil motives, how the uneducated people in the society have been able to be treated over time in the society and in understanding the influence of the advancement in technology have been able to affect mankind. The novel is about Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant scientist who tries to work out the meaning of life. He works in the laboratory and tries to create a creature out of organs of a dead man and manages to create a monster.
The Creature in Frankenstein Mary Shelly’s “Frankenstein” is an inspirational work of horror and science fiction; it is the narrative of an unorthodox act of creation, of a monster which torments his miserable creator. The author puts forth ideas, and reinforces it through the development of the plot, that mankind is capable of both good and evil. Shelly demonstrates the ‘humanity’ of the creature; his actions and his inclination are like those of mankind. Indeed, even the negative aspect of his character, demonstrated through his quest for revenge, has a parallel in the actions of his human creator. In Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” the creature is represented as being vicious and murderous but he is not inherently evil or malicious.
Frankenstein’s creature initially shows no signs of ill will or malice when first encountering human beings (Shelley 72-73). On the contrary, through careful observation he is able to learn more about human society and personal relationships. He begins to admire the close connection between the people he observes and respects their virtue. This, however, makes him realise what he is missing. Observing the love and affection between others only increases the effect his own solitude has on him.
The need and mutual respect for love and companionship is what truly makes one human. In the book Frankenstein it is seen from the first time Victor brings his monster to life that he has no compassion or attachment towards him. In fact, he abandons him out of fear. Throughout the story the monster feels a lack of affection, not only from Victor but from the other people he meets and wants to make friends with, leaving him in misery. Due to persistent abandonment and apathy, the monster sought out revenge and committed treacherous acts of violence.
The monster’s soul, designed to be human-like, corrupts as his acts of kindness are treated with hate and malice. In Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, the monster causes suffering and harm to others due to the injustice and harm inflicted upon the monster’s well intentioned actions. Since the monster’s creation, he isn’t guided through what is right or wrong, and his appearances prevent him from establishing rapport with other humans. When the monster tells Victor about his first feelings upon being created, he states “I saw, felt, heard, and smelt at the same time; and it was, indeed, a long time before I learned to distinguish between the operations of my various senses” (Shelley 70). The monster is similar to a child since
In the novel Frankenstein,by Mary Shelley, the mysterious and unnatural origins of the character of Frankenstein’s monster are an important element. The Monster, having been created unethically and haphazardly, is at odds throughout the novel, resulting in his alienation from society and prolonged feelings of anger, desertion, and loneliness. Shaping his character, his relationships with other characters, and the meaning of the work as a whole, the Monster’s origins are what define him. The Monster faces rejection and violence every time he attempts to make contact with the new, foreign world he has been thrust into.
