Elements Of Isolation In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein '

Jireh Jackson
Mrs. Wilburn
AP Literature, 3rd period
02 March 2018

Rough Draft
In this novel about isolation, Mary Shelley uses elements of rejection, loneliness, and conformity to display how many characters suffered from emotional and physical isolation. Not only are these things notable in the 1818 version of but they are also seen in Mary Shelley’s life. By alienating oneself there can be a grave impact on not only the individual but society. It is evident that without acceptance and love from others life could seem meaningless. Rejection is a subject that consistently appears in this novel. This is seen through the relationship between the creature and creator and the creature and society. Not only is this seen in the novel but

This could be similar to Victor’s life by the number of people who were taken from him by death he when he secluded himself he was alone and miserable. The people he wished to have in his life weren’t there however, when they were he felt a sense of wholeness. Victor was also surrounded by loneliness and death it seemed nearly impossible to seem happy and alone. The idea of secluding oneself and becoming ill can be seen in the real world not only in the life of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein but also in the Shelleys life, “Shelley was forced to hide from creditors”(Moro). This extreme isolation is prevalent in Frankenstein as seen with Victor isolating himself from his family by moving to Ingolstadt and even staying in his apartment to study and create his creature. This isolation caused him to be deathly ill and without the help from social contact and going outside in the world he probably would have died. Isolation can have a heavy impact on an individual 's life and “vast evidence suggests that social isolation can threaten one 's psychological health, indicated by an elevated risk of depression, loneliness, and suicide among people with few or weak social ties.”(Tilburg). This is similar to the creatures very few ties with people and through this he was led to live a very

Afterall, “The emotional condition of loneliness in this regard is influenced by a deficit in the quantity of relationships, and/or the lack of relatedness to the social environment.” (

In
, there is a valid reason to believe the creature looks at Victor in the way one would to their parents. That they show love, honor and respect for them but can sometime betray them. The creature believed Victor to be a god, he looked up to him, unless Victor went against him. This kind of relationship Victor and the Creature had can also be seen in Mary Shelley’s life as “she had a lot of ups and downs with her father and step mother who she resented (Moro).” Shelley felt so hidden, “she published anonymously (Moro).” Which could be a reason as to why Shelley never gave the creature a name. Through the experience of her own family complications Shelley had, she created a relationship between Victor and the creature that resembled the relationship of her family.