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The Impact Of Othering And Loneliness In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein '

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Max Rosner Professor Samalin 24 March 2023 Journal 3 Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein illustrates the impact othering and loneliness can have on the psyche. In a passage bridging from the end of Chapter 8 to the beginning of Chapter 9, Frankenstein’s monster laments on his loneliness and designation of “monster” in the world. He is considered as an innately “other” because of his appearance and unnatural birth. In a reaction to this othering, he enacts a violent killing spree to exact revenge against his creator which he justifies under his feelings of loneliness and exclusion. Although Frankenstein acts as a cautionary tale against untethered scientific experimentation, we can also read this as a story of how othering and exclusion can produce …show more content…

In this way, we can see the monster as a more complex individual than his initial outward appearance may suggest. Yet, the monster still feels he is ultimately defined by his appearance. Rather than focusing on developing his mental facilities and overcoming his unconventionality, he insists he is an other and thus demands Frankenstein create him a wife of the same species (Shelley 120). It is true that the monster is an other as exemplified in his outward appearance; however it is murderous actions that truly monstrify …show more content…

Frankenstein’s monster’s avid desire for a female companion in order to save him also falls into line with “incel” beliefs and conceptions of the world. His self-pitying language further reflects “incel culture”; he says, “I am alone, and miserable; man will not associate with me; but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me” (Shelley 120). “Incel” beliefs display this same pathology; because they self-pity and think lowly of themselves they believe they are unable to attract women, yet they only factor appearance into this equation. Their inner pathologies – self-pity, hatred of women, low-self-esteem – are what truly ostracize them rather than the perception of their own

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As the creature in Frankenstein puts it, "I am malicious because I am miserable. Am I not shunned and hated by all mankind?" (Shelley 15). This statement illustrates how loneliness can lead to a cycle of hostility and further isolation. The works remind us of the importance of empathy and understanding towards those who are different from

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Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a thematically engrossing novel that follows the treacherous narrative of protagonist Victor Frankenstein as he submits himself entirely to passion and the fervent desire to acquire natural knowledge and the resulting consequences that follow. The outcome of his ardent frenzy of discovery is a monstrous creation that he instantly regrets creating upon first sight. Throughout the Frankenstein novel, Victor and the monster engage in an everlasting mutual war that sets them at ends with each other through their personal pinings for the things that set them apart. It can be proven that throughout the novel the two protagonists come off as both intriguingly similar upon in-depth analysis and strikingly different on

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Isolation and loneliness are pervasive throughout Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein." From the beginning, Victor Frankenstein embarks on a solitary journey of scientific discovery, isolated from societal norms and the comfort of companionship. His pursuit of knowledge and creation leads to his alienation from his family, friends, and humanity. An early instance of this is when Victor confided in his cousin, Elizabeth, about his scientific discoveries. However, Elizabeth showed no interest in his pursuits, leaving Victor to isolate himself further (Shelley 23).

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Society is well-known for pushing those who are outsiders or strange away from society. This is prevalent to the examples in Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein. The monster who was created by Victor Frankenstein who wanted to be the first to create life was appalled by the sights of the his creation. Frankenstein’s monster is judged based on his appearances and is often ostracized by society, just as anyone in modern day society can be shunned or pushed away due to their looks or how they think. The most outstanding example of ostracism that occurred throughout the novel is based on the monster’s physical features and structure.

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Frankenstein is unable to provide love and comfort toward the monster, which make him feel revengeful toward his master Fiend blames Frankenstein for all misery he faces as his creator deserts him. In Frankenstein Marry Shelley conveys that the feeling of abandonment compels him to seek revenge against his creator. To start with, Frankenstein justifies that the monster is sensitive, but suffering enforces the him to be violent. The statement is true when you learn the monster request to his creator When creature see a beautiful woman sleeping on straw. The fiend appeals "you must create a female for me, with home I can live in the interchange of those sympathies for necessary for

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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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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.

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Duality is shown in Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, a gothic tale of a scientist whom looks to advance the life-giving qualities of mother nature. Through this novel, Shelley proves that good and evil in human nature is not always simple to define, and that everyone has both of these qualities within them. The duality of human nature is shown through the characters of Victor Frankenstein and his monster, who are both heroes in the novel while simultaneously displaying anti-hero qualities. Shelley forces the reader to sympathize with them both but also creates gruesome ideas of the two. Frankenstein’s creature places himself in a submissive position when he begs his creator to have mercy on him and asking the creator to “create a female for [him] with whom [he] can live in the interchange of those sympathies necessary for [his] being.”

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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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The creature comes to say of himself, “[he] was dependent on none and related to none… [his] person was hideous and [his] stature gigantic,” (Shelley 55). The creature wants most in life to be accepted as a human and have love; his goal however seems unattainable. As you can see, Frankenstein comes to say to the creature, “who long for the love and sympathy of man,” (Shelley 64), in response to the creature’s want for a companion due to his loneliness. The creature’s experiences have shaped his opinion of himself from being a kind creature, to now seeing himself as the monster he is treated like.

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The fictional horror novel of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is driven by the accentuation of humanity’s flaws. Even at the very mention of her work an archetypal monster fills one’s imagination, coupled with visions of a crazed scientist to boot. Opening her novel with Robert Walton, the conduit of the story, he also serves as a character to parallel the protagonist’s in many ways. As the ‘protagonist’ of the story, Victor Frankenstein, takes on the mantle of the deluded scientist, his nameless creation becomes the embodiment of a truly abandoned child – one left to fend for itself against the harsh reality posed by society. On the other hand, Walton also serves as a foil to Victor – he is not compulsive enough to risk what would be almost

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The novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a science fiction story about a creature created from non-living matter, by a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein. The conflict between society and Frankenstein’s creature is largely perpetuated by a split between those considered attractive, and those who are not. The conflict and language use in Frankenstein demonstrate that most of society judges others based on their physical appearance, which leads to excluding those who fall outside the accepted definition of beauty and sometimes life-threatening consequences for both groups. Frankenstein and his parents demonstrate that they also fall victim to the habit of judging others initially based off of their appearance. The Frankenstein parents first

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