What Is The Theme Of Pushing Boundaries In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?

In Mary Shelley’s famous novel Frankenstein, the author uses many literary elements, such as structure, setting, characterization, and point of view, to create themes within the story. Themes such as loneliness, pushing boundaries, the relationship between the creation and the creator, as well as the contrast between the natural and the unnatural all play important roles in the understanding of the story. The novel follows the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who longs for a friend, as he creates his own companion. As soon as his efforts bring this creature to life, he rejects the creature, leading to fear and uneasiness for both of them. The monster, lonely, as he is the only one of his species and rejected by humankind, asks

In the end, Frankenstein passes away, and the monster, overwhelmed by his own guilt, throws himself into the ocean, hoping death would soon take him.

Throughout the novel, the theme of pushing boundaries and exploration is extremely prevalent due to the structure of the story, as well as the characterization of the explorer and Frankenstein. The story begins with several letters between an explorer and his sister as he heads to Antarctica on a great expedition. In the later letters, he mentions a man he found in awful shape, who he later learns is Frankenstein, and after nursing him back to health, Frankenstein tells the explorer of his journey so far. This structure in the story is prevalent to the theme of pushing boundaries and exploration throughout the novel by creating slight foreshadowing to events which occur later. The characterization of the explorer is vital to the story. Although the explorer is not present throughout the majority of the novel, he, like Frankenstein, is determined to push boundaries further than most have before.

Whether it be through the setting or the characterization of both the creature, Frankenstein, and the explorer, hints of loneliness scatter themselves throughout the story. The explorer writes several of his letters from the confines of his ship making its way through the North Pole. This land, previously undiscovered, is completely desolate and away from all civilization. In his letters, the explorer writes, “We were, as we believed, many hundred miles from any land” (Shelley 19). Hence, Shelley uses this isolated setting to create a sense of loneliness throughout the story. The characterization of the explorer also contributes to the theme of loneliness. For example, in the letters the explorer writes to his sister, he claims that he “desires the company of a man who could sympathize with [him],” (Shelley 13). Although the explorer is a successful man withaspirations of his own, he still feels lonely and as though no one quite understands him. Similar to the explorer, Frankenstein longs for a companion– so much so, in fact, that he creates his own. Even though Frankenstein understands what it feels like to be isolated and in need of companionship, he rejects the creature anyways, forcing the creature to a life which could only be spent in complete isolation. An ugly, unnatural creature could not find a friend within the human population. After being rejected by so many humans, he encounters a young boy,